✔️In-Call Controls

Master essential in-call controls to manage your calls professionally with mute, hold, transfer, recording, and call flip features.

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⏱️ Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes

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👤 Who's This For

End users who need to manage active calls with hold, transfer, recording, and other professional call handling features

💼 Use Case

During active calls, you need to place callers on hold, transfer calls to colleagues, record conversations, add additional participants, or switch between devices seamlessly.

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✅ Prerequisites

• Zoom Phone account activated

• Completed at least one test call

• Understanding of basic calling features

• Admin permissions for recording (if applicable)

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Understanding the In-Call Control Bar

When you're on an active call, Zoom displays a control bar with essential call management tools.

Primary Controls (Always Visible):

• Mute/Unmute

• Keypad

• Audio Settings

• Add Call

• Hold/Unhold

• Transfer

• Record

• Meet (elevate to Zoom meeting)

Secondary Controls (More Menu):

• Call Park

• Invite to Meeting

• Share Call Details

• Minimize

🎮 Click-Through Demo

▶️ Watch: Using Mute, Hold, and Audio Controls See how to mute your microphone, place calls on hold, and adjust audio settings during a call.

See how to manage basic call controls and switch audio devices mid-call.

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Mute and Unmute

Control your microphone during calls.

Using Mute

1

Mute Your Microphone

• Click the Mute button in the control bar

• Your microphone icon shows a red slash when muted

• The other party cannot hear you

2

Unmute to Speak

• Click the Unmute button

• Microphone icon returns to normal

• Resume speaking

Keyboard Shortcut

• Desktop: Press and hold the Spacebar to temporarily unmute

• Release spacebar to mute again

• Useful during long calls when you need to interject briefly

Best Practice: Stay on mute when not speaking to eliminate background noise, especially in open offices or home environments.

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Using the Keypad During Calls

Access the dial pad while on active calls for interactive systems.

When to Use the Keypad

• Navigating phone trees and automated menus ("Press 1 for Sales")

• Entering extension numbers

• Providing account numbers or confirmation codes

• Accessing voicemail systems

How to Use

1

Open the Keypad

• Click Keypad in the control bar

• On-screen number pad appears over the call window

2

Enter Numbers

• Click numbers on screen OR type on your keyboard

• Tones are sent to the other party

• Numbers appear briefly in the call window

3

Close the Keypad

• Click the X or anywhere outside the keypad

• Returns to standard in-call view

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Audio Settings During Calls

Adjust audio devices mid-call without dropping the connection.

1

Access Audio Settings

• Click the Audio button in the control bar

• Settings panel appears

2

Change Devices

• Speaker: Switch output device (headset, speakers, etc.)

• Microphone: Switch input device

• Adjust volume sliders for both

3

Apply Changes

• Audio switches immediately without interrupting the call

• Test by speaking to verify the new microphone works

Quick Tip: If your audio suddenly stops working, click Audio and verify the correct devices are still selected.

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Hold and Unhold

Place callers on hold when you need to step away or look up information.

Putting Calls on Hold

1

Click Hold

• Click the Hold button in the control bar

• Caller hears hold music (customizable in web portal)

• Your line is muted to the caller

2

What You Can Do While on Hold

• Look up information in other applications

• Consult with colleagues

• Use call flip to switch devices

• The call timer continues running

3

Resume the Call

• Click Unhold

• Caller is reconnected immediately

• Continue your conversation

Hold Music

Default hold music plays for callers, but you can customize this in the web portal under Phone > Settings > Hold Music.

Professional Courtesy: Avoid leaving callers on hold for more than 60-90 seconds without checking in.

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Transferring Calls

Route calls to colleagues or departments.

Transfer Types

Blind Transfer (Cold Transfer):

• Immediately transfer without speaking to the recipient

• You disconnect as soon as you initiate the transfer

• Fastest method

Warm Transfer (Consultative Transfer):

• Speak with the recipient before completing the transfer

• Brief them on the caller's needs

• Complete or cancel the transfer based on their availability

How to Transfer a Call

1

Initiate Transfer

• Click Transfer in the control bar

• Current caller is placed on hold automatically

2

Find the Recipient

• Number Pad: Dial a phone number or extension

• Search Contacts: Type a name to search internal directory

• Click the contact or enter the number

3

Choose Transfer Method

• Click the blue Transfer button

• Select your transfer type:

  • Blind Transfer: Call transfers immediately

  • Warm Transfer: You connect with recipient first

Completing a Warm Transfer

1

Speak with Recipient

• After selecting warm transfer, you're connected to the recipient

• Original caller remains on hold hearing music

• Brief the recipient about the caller

2

Complete or Cancel

• Complete Transfer: Click Complete Transfer to connect caller and recipient, then hang up

• Cancel Transfer: Click Cancel Transfer to return to the original caller

• Use other in-call controls while in warm transfer mode

Transferring to Voicemail

1

Click Transfer

• Click Transfer in the control bar

• Current caller is placed on hold automatically

2

Select Voicemail Option

• Choose to transfer directly to someone's voicemail

• Caller leaves a message without ringing the recipient

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Adding Calls and Conference Calling

Create three-way calls by adding additional participants.

Adding a Call

1

Click Add Call

• Current caller is placed on hold

• Dial pad appears

2

Dial the Additional Party

• Enter phone number or search contacts

• Click the phone icon to dial

3

Manage Two Separate Calls

• Two separate lines appear in your call window

• Click a name/number to switch between callers

• Only one caller is active at a time; the other is on hold

Merging Calls (Three-Way Calling)

1

Click the Merge Icon

• After adding a second call, the merge icon appears

• Select which call to merge with the active call

2

All Parties Connected

• Everyone can hear each other

• Standard three-way call functionality

• If one participant hangs up, the other two continue

Note: Recording behaves differently when merging calls. The initial recording stops when you merge; you can start a new recording for the merged call.

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Recording Calls

Document important conversations (where legal and with consent).

Starting a Recording

1

Click Record

• Click the Record button in the control bar

• Audio prompt may notify both parties recording has started (admin configurable)

• Red recording indicator appears

2

Recording Runs

• Timer shows recording duration

• All audio is captured

• Recording continues until you stop it or the call ends

3

Stop Recording

• Click Stop Recording

• Recording is saved automatically

• Access recordings in Phone > Recordings tab

Recording with DTMF Codes

Admins can enable DTMF codes for starting/stopping recordings:

• Press #1 to start recording

• Press #2 to stop recording

• Useful when using desk phones

Important Recording Notes

Recording and Call Actions:

• Transfers: Recording stops when you transfer (warm transfer allows resuming before completing)

• Adding calls: Recording continues for initial call; new recording starts for added call

• Merging calls: Recording stops when merging; start new recording for merged call

• Elevating to meeting: Recording stops when converting to Zoom meeting

Admin Controls:

• Your admin may disable ad hoc recording

• Automatic recording may be enabled by policy

• You may be able to pause/resume automatic recordings

• Admins can access your call queue recordings

Legal Requirements:

• Verify recording is legal in your jurisdiction

• Notify callers you're recording (most jurisdictions require consent)

• Store recordings securely

• Follow company retention policies

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Elevating Calls to Zoom Meetings

Convert a phone call into a full Zoom meeting with video and screen sharing.

1

Click Meet

• Click the Meet button during an active call

• Call converts to an instant Zoom meeting

2

What Happens

• Phone call recording stops (if active)

• Caller joins as a phone participant in the meeting

• You can now share screen, enable video, and use meeting features

• Additional participants can join via meeting link

3

Use Cases

• Need to share your screen during support calls

• Want to add video to discussion

• Need to add more than 3 participants

• Require meeting recording instead of call recording

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Additional Controls (More Menu)

Access secondary features through the More menu.

Call Park

Hold a call so another user can retrieve it from any device.

1

Click More > Park

• Click More in the control bar

• Select Park from the menu

2

Note the Park Code

• System assigns a park code (usually 3-4 digits)

• Share this code with the colleague who will retrieve the call

3

Colleague Retrieves Call

• They dial the park code from their phone

• Call transfers to them

Use Case: Front desk parks a call for someone who isn't at their desk.

Invite to Meeting

Send the caller an invitation to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

1

Click More > Invite to Meeting

• Click More in the control bar

• Select Invite to Meeting

2

Enter Meeting ID

• Enter Meeting ID or select from calendar

3

Invitation Sent

• Caller receives meeting details

• They can join when ready

Share Call Details

Send call information via SMS.

1

Click More > Share Call Details

• Click More in the control bar

• Select Share Call Details

2

Enter Phone Number

• Enter the phone number to send details to

3

Details Sent

• SMS includes caller information

• Useful for follow-up or logging

Minimize

Minimize the call window while keeping the call active.

• Click More > Minimize

• Call continues in background

• Small call indicator remains visible

• Click to restore full controls

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Call Quality Indicators

Monitor your call quality in real-time.

Three Icons in Control Bar:

• Encryption icon: Shows call is secured

• Quality indicators: Signal strength and connection quality

• Network icon: Current network status

If experiencing poor quality:

1. Click the icons to view detailed statistics

2. Check latency, jitter, and packet loss values

3. Troubleshoot network or switch to a different device/network

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💡 In-Call Control Best Practices

See Details

Master Warm Transfers Use warm transfers for important calls to brief your colleague. The 30 seconds of context saves minutes of confusion.

Always Announce Hold Tell callers "I'm placing you on hold" before clicking the button. Never assume they can infer what's happening.

Use Mute Liberally Better to unmute to speak than subject callers to background noise. Adopt "mute by default" as your standard.

Test Recording Before Critical Calls Make a test call to verify recording works. Don't discover issues during an important conversation.

Minimize for Multitasking On long calls where you're mostly listening, minimize to access other applications without losing the call window.

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🚀 Quick Wins

See Details

Spacebar Quick Unmute Press and hold spacebar to briefly unmute without clicking. Perfect for "Yes, I agree" moments on long calls.

Double-Click to Switch Calls When managing two calls, double-click a name to switch instantly between them.

Keyboard Dial During Calls When the keypad is open, just type numbers on your keyboard. No need to click each digit.

Pre-Brief Warm Transfers Before transferring, ask the caller what they need so you can give a quality summary to your colleague.

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⚠️ Common Issues

See Details

"Record button is grayed out" → Your admin disabled ad hoc recording, enabled automatic recording, or you don't have recording permissions. Contact your admin for access.

"Caller can't hear me after unmute" → Click Audio and verify the correct microphone is selected. Check that volume slider isn't at zero.

"Warm transfer failed" → Recipient may be on Do Not Disturb or all devices offline. Try a blind transfer to their voicemail instead.

"Hold music isn't playing" → Hold music is configured in web portal (Phone > Settings > Hold Music). Contact your admin if you need it customized.

"Recording didn't capture the whole call" → Recordings stop during transfers and merges. Check your recordings tab—you may have multiple segments.

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🎯 What's Next

✨ Call Control Mastered! You now have:

• Confidence managing active calls professionally

• Ability to transfer calls with context

• Skills to record calls (where appropriate)

• Knowledge of three-way calling and conferencing

• Understanding of when to elevate calls to meetings

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