This article investigates the effects of the apparition of distant individuals and the role of the devices through which these apparitions occur (rings, telephone rings, '?pop-up' windows, notifications, etc.). Revisiting the theories of performativity, the author shows how, by defining the concept more broadly, we are able to understand the performative effects of such occurrences, which imply artefactual mediations. This '?techno-pragmatic' approach is applied to the case of telephone rings. The article highlights a '?crisis of the summons' with regard to telephone rings, stemming from the tension between the demand for availability and connectivity, on the one hand, and individuals' concern with tranquillity and privacy, on the other.