Slydial Makes It Even Easier To Avoid Awkward Human Interaction

Earlier this year we wrote about Slydial, a free service that lets you dial any mobile phone number and get directed straight to voicemail. It may sound counterintuitive, but it can be a godsend for avoiding awkward phone conversations – I’ve had it saved in my phone’s ‘Favorites’ menu since the service launched (though I’ve never used it, honest).

Unfortunately the system is a little cumbersome: to place a call, you have to first dial Slydial’s number (267-SLYDIAL), then manually enter the number you’d like to call. Today the service is streamlining the process by releasing free applications for the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile platforms. Now instead of having to manually enter a number, you can simply launch the application and select a contact from your address book. From there you’ll be directed straight to their voicemail (they may see a missed call depending on the carrier, but they won’t have a chance to pick up). You can download each application here.

Slydial says that since its July launch it has seen over one million calls placed, and expects to see that number rise dramatically with the new applications. I won’t be surprised if it becomes one of the more popular apps on each of these platforms, but I pray that it is used sparingly – Slydial may be nice for avoiding awkward conversations, but if people start using this in place of Email or text messages it will become incredibly annoying. Remember: always think before you voicemail.