Phone Call Handling

[MattChicago]

I am getting very confused with the various options on how incoming calls can be routed.

We have a Zoom desk phone that is assigned to a user. During office hours, incoming calls go to that user's mobile device, but does not ring the desk phone.

My goal is to have the user be able to answer calls on mobile if they are at an outside meeting, but also have the desk phone ring if there are other staff in the office.

However, I am getting very confused about whether I need to change call handling, set up a common area, create a call queue, etc.

[Vinnie]

Hello @MattChicago . There are three (3) different things you are talking about here and they control different things, and they are configured independently from each other, and if I understand what you need, you need to configure two things:

• To control where the call will ring for a user it is done directly on the User's Phone Settings "Call Handling", and the following article explains it very well: User's Zoom App, Desktop Device (Phone Appliance),  Desktop App, and/or Mobile App; I am putting "and/or" because you can set it for "Simultaneous" or "Sequential", and in the case of Sequential, what is the Timeout to roll-over to the next User's Endpoint in the list. Here, you could configure to ring sequentially, on Desktop App first and then after a few seconds on the Mobile App.
• To control if the call is going to ring on a Single user, or Multiple users, it is a different issue: For that you will need either Zoom Call Queue, or "Shared-Line". Here is where you control the list of users where and how you want to ringing: One person at a time, everybody in the group, etc. If the person is outside the office, my recommendation is for that person to have Zoom App installed in their mobile so it can Make/Receive calls like if it were at the office on the Zoom Phone.
  • NOTE: A "Common Area Phone" has other user-cases that I don't think will help you for what you intend to do; it applies more to use cases where you need "User-less" phones/devices to be put in open spaces,  for Hot-Desking, for Reception areas, etc

You could use Share Lines instead of Call Queues if you prefer, or there is a feature from a Share Line you need that the Call Queue cannot provide.

This is the link describing the "User's Call Handling Setup": https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0069180 
This is the link describing how to configure "Call Queues":  https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0065370 

Let me know if this helps.

[MattChicago]

I really appreciate your response, it is very helpful. I just confirmed that the user is set to simultaneous ringing, but only the user's mobile app is getting the call, the desk phone isn't ringing.

[Vinnie]

What do you see configured in the user's "Call Handling" settings?

[MattChicago]

I see that the Zoom Mobile Apps, Desktop APps, Base Phone, and Zoom Phone Appliance Apps are all turned on.

[sparrow]

Did you dissect a call log to see if the phone is actually being rung? 

[MattChicago]

I did. It is just showing that the cell phone accepted the call.

[sparrow]

Go into Phone System management and check the call logs of one of those calls into that users number. You can see the call flow and which devices the call attempted to ring. 

[sparrow]

Correct, but does it also indicate the desk phone was rung? 

[MattChicago]

It doesn't. I can't do a screenshot, but Call path, for example:

March 12, 2025, 11:20am

• Event: Incoming
• Result: Accepted

Next step March 12, 2025, 11:21am

• Event: Forward
• Result: Answered (IOS_Phone)

[sparrow]

Try disabling everything with the exception of the desk phone in call handling. Then make a call and check the call log if it doesn't ring. 

[MattChicago]

I think I got it! I disabled everything and it did ring the desk phone only. Then I added back in the Zoom Mobile Apps and it rang both the desk phone and the cell phone!

Thank you!

[Vinnie]

Glad to hear that but it should have been ringing from the very beginning. Check the Firmware of the phone is the latest certified by Zoom Device and Firmware because it sounds like a bug, but it is a good thing you found a workaround like @sparrow is saying.

On this link you can check the model of your Desktop Phone and the Firmware tha Zoom supports : https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0060242 

If you see your firmware does not match, I encourage you to adjust it.

Good luck.

[MattChicago]

Thanks for your help!

[sparrow]

That's good but also not good. Zoom routing shouldn't require this approach to fix a simple device calling issues. I'd be curious why that is, but that maybe hard to replicate on my end. I generally capture local syslogs via the phone before trying to resolve anything from the Zoom side. Unfortunately, Zoom does not capture those same syslog files for dissecting. Glad that is resolved though.