Who Wants to Be a Millionaire rules: Phone-a-friend time limit

In the game show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’, the ‘Phone-a-friend’ lifeline allows contestants to connect with a pre-registered contact for assistance. According to the rules, the person receiving the call has 30 seconds to hear the question and provide an answer or suggestion.

This brief window requires the contact to quickly process the information and recall knowledge under pressure. The show has recorded instances of rapid responses, such as a contestant's friend, Manh Linh, providing the correct answer regarding the author of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ in just three seconds during a broadcast involving contestant Tran Vinh Hung.