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Microsoft Teams won't send dial pad inputs when navigating a phone tree during a conference call
Our users sometimes need to dial to an external number from the Teams app on their phone, add another external number to the call, then use the dial pad to navigate a phone tree. However, the Teams conference won't send the dialpad inputs to the phone tree system. Is there a way we can make this work?
jcjchavez(and a message to my future self when I get annoyed by this again)
So I realised that there are two dial pads. The one in the main Teams window doesn't send tones.
But if you can navigate to the call itself there is another dial pad at the top. This does send tones.
🙂
JULY 2023 UPDATE FROM MY FUTURE SELF:
They Keypad option in Teams sends tones on the call. To add another participant, click on People and then dial another number.
This is a ridiculous, and completely unacceptable limitation in something that calls itself a phone system. Absurd.
- Yes, there are lots of things in Teams phone that could be improved. but at least for conference there is a work around. And its not a bad thing, you pause yourself out of the group, privately call the new user, dial the extension and then merge de call.
You probably have tested multiple phones systems and each one has issues... at least with this one its fully integrated into MS and we (if you are a reseller) get incentives everymonth 🙂
- Just some additional information to explain what is happening here. In our case, we have an intercom at our security gate where the visitor presses a button and it dials a Teams calling Call Queue. It rings all users in the call queue but only one answers. Sometimes, the user is able to enter a DTMF code into the keypad on Teams to open the gate. Other days they can't.
The reason for this, from looking at the call history is that sometimes the call type is considered a 'call' as it only has two participants. Other times it is considered a 'conference' as it thinks there are 3 or more participants. There are not, there is only the intercom and the person who answers I haven't yet figured out WHY it thinks there are 3 participants - although one theory I have is that the users it is happening to are often logged in to 2 desktops at once.
The reason DTFM codes will not work in a 'conference'/'Teams meeting' (and Teams call that has more than 2 participants is by design. When you are in a meeting, Teams enables a feature that lets you enter codes beginning with * so that if you join the meeting from your phone you still have all the normal Teams functionality. Eg. *6 mutes and unmutes your mic. *5 raises your hand. To allow these 'features' it needs to disable the normal DTMF codes used to open gates or select an option at an auto attendant etc.
The solution we need from Microsoft here is to either:
A. Disable this feature and choose to just use DTMF codes, as we never have users join a meeting via a call now that the Teams app exists.
B. Set a policy for a Teams number that forces it to connect as a call, not a conference.
I feel like option B would present it's own issues, for example, a call can only have 2 participants. Will it drop the wrong participant to force it to a call? So option A seems like it is the only one that will solve everybody's problems. However, this has been ongoing for years now so I wouldn't hold my breath. - Glad there is something of a workaround but would think they would just setup the main keypad to be able to send the needed tones instead of people figuring out they have to use a hidden 10 key in the call window.
Actually, there is no effective workaround solution after 4 years later...
The telephony features are not complete after so many years of Teams launch 😔
I came here looking for a solution because this is not working for me today, even after restarting the affected systems, but has worked fine for over a year before this (and even worked earlier this morning). I can dial out just fine, but Teams is not sending touch tones to navigate phone trees. I can even call my own cell phone, then use Teams to send tones and they don't come through, so the problem is definitely Teams, not the party on the other end.
It must be an intermittent problem, but no idea what causes it or how to resolve it when it gets in this state. Is it a server-side or client-side issue? Seems to be a server-side problem, because it's not working from any Teams device (stand-alone Teams phone device or Windows PC). Frustrating that no one has ever added to this long-running thread with a technical explanation.
As someone posted above, within a call box you will find a keypad button on the top right. If you click on it, a keypad will pop up in the middle of the screen and you can use that keypad for sending tones for phone tree options, account numbers, etc...
RogerNorthupThe initial issue is about a 3-way call, I don't know how this tread changed subject.
When in a Teams 3-way phone call, the dial pad is unavailable.From what I can tell from the original post the dialpad is not unavailable during a conference. It is there, it is just not sending the inputs when navigating a phone tree. eg. When a call says "press 1 for this menu" while in a conference call, the user is going to the dial pad and dialling 1 and nothing is happening.
RogerNorthup That only works until you get the second call connected, then the dial pad disappears. In my testing.
We tell users to call the party with automation on their lines FIRST, then add other parties. In our situation this works, as we're typically adding a customer to a call with a third party vendor. Still a PITA.
- 3-year later , the basic phone function in Teams still not function!
jcjchavez We signed on with MS Teams Voice about five months back and the dial pad was working normally. About a month back, I realized my dial pad wasn't working. Other staff say it is "hit and miss"...which are the worst to troubleshoot. Uninstalling / Installing MS Teams did not resolve the issue. If I know I'll need to use the dial pad, I'll make the call through my cell phone on MS Teams app as the dial pad always works there.
HIs there any update on this? We just started using teams for calls within the past month and this is a huge problem. jcjchavez
- A year later and this continues to be an issue. When in a team meeting and selecting the dial pad, you are unable to navigate auto-attendants when adding members by phone number. It appears that the tones are not generated. If I call the number using the Calls icon the dial pad works great (as indicated below). My user licensing includes domestics calling plan and Microsoft E5.
jcjchavez(and a message to my future self when I get annoyed by this again)
So I realised that there are two dial pads. The one in the main Teams window doesn't send tones.
But if you can navigate to the call itself there is another dial pad at the top. This does send tones.
🙂
JULY 2023 UPDATE FROM MY FUTURE SELF:
They Keypad option in Teams sends tones on the call. To add another participant, click on People and then dial another number.
kevtherevThank you for your solution. I was able to use it successfully today!
B_Jennifer glad it was helpful and thanks for the note! I can't even remember posting it 🙂
Jennifer Hurd sorry it didn't work for you.
Unfortunately the dial pad within the call does not work either to navigate phone trees/menus during a conference call.
