To call an extension, you dial the main phone number and then, at some point in the messaging, dial the extension number provided. But what if you don’t want to wait to enter the extension? Is there a way to dial the extension directly from the beginning?
There are two methods of accomplishing this.
Pause Method (iPhone or Android)
A pause (denoted by a comma) tells the phone to wait approximately two second before dialing the remaining numbers. This works to dial extensions because the original phone call is resolved via the phone number listed before the first comma. The comma then gives the dialed number 2 seconds to pick-up before continuing with the remainder of the dialed number.
In my experience, one comma is sometimes insufficient to get back automated menus and two commas is normally just right.
On iPhones and most Androids, you can dial the pause on the phone keypad by holding the asterisk (*) button until it turns into a comma (,).
On some Android phones, you can tap the three dots (…), “More”, or symbol (*#) button to see phone dialing options and select the “Add 2-sec pause” action.
Wait Method (iPhone or Android)
A wait (denoted by a semi colon) causes the phone to prompt you on whether it should continue. Tapping “Yes” or “OK” causes the phone to continue dialing. Unlike the pause, which continues without prompting, a wait requires additional user input. This is most useful when the length of the greeting varies season to season or you’d like more control over when the extension is dialed.
On iPhones and most Androids, you can dial the wait on the keypad by holding the pound (#) button until it turns into a semicolon (;).
On some Android phones, you can tap the three dots (…), “More”, or symbol (*#) button to see phone dialing options and select the “Add Wait” action.
Save to Contacts
Both of these methods can be saved to your contacts via the normal means. Simply type the pause or wait instructions directly into the saved phone number for your listed contact.
This should save you time and effort when calling in the future.
Photo by Mad Fish Digital on Unsplash. Image has been cropped.
