How long (how many seconds?) do you have to be connected for a call to show on a phone record?

Question

I want to find out if a friend of mine called me last year. I know the approximate date. He called but didn't leave a message. I am wondering if it would show up on his phone record or on mine. He passed away before we got to speak and it would mean a lot to me to document when he called me.

Answer 1

I don't think there is a record of dialed calls or incoming calls that were not answered.

Answer 2

I would say it is possible, but may cost you a pretty penny, if you can convince your, or his, phone company to dig up the records.

Here is why I believe it is possible:

I use two different home phone VoIP services for all my phone calling (see my profile for links).

With both companies, I have a web administration page where I can login and administer various setting in my account.

In my admin pages, I can run "reports" of ALL incoming and outgoing phone calls made through my account.

Every record of every report line-item details information about each and every call made "to-me" and "from-me", along with date, times, cost, and the phone number that called me, or the number that I called.

Each record details whether each call was answered or not.

So, it doesn't matter if I answer a call or not, the fact that my phone rang at all is on record that I was called by a given phone number on a given date and time - call length is zero and no charge if I don't pick-up, or the person I call doesn't pick-up.... but the attempted call is still on record.

I belive I can check my record back as far as 3 months.  I expect that the VoIP companies have data backups that get archived for much longer periods, for legal reasons.

Based on this knowledge of how my VoIP accounts retain records, I expect that the Baby Bells also have the same, if not better call tracking systems in place.  So, I expect that your call records may be in "archive" somewhere.  It is just a matter of what they will want to charge you to go digging up those old archived records of call details....

Answer 3

most phone companies use the rounding up method. as soon as the other line is picked up the call is counted. but if the call  was not answered usually the call is not tracked.