Alerts the user of an incomming call while participating in another call, and allows the user to switch back and forth. This is most common on a single line telephone in residential or small business settings, as a multi-line phone system provides the same functionality and more.
When the phone is being used and a second call comes in, the user hears a beep alerting them to the new call. The user can ignore the call, or switch over to it. In most cases, the user would hit the Flash button, or very quickly press and release the on-hook switch. This will switch to the new call, leaving the original caller on hold.
The user can now use the same method to switch back and forth between the two calls. If the currently connected conversation is complete, and the user hangs up, the phone will ring to signal the user that the other caller is still waiting. When the phone is picked up, it will be connected to the remaining conversation.
Depending upon the equipment and service being used, Caller ID may work as well. In this case, the caller hears the beep signaling the second incoming call, and the name and/or number is displayed on a caller ID interface Screen Pop.
For most POTS providers in the United States, Call Waiting may be turned off by dialing *70 before dialing the telephone number. If DTMF dialing is not available, 1170 may be dialed instead in most cases. Some systems allow the user to press the flash button or a quick press of the on-hook button to switch to a dialtone during a current call in order to dial the code to disable Call Waiting.
March 2, 2023
Phone System 