Call screening asks the person who picks up a forwarded call to press a key before the caller is connected. They hear "You have a forwarded call. Press any key to accept." This stops a phone's voicemail from answering the call and cutting off the other numbers. Screening is on by default.
How it works#
- A forward-to phone answers.
- The person hears "You have a forwarded call. Press any key to accept."
- They press any key within 8 seconds: the caller is connected.
- No key is pressed (voicemail, or nobody there): that phone is dropped. With ring all at once the other phones keep ringing; with ring one by one the next number rings.
The prompt also tells your team the call came through your business number, even when they have chosen to see the original caller's number.
On or off#
| Screening on (default) | Screening off | |
|---|---|---|
| API | confirm_required: true |
confirm_required: false |
| Voicemail can take the call | No | Yes, if a phone's voicemail answers first |
| Speed for the caller | A moment slower | Connected the instant someone answers |
Set it with Require "press a key to accept" on the rule, or with the API:
curl -X PATCH https://voice-api.edesy.in/v1/forwarding/rules/RULE_ID \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_your_api_key" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{ "confirm_required": false }'
FAQ#
Why is my team answering but the caller never connects? Screening is on and they did not press a key. Tell them to press any key at the prompt, or turn screening off.
Which key do they press? Any key on the keypad.
How long do they have? About 8 seconds after the prompt.
Should I turn it off? Keep it on if any forward-to phone has voicemail. Turn it off only if every number is a desk phone or line without voicemail.