Handle calls

8x8 Phone App for Microsoft Teams gives you a flexible PSTN calling experience and enables you to call contacts directly from the contacts list using the Dial button. You can also place PSTN calls to external contacts using the dial pad.

Note: Your calling number is listed at the bottom of the Dial Pad tab.

Place calls

As an 8x8 Phone App for Microsoft Teams user, you can place PSTN calls to external users. The call experience includes two legs—an inbound call which you answer, followed by the outbound call to the destination party.

To call an external user:

  1. Go to Phone App > Dial Pad, and manually enter the phone number in the dial pad.

    2. -OR-

    Go to the Contacts section, and search for the desired contact.

    Note: You can also call numbers you previously contacted from the history section.

  1. Click the Dial button.
  2. From the inbound call pop up, click Answer call.

The call will launch in a native Teams call window.

Note: When a call is in progress it will show in your active calls list on the Contacts/Call History pane.

  1. When you are ready to end or leave the conversation click Leave.

You can only receive two calls at a time—one active call, and a call on hold. When in an active call, if you are offered another call and you answer, the first call is automatically placed on hold.

To call another Microsoft Teams user via the Phone App, you must meet one of the following conditions:

  • You know their assigned phone number—manually enter it in the Phone App’s dial pad to place a call.
  • You have the Microsoft Teams user's phone number or extension saved in your Microsoft Outlook/Exchange contact directory.
  • You had a previous inbound/outbound call with that user via Phone App, so you can quickly redial it from the history section.

Receive calls

When you receive a call in Phone App, you are notified via a call card that displays on the screen. The call card displays the caller’s phone number, and the caller’s name if the number already exists in your contacts list. When you receive a call, you can:

  • Accept with audio: You can begin speaking with the caller.
  • Decline call: The call is sent to voicemail.

    Note: To access voicemails, go to: Activity > History > Voicemail. To call back, you must return to Phone App.

Place calls on hold

To place an active call on hold in Phone App, use the native Teams call hold function. The caller/callee is placed on hold while music plays.

When you are ready to resume the call, click Resume.

Transfer calls

Let’s say you receive a call intended for a specific member of your department. You can simply transfer the active call to another colleague or consult before transferring.

To transfer a call to a Phone App contact:

  1. While on an active call in Phone App click More icon next to the name or number of the caller and Transfer.
  2. Choose or search the contact to make a direct call transfer.
  3. Click Transfer.

The call transfers and you are disconnected from the call.

To transfer a call to a Teams user:

  1. While on an active call in the native Teams Calling window you can click Transfer and choose Transfer.

  2. Type in the name of the Teams user you wish to transfer the call to, and click Transfer.

The call transfers and you are disconnected from the call.

Consult and transfer

There are several ways in which you can consult with another person before transferring a call.

To consult via a Teams audio call then transfer:

  1. While on an active call in the native Teams call window click Transfer and choose Consult then transfer.
  2. Search the name of a Teams contact and select them.
  3. Click on the Chat dropdown and select Teams audio call.
  4. A Teams call window will pop up.
  5. Click Transfer in the new Teams call window.

The call transfers to the other Teams contact and you are disconnected from the call.

To consult via Teams chat then transfer the audio call:

  1. While on an active call in the native Teams call window click Transfer and choose Consult than transfer.

  2. Search the name of a Teams contact and select them.

  3. Click on the Chat button and chat with the person you are transferring the call to.

  4. Click on Transfer to transfer the call to the other Teams contact.

The call transfers to the other Teams contact and you are disconnected from the call.

Track call history

Your recent PSTN call logs are listed in the bottom section of the Phone App. You can select:

  • All: View all calls.
  • Incoming: View only inbound calls.
  • Outgoing: View only outbound calls.
  • Missed: View only missed calls.
  • Search History: Search for a name or phone number in your call log. As you type, the search results for contacts narrow down in a list below the search box. If your search doesn’t generate any results, the system displays No Records Found in the list.

Click the Dial button next to the contact to place a PSTN call from the call history section.

Note: The call history retention period is 12 days, with a storage capacity of up to 100 calls.