Finding Call Handling Features in Lync 2013

Call handling options are displayed differently in Lync 2013 than in Lync 2010.  With the new “hover" experience, you can find your call controls by hovering over different icons to display a menu.  Let's take a look at the Lync 2013 call handling options.

Muting yourself:  While in a call, you can mute yourself by clicking on the Call button in the call window or by hovering over the Call button and clicking on “Mute” in the pop-up menu.  

 

TIP: If you're using a Lync-Optimized device you can easily mute yourself by pressing the “Mute” button on the device.

 

Dial Pad:   When navigating a phone menu, such as when calling your bank, cable company, etc, you’ll likely need to dial digits to reach a particular department.  Simply hover over the Call button and select Dial Pad tab from the pop-up menu.  Along with the dial pad, you’ll have the option to type or paste alphanumeric characters as well, such as 1-800-FLOWERS.

 

Device Switching:   To change from one device to another during a call, such as switching from a speakerphone to a headset, hover over the Call button and click on the Devices tab.  This will display all of the devices you have plugged in, as well as your PC mic and speakers.  Click on whichever device you want to use, and the audio will automatically switch over to that device.

TIP: Another way to switch devices is to click the Answer/Call button on the device you want to switch to.  The Answer/Call button is represented by a handset icon on most devices.

 

Transferring a call:   While you’re in a call, Lync 2013 allows you to transfer a call to one of your listed phone numbers (mobile, home, or other), to a current conversation, or to another person. Simply hover over the call button and click the Transfer Call tab to display the Transfer options.  Select the desired transfer option to transfer the call.


 

Adding Participants to a call:  There are a couple of ways to add others to an active conversation. 

Hover over the Participant button and click on “Invite More People”.  This will open your Contact list as well as a location to enter a phone number.  Select a contact or enter a number to add them to the call.

You can also add a contact to a conversation by selecting that contact from the main Lync client and dragging it into the current conversation window.
 

Merging Conversations: The Merge Calls feature allows you to conference together two active call.  From either of the active call windows, click the More Options button (ellipsis icon), choose Merge This Call Into, and select the call you would like to merge with.  Your calls will automatically be merged into a single conference call.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi, like Rob I also hate the new "hover" interface, it's very not intuitive, you do not know at a glance if a button have some hover function or not. Also, I'm testing Lync 2013 client and I've found many and big issue. In my opinion the client is still a beta release. I'm scared to go to setup Lync 2013 to our customers. Also, nothing of the suggestion/wish list from customers has been added to this client, for example the ability to transfer a call to someone with one click. This and many other real and important request ask to us our customers, no one ask for the "hover" buttons and UI.

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    thank you

  • Anonymous
    November 18, 2012
    Sorry but I hate the changes. Why must Microsoft always add more steps to basic tasks

  • Anonymous
    November 19, 2012
    Transferring a call should be a drag and drop process to a contact its stupid how its setup now.  

  • Anonymous
    November 30, 2012
    I am not seeing these options, but am still on the lync server 2010 do I need to upgrade before I will start seeing these options?

  • Anonymous
    January 17, 2013
    PLease help I need to find out how to make a confrence call inting people from your company and people outside your company.

  • Anonymous
    February 20, 2013
    I love Lync 2013 - but I'd like to echo the comments above - there are too many steps for basic tasks.  Drag and drop call transfers would seriously improve the Lync experience for reception/call handling staff.

  • Anonymous
    March 19, 2013
    2010 was much better having quick access to common buttons, not hidden in hover menus with added multiple clicks. Change it back!!!!

  • Anonymous
    October 07, 2013
    It seems like most of the rest of Office 2013, the wheel is being reinvented for no good reason other than the UX guys on the office team think square wheels look nicer than round ones. Why change the user interface when the existing one was quicker and looked just as good?  Just because?  It doesn't even follow the Windows usability guidelines that Microsoft recommends third party apps follow!  It took me five minutes to figure out this stupid "hover to find basic functions during a call" thing and now I KNOW I'm going to have to spend HOURS training up staff in the future.  You know how often we use call features?  ALL DAY LONG.  You know how often we use the whiteboard, video or other buttons that ARE right in the window and easy to find?  NEVER.

  • Anonymous
    October 07, 2013
    Oh and ditto the others calling for "drag and drop" call transfers.  That would actually be a VERY welcome change that would greatly improve productivity.  Hovering is NOT.

  • Anonymous
    February 04, 2014
    It takes 5 steps to transfer a call!!! are we really living in the year 1990?!

  • Anonymous
    February 05, 2014
    The new "hover" experience is a disaster for handling calls. So to transfer, hold or mute, I have to "hover" over the call because the main windows is taken up by a picture? To conference call I have to "hover" over the conference button, but then to merge a call I have to click on the mystery 3 dots to activate a side menu. This is far more confusing than it was in 2010. I don't see how this is an improvement at all. It would be nice to see a reduction in the number of steps involved for basic call handling instead of multiple steps spread out across different parts of the window.

  • Anonymous
    April 22, 2014
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 03, 2014
    My only only gripe with Lync is the difficulty of the transfer.

    Hover over phone icon, Click transfer call, and if you overshoot the top of the menu you must go back to phone icon, then click another person, then search through a menu.

    I don't route calls that much but for receptionists I have to give them the 2010 client because 13 doesn't have a receptionist console and transferring is not as easy as it should be.


    In Lync 2010 having the dedicated transfer button was so much better, and having menu options hidden by hovering is counterintuative.


    PLEASE LYNC TEAM, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE TRANSFERRING EASIER.

  • Anonymous
    February 26, 2015
    why hide something like the dial pad, and require a 'hover'?? Some calls expect responses right away, and the 'hover' does not provide a fast-enough response

  • Anonymous
    March 13, 2015
    We are troubleshooting transfer issue. If I am a delegate for a person and I have answered a call for them, when I attempt to transfer the calling party to their voice mail it fails. When I am choosing this contact they are in a group called other people and I have answered the call from my phone handset and am using the Lync client to transfer. if I add this person I'm a delegate for, to favorites the call can be transferred and if I remove their name from favorites I can transfer at that point, form phone handset or headset. is anyone aware of a setting change other than adding/removing from favorites.

  • Anonymous
    July 13, 2015
    The hover feature is horrible. When dialing into conference calls I often have to add a pin to enter the call and a user ID to identify myself on the call. It is difficult to cut and paste those numbers in when the dial pad keeps disappearing.

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  • Anonymous
    October 19, 2015
    I hate having to take the brunt of users complaining about the clunky unintuitive interface.

    Who came up with the idea of the "hover" action? And transferring calls after searching and selecting goes AUTOMATICALLY to the last number used to called to the person you are transferring the call to. There is NO option to select which entry (direct number, Mobile, Lync call, voice mail, etc) you want to transfer to. This is happening in build 15.0.4727.1001 . I've been told to FIX this or I'll be out of a job. Since fixing Lync is well nigh impossible (and moreso with developers who 1) DON'T CARE ABOUT FIXING BUGS, 2) IGNORE MICROSOFT PROGRAMMING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES, and 3) HAVE NO IDEA HOW PHONE SYSTEMS ARE USED IN REAL WORLD BUSINESS), I'm revising the resume.

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