Have you ever been in the middle of an important phone call on your Verizon phone, and suddenly, another call comes in? That familiar, subtle beep – it's a common scenario! Instead of fumbling to disconnect one call to answer another, knowing how to put a Verizon phone on hold is a crucial skill for seamless communication. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the various ways to manage your calls, ensuring you never miss an important conversation or appear unprofessional.
Let's dive in and master the art of call management with Verizon!
Step 1: Understand the Basics of Call Holding and Call Waiting
Before we get into the "how-to," it's important to differentiate between call waiting and actually putting a call on hold. While often used interchangeably, they serve slightly different purposes.
Call Waiting: This is a feature that notifies you with a tone when a second call comes in while you're already on an active call. It's a notification, giving you the option to answer the new call.
Putting a Call on Hold: This action specifically pauses your current conversation, typically with the intent of resuming it later or answering a second incoming call. When a call is on hold, the other party usually hears hold music or a silence, indicating they are waiting.
Most Verizon phones come with Call Waiting enabled by default, which is the foundation for putting a call on hold when another one comes in.
Step 2: Putting an Incoming Call on Hold (with Call Waiting)
This is the most common scenario where you'll use the hold feature.
2.1: Answering a Second Call and Placing the First on Hold
When you're on a call and you hear the call waiting tone:
Listen for the Tone: You'll hear a subtle beep or a series of tones indicating an incoming call.
Press the "Send" or "Flash" Button: This is the most common method on many Verizon phones (both smartphones and basic phones).
On smartphones, this might appear as a "Swap," "Hold," or "Answer" button on your screen when the second call comes in. Tap the option that allows you to answer the new call. This action will automatically put your first call on hold.
On basic phones, look for a physical "Send" button (often green) or a "Flash" button (sometimes labeled as such, or a button with a phone icon). Pressing this button will connect you to the second call and place the first on hold.
2.2: Switching Between Held Calls
Once you've answered the second call and the first is on hold, you can easily switch back and forth:
Press the "Send" or "Flash" Button Again: To return to the first call that's on hold, simply press the "Send" or "Flash" button (or the corresponding on-screen button like "Swap" or "Switch").
The call you were just speaking with will now be placed on hold, and you'll be reconnected with the other party. You can repeat this process as needed to toggle between the two conversations.
Step 3: Placing an Active Call on Hold (Without a Second Incoming Call)
While less common for personal use, some Verizon phone services, particularly business-oriented ones like Verizon Business Digital Voice or One Talk, offer a dedicated "Hold" button or feature to place an active call on hold even when no other call is coming in. This is often used when you need to consult someone, retrieve information, or briefly step away from the phone.
3.1: Using a Dedicated "Hold" Button (Desk Phones/Business Lines)
If you have a Verizon-provided desk phone or a business line with advanced features:
Look for the "Hold" Button: During an active call, simply press the physical "Hold" button on your phone. The caller will typically hear music on hold or a pre-recorded message.
To Resume the Call: Press the "Hold" button again, or the specific line button associated with the held call.
3.2: Utilizing Call Park Feature (Verizon Business Digital Voice)
For businesses, Verizon's Call Park feature allows you to place a call on hold and pick it up from another phone within your office.
To Park a Call: While on an active call, press the new call softkey, then dial *68, followed by the extension number you want to park the call on, and then the # key.
To Retrieve a Parked Call: Go to the phone where you want to pick up the call, then dial *88, followed by the extension number where the call was parked.
Step 4: Temporarily Disabling Call Waiting (If You Don't Want to Be Interrupted)
Sometimes, you might want to have an uninterrupted conversation without the distraction of call waiting beeps. Verizon offers star codes to temporarily disable this feature.
Before Dialing: Dial *70 before dialing the number you want to call.
Listen for Confirmation: You'll hear three short tones followed by a dial tone, confirming that Call Waiting is temporarily disabled for that specific call.
Call Waiting Re-enables: Once you hang up from that call, Call Waiting will automatically re-enable on your phone.
*Note: In some areas, you can also use *44 to disable call waiting for an extended period, and 43 to re-enable it.
Step 5: Troubleshooting Common Call Holding Issues
If you're having trouble with your Verizon phone's call holding features, here are some quick troubleshooting tips:
Restart Your Phone: A simple restart can often resolve minor software glitches affecting call features.
Check for Software Updates: Ensure your phone's operating system is up to date. Software updates can improve device stability and fix bugs.
Verify Call Waiting is Enabled: While usually default, sometimes settings can be inadvertently changed. For most personal lines, Call Waiting is automatically active. For business lines, check your Verizon Business Digital Voice or One Talk portal settings.
Network Coverage: Poor network signal can sometimes interfere with call management features. Try moving to an area with better coverage.
Contact Verizon Support: If all else fails, Verizon's customer support can help diagnose and resolve more complex issues with your account or device.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to check if Call Waiting is enabled on my Verizon phone?
You generally don't need to "check" if Call Waiting is enabled on a standard Verizon mobile line, as it's a default feature. If you hear a tone when another call comes in, it's active. For business lines (like One Talk or Business Digital Voice), you can check and manage this feature through your online administrative portal.
How to put a three-way call on hold on Verizon?
When on a three-way call, the ability to put one party on hold while speaking to another varies by device and service. Generally, you would use the "Swap" or "Switch" option on your screen, which places the other two parties on hold while you speak privately to one. To return to the conference, you'd select the "Merge" or "Conference" option again.
How to add hold music for callers on Verizon?
For standard personal Verizon mobile lines, you cannot customize hold music for individual calls. This feature is typically available for Verizon business solutions like One Talk or Business Digital Voice, where administrators can configure custom hold music through their online portals.
How to use the "Flash" button on older Verizon phones for call hold?
On older Verizon basic phones, the "Flash" button (sometimes a button with a phone icon or labeled "Send") is pressed during an active call to put the current call on hold and answer a new incoming call. Pressing it again will typically toggle between the two calls.
How to know if someone is on hold or if they hung up on Verizon?
When a call is successfully put on hold, the person on hold will usually hear hold music or silence, indicating they are waiting. If they hung up, the line would typically disconnect, and you might hear a disconnected tone or the call ending on your screen.
How to transfer a call directly to voicemail on Verizon while on another call?
Verizon's standard mobile service doesn't typically offer a direct "transfer to voicemail" option for an incoming call while you're on another call. Your options are usually to answer the second call (putting the first on hold) or let the second call go to voicemail by ignoring it.
How to use call forwarding in conjunction with holding calls on Verizon?
Call forwarding redirects incoming calls to another number. If you have call forwarding active, incoming calls might bypass your phone entirely, preventing you from putting them on hold or answering them on your primary device. You'd need to disable call forwarding to manage incoming calls with the hold feature.
How to turn off call waiting permanently on Verizon?
While *70 temporarily disables call waiting for a single call, some Verizon landline or older services might have *44 to permanently disable it and *43 to re-enable it. For most modern Verizon Wireless mobile lines, Call Waiting is a standard feature and typically cannot be permanently disabled without changing your plan or specific feature settings through customer service.
How to use Verizon's Call Filter to manage unwanted calls and avoid needing to put them on hold?
Verizon's Call Filter app (available for most smartphones) helps screen and block unwanted spam calls, reducing the need to put them on hold. You can enable spam blocking, report numbers, and even block entire area codes. This proactively manages calls before they even reach you.
How to troubleshoot if my Verizon phone's "hold" feature isn't working?
First, restart your phone. Check for any pending software updates. Ensure you have good network signal. If you're on a business line, verify your service features in the online portal. If the issue persists, contact Verizon Customer Support for assistance, as there might be an account-specific setting or a device issue.