What's A Polite Way To Answer A Mobile Phone?

[plowter]

In the good old days, we used to answer the telephone with 'Hello, Whitehall 231.' With the rise of mobile phones and spam calls that doesn't seem sensible.
So, what's a polite way to answer one's mobile phone?

[Tomley]

If a contact name comes up they get a friendly greeting but unknowns get "Password please" - it sure as hell wrong-foots them. If you have time to waste, you can have quite entertaining conversations - if you can keep a straight face voice.

[horsefern]

NOW what?!

[horsefern]

NOW what?!

[Marktheharp]

It's OK to just say hello to an unrecognised number. If someone's genuinely calling you for a proper reason, but it's someone you might not (yet) know, they will take the trouble to explain why they're calling. Spammers and such have really ruined etiquette, though.

[nudeyorker]

I simply say "Hello this is __________" but if I'm in a public place I add "I'm not in private and will call you back shortly when I can have a conversation."

[colmurphy]

I usually just say "hello" followed by my name

[craft1948]

I usually say "Bonjour", if they don't know me that puts them off.

[Spoonboy]

Hello works for me, also.

[baza]

Unknown numbers get, " Hello, home for unmarried penguins, do you wish to adopt an egg", they normally hang up.

[pusskin]

Unknown number --I'm only the maid in the house!