What is the difference between attempted, ringing, answered and completed calls?¶

A call log may use several status labels that appear self-explanatory.

Evidential caution: that attempted, ringing, answered and completed mean the same thing across every service.

What this means¶

Attempted usually means the caller initiated the call process.

Ringing may mean the service presented the call to one or more recipient devices or sessions.

Answered usually means a recipient device or session accepted the call.

Completed may mean the call connected and later ended, but the precise definition varies.

A missed call may mean the call was not answered before it ended. A failed call may reflect connectivity, account state, service error or another technical issue.

These labels do not automatically identify the person who handled the device.

Where the meaning matters, verify the platform’s current terminology and compare both sides of the call.

Be alert to multi-device behaviour. A call may ring on several devices and be answered on only one.

In reports, describe the recorded service event and avoid assuming conversation or personal participation.

Where the issue is disputed, compare account, device, recipient and provider records before drawing a conclusion.

What to check or do next¶

• Preserve the exact wording, icon, service, timestamp, duration and device context.
• Do not convert a status into stronger language than the evidence supports.
• Preserve the source and collection method so another investigator can test the same interpretation.
• Preserve the source and collection method so another investigator can test the same interpretation.