Zoom Telephony FAQ
Why is Georgetown Law moving to Zoom Phone?
Georgetown Law, in collaboration with Zoom’s implementation team, is targeting summer of 2023 to activate Zoom Phone. The ‘Phone’ section will appear in your Zoom client at that time. Communications on the phone migration can be found here.
When do we start using Zoom Phone?
Georgetown Law, in collaboration with Zoom’s implementation team, is targeting summer of 2023 to activate Zoom Phone. The ‘Phone’ section will appear in your Zoom client at that time. Communications on the phone migration can be found here.
Will my phone number change?
No, your phone number will not change.
Is Zoom Phone a new app/application?
Zoom Phone is a new function within the Zoom app. The section ‘Phone’ will appear as an option in the Zoom toolbar.
Is a Zoom Phone call different from a Zoom Meeting?
Yes. Zoom Meetings is the multimedia collaboration tool we’ve been using that includes video, screen sharing, breakout rooms, and more.
Zoom Phone calls are phone calls with awesome capabilities like moving a call from your laptop to your smartphone via your Georgetown Law extension. And if both parties of a call are using Zoom Phone from Georgetown Law, by clicking the ‘Meet’ button, the call can move to a full Zoom Meeting.
Do I need to wear a computer headset to make all my calls?
If you have a computer with a built-in microphone and speaker, such as any laptop or an iMac, and a quiet or private office, you don’t need to wear a headset. If you have a shared workspace or discuss sensitive information over phone calls, you should use a headset.
Could I just have a new phone instead of using a computer headset or my smartphone?
Software phones are now standard across many industries because of the features not possible with traditional phones and lower upfront and ongoing costs. Your phone model is never obsolete if your phone is a software application. Calling from the Zoom app is a better option for staff that travel or work from home, and it frees up space on your desk.
A new phone may be installed in circumstances where a phone is used by multiple staff or for a ‘utility’ function that isn’t practical to serve another way.
If I use the Zoom Phone from my smartphone, does it use my cell plans minutes?
No. Zoom Phone calls using the Zoom app on your smartphone will use your data plan or WiFi if you’re connected to WiFi.
How will I hear the phone ringing?
Zoom will play a ‘ringing’ sound through your headset. Zoom can also be set to ring through your computer speakers in addition to the headset.
Can I change Zoom Phones ringtone?
Yes. On Windows and Mac, click your profile icon (it will either be your picture or your initials) in the top right on the Zoom window, then click ‘Settings’. Click the ‘Audio’ section, then scroll down to ‘Ringtones’ to select a different ringtone from the dropdown list. On Andorid or iPhone, tap the ‘Settings’ gear in the lower right of the Zoom app, then tap ‘General’, then ‘Ringtones’.
Will Zoom Phone ring if my computer is locked?
Zoom Phone calls will still ring if your computer is locked. Verify that you’ve selected your speakers as the ‘ring’ sound device (see previous FAQ item) so that you can still be alerted to calls when you’re near your desk but not wearing your headset. Most headsets will even allow you to answer an incoming call while your screen is locked by pressing the headset’s “call” or “phone” button. Zoom Phone will not ring to your headset if your computer is off or in “sleep.” But if you’ve logged into Zoom from your smartphone, calls will continue to ring at your smartphone even when your computer is off.
Does Zoom Phone change the way I dial phone numbers? And what about Long Distance codes?
Yes. You will still call your colleagues by dialing their five digit extensions (we switched to a five digit extension to become compatible with the rest of the university) – and now you can also type out their names. But, you no longer start dialing with a 8 for external calls. You do not need to add a 1 to distinguish between local and long distance calls. Finally, all US and Canada long distance is included at no additional cost, so long distance codes are no longer used for calls within the US and Canada.
If you need to place international calls, please email the Georgetown Law Service Desk at lawhelp@georgetown.edu.
Do I have to re-record my voicemail greeting?
Yes. Greetings recorded on our current system will not transfer to Zoom Phone. All voice mailboxes in Zoom Phone will have an initial default greeting. You can create multiple greetings on the Zoom website for different situations, like ‘outside of work hours’, ‘vacation’, or ‘summer break.’ You can also define your work hours. Calls made to your Georgetown Law number outside of your defined work hours will connect to your voicemail immediately.
- Open your Zoom Phone settings page on the Zoom website (link)
- Scroll to ‘Call Handling’ and under ‘Greeting & Leave voicemail instruction’ click ‘Audio Library’
- In the pop-up dialog, click ‘Add Audio’
- Choose the tab ‘Record by Computer’ and if your web browser asks for permission to use the microphone, click ‘Allow’
- The webpage allows you to set the loudness of your microphone. Click ‘Next’
- Click ‘Record’ to begin your recording. Click the small ‘stop’ icon on the left of the dialog to stop recording.
- Click ‘Add’, then ‘Use the Audio.’
Customizing audio greetings and hold music – Zoom Help Center
Important Note: Zoom will display a new section, ‘Closed Hours’, if you set custom Business Hours. ‘Closed Hours’ is immediately below where you just set your standard voicemail greeting.
‘Closed Hours’ allows you to specify a different voicemail greeting for incoming calls outside of your business hours. If you don’t want Zoom to play a unique ‘closed’ voicemail greeting, in the ‘Closed Hours’ section look for ‘Greeting & Leave voicemail instruction’, then click ‘Audio Library’. From the dialog that appears, choose the greeting you previously recorded and click ‘Use the Audio’. Or, click ‘Add Audio’ to record a unique greeting for your ‘closed’ hours.
Is there a limit to the number of voicemails I can keep, and will they still go to my email?
Zoom Phone does not limit your voicemail storage. Voicemails will still be emailed to you, and not only is the audio attached to the email, but so is a text transcription of the voicemail. All of your incoming messages are also available in the Zoom application under the ‘Voicemail’ tab.
What happens to my old voicemails prior to moving to ZOOM?
All of your old voicemail messages will be erased if you did not have them forwarded to your email ΙΝΒΟΧ. If you wish to preserve them, you can use a voice recorder on your smartphone to manually.
What happens if my computer is playing music when I receive a phone call?
Zoom will not attempt to mute or pause application audio from YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, etc. for a Zoom Phone call. If you’re watching a video or listening to music, you’ll want to mute or pause that activity before answering the incoming phone call.
I am logged in to my Georgetown Law Zoom account. Why is there not a Phone section in the Zoom toolbar?
First, verify you are logged in to Zoom with your Georgetown Law Zoom account. Click the ‘Profile’ icon at the top right of the Zoom application- it will either be your initials or a picture you selected. In the menu that appears, verify that the word ‘LICENSED’ is at the top, and that your log-in email ends with @georgetown.edu.
Sign out of Zoom, then sign back in with the ‘SSO’ button. If Zoom asks you what our SSO website is, enter Georgetown university.
Phone numbers that were used very infrequently over the last three years may have been filtered from Georgetown Law’s initial Zoom Phone activation. Please email lawhelp@georgetown.edu with your name and Georgetown Law phone number (extension) if your phone did not get migrated.
What is going to happen to the old phone on my desk?
We will visit your office soon after the new system is activated to collect your old phone for electronic recycling.
Why is the Zoom application asking for my location?
Your location information is set automatically when you’re using Georgetown Law’s campus network. The application may prompt you to enter your location if you use Zoom Phone when not on Georgetown Law’s network.
Zoom Phone has the ability to send your location information with emergency (911) calls. Your location information is used by public safety personnel to direct first responders with better accuracy.
I set my business hours but there was not an option for a lunch break. Is there a send calls button?
If you’ve set custom business hours in your Zoom Phone settings page (the blue ‘Zoom’ icon at the top of the Georgetown Law Portal), you may have noticed you couldn’t enter a gap for lunch. But check out the new ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature If at any time you don’t want to answer new calls from Zoom. It’s like our old ‘send calls’ button, except that it includes a timer to return your status back to ‘Available.’ You could use this feature to set yourself to ‘Do Not Disturb’ for a 60 minute break or for any period without interruption. This feature is toggled by expanding the menu from the profile icon in the top right of the Zoom application.
Can I record my phone calls with Zoom Phone?
Zoom Phone allows you to record your phone calls. You can record every phone call automatically or elect to begin call recording on an as-needed basis.
To record calls to and from either your direct extension, a Call Queue, or an Auto Receptionist, you must include a message for the other party stating that the call may be recorded.
Recorded calls can be reviewed in the ‘Recordings’ tab in the ‘Phone’ section of the Zoom settings webpage accessed by clicking the blue ‘Zoom’ icon in Portal.
Please contact zoom@Georgetow.edu to enable call recording.
How does this impact classroom phones?
Many classrooms have wall mounted phones to make calls for technical support, DPS and Facilities. These phones will remain in the classroom and can still reach LawHelp for tech support through the speed dials in place.
What other training is there for Zoom Phone?
What other training is there for Zoom Phone?
- Georgetown Law specific tutorial video – check it out!
- Training video (same as above) plus Q&A session with ASL and captions: (link)
- Detailed Zoom Phone training video from Zoom: (link)
- ‘In a call’ button explanations – how to use hold, transfer, mute, etc. : (link)
- Recording a new voicemail greeting : (link)