Instant Second Line™
Have you ever wanted the convenience of a second phone line without the hassle of having two phone numbers to distribute? With the Ooma Instant Second Line feature, you automatically have the advantage of two phone lines attached to one number – or you can select a second phone number. It’s all up to you! Whether you live in a house with multiple people who want to use the phone at the same time, or you wish to use your Ooma line for a home office with hold and conference call functionality, Ooma’s got your back.
- What is the Instant Second Line and how does it work?
- What do I need to get started with Instant Second Line?
- Is the Instant Second Line available to customers with Basic accounts?
- How do I place a call with the Instant Second Line with my Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie?
- How do I place a call with the Instant Second Line with my Ooma Hub?
- How do I answer a call with the Instant Second Line?
- How do I alternate between calls on each of the two lines?
- How do I place a call on hold?
- How do I initiate a three-way conference call
- Will the name of whoever’s calling on the Instant Second Line display on my phone’s caller ID?
- Can I use Ooma’s privacy features – such as sending a call straight to voicemail – with an incoming call on the Instant Second Line?
- What if I want to have two handsets connected to the same phone call?
- What happens if I am using the Instant Second Line and a third call comes in?
- Can I have more than two active calls on my Ooma device?
- What if I want a second number for my second line?
What is the Instant Second Line and how does it work?
The Instant Second Line provides your home with all of the functionality of a second phone line without any of the hassle of setting up a second phone number. Members of your household can make and receive phone calls even if someone else is on the phone. You can also use the second line to set up a conference call with two of your closest friends!
What do I need to get started with Instant Second Line?
You don’t have to do anything to set this feature up. Your Instant Second Line is automatically available as long as you:
- Have access to Ooma Premier features (either through a subscription or a free trial)
- Have at least one Ooma HD3 Handset, Ooma Linx or Ooma HD2 Handset (if you are using the Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie) or Ooma Scout (if you are using an Ooma Hub)
Is the Instant Second Line available to customers with Basic accounts?
No. The Instant Second Line is an Ooma Premier feature. If you’d like to learn about all of the benefits of an Ooma Premier subscription, you may want to check out the overview page.
How do I place a call with the Instant Second Line with my Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie?
If somebody else is already on the phone
You can make a call with the Instant Second Line when the phone is occupied just by picking up another phone that’s connected to your Ooma system. If someone is talking on the phone connected to the Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie, simply pick up an Ooma HD2 or HD3 Handset or a phone connected to an Ooma Linx that is not being used. If someone is using an Ooma handset, pick up any other Ooma handset or a phone connected to the Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie.
Important: If you have a multi-handset cordless phone system plugged into the Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie, keep in mind that all of the phones are treated like one phone system. So if someone is using one of the handsets connected to the phone system and you pick up another handset connected to the same phone system, you will join the same call. There is no way to access the Instant Second Line unless you use an Ooma handset.
If you are on a call and wish to make a second call on the same phone handset
You may find yourself in a situation where you’re already on the phone and you need to make a new call on a different line (for example, to initiate a conference call). If this happens you have a couple of different options:
- Press the 2 button on your Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie. Note: The 2 light should be off when you press it, indicating that the second line is available.
- Press the flash key on your telephone or the Answer button on your Ooma handset.
Important: No matter how you activate your Instant Second Line, you’ll know you’re ready to call when you hear Ooma’s signature dialtone!
How do I place a call with the Instant Second Line with my Ooma Hub?
If somebody else is already on the phone
You can make a call with the Instant Second Line when the phone is occupied just by picking up another phone that’s also connected to your Ooma system. If someone is talking on the phone connected to the Ooma Hub, simply pick up a phone connected to one of your Ooma Scouts. If someone is using a phone connected to an Ooma Scout, pick up a phone connected to any other Scout in your home, or the phone connected to your Ooma Hub.
Important: If you have a multi-handset cordless phone system plugged into the Ooma Hub or Ooma Scout, keep in mind that all of the phones are treated like one phone system. So if someone is using one of the handsets connected to the phone system and you pick up another handset connected to the same phone system, you will join the same call. There is no way to access the Instant Second Line unless you use a phone connected to a different Ooma device.
If you are on a call and wish to make a second call on the same phone handset
You may find yourself in a situation where you’re already on the phone and you need to make a new call on a different line (for example, to initiate a conference call). If this happens you have a couple of different options:
- Press the 2 button on your Ooma Hub. // Note: The 2 light should be off when you press it, indicating that the second line is available.
- Press the flash key on your telephone or the Answer button on your Ooma handset.
Important: No matter how you activate your Instant Second Line, you’ll know you’re ready to call when you hear Ooma’s signature dialtone!
How do I answer a call with the Instant Second Line?
Using the Enhanced Call Waiting feature, two things will happen if a call comes in while somebody is on the line: the person on the phone will hear the call waiting signal, and all of the other available phones connected to Ooma will start to ring.
If you are on the phone and wish to take the call on your second line
You can answer the incoming call in one of two ways:
- Press the 2 button on your Ooma device, which should be blinking rapidly as the line rings
- Press the flash key on your phone
If you are not the person on the currently on the phone and would like to take the call
You can answer the incoming call by picking up one of the phones that is ringing, just as you normally would.
How do I alternate between calls on each of the two lines?
You can switch between calls on both lines by pressing the flash key on your telephone. If you are within easy reach of your Ooma device, you can also swap calls by pressing the button of the call you wish to join. When you alternate between calls, the caller you are not speaking to will be automatically placed on hold.
Note: You’ll know which line you’re on by the solid orange light highlighting that line’s number on your Ooma device
How do I place a call on hold?
You can place a call on hold by pushing the button on your Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie that corresponds to the line you’re currently using. For example, if you’re on line one, you will want to push the 1 button on your Telo Base Station. You’ll know the call has been successfully placed on hold when the button on your Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie begins to blink. To remove a call from hold, simply press the blinking button.
Note: You cannot place more than one call at a time on hold, even if both lines are currently in ues.
How do I initiate a three-way conference call
A three-way conference call can be initiated by pushing the 1 and 2 buttons on your Ooma device at the same time when you have two callers on the line. You can break a current three-way conference call into two separate calls by pressing either the 1 or the 2 button on your Ooma device. You’ll be connected to the line corresponding to the button you pressed and the caller on the other line will be automatically placed on hold.
Important: If you hang up during a three-way conference call, both calls will be disconnected.
Will the name of whoever’s calling on the Instant Second Line display on my phone’s caller ID?
Yes! The caller’s information will be displayed on the phone that you are currently talking on as well as other phones which are ringing via the Instant Second Line. In order to display caller-ID information while you are already on the line, your phone must support the call-waiting caller-ID feature.
Note: The Ooma HD2 and HD3 Handsets support call-waiting caller-ID, so you’ll never have to wonder who’s calling.
Reference: You can learn more about Enhanced Caller-ID by visiting our FAQ.
Can I use Ooma’s privacy features – such as sending a call straight to voicemail – with an incoming call on the Instant Second Line?
Yes! When a second call comes in, you can still take advantage of all of the Ooma privacy and Voicemail Monitoring features.
What if I want to have two handsets connected to the same phone call?
Every so often there are instances when more than one person in the house wants to be on the same phone conversation. With Ooma, you can can join a conversation that’s already in progress by initiating a party line! If you are within easy reach of your Ooma device, simply press the number of the line you wish to join. Otherwise, press the flash button on your telephone to switch over to the existing call after you hear the Ooma dialtone.If you’re using an Ooma handset, you’ll see the option to join line one or two when you press “talk” on the handset.
What happens if I am using the Instant Second Line and a third call comes in?
Popularity occasionally comes with its drawbacks. If both of your Ooma lines are in use and a third call comes in, the incoming call will immediately go to voicemail.
Can I have more than two active calls on my Ooma device?
No. Your Ooma device is only able to handle two calls at a given time. In other words, you can’t initiate a conference call with more than two outside lines, and you can’t have more than one call ringing at a time with Enhanced Call Waiting.
What if I want a second number for my second line?
The Instant Second Line is a great convenience if you’re not interested in distributing a second phone number, but what if you are? Ooma does offer the option of adding a second phone number to your Instant Second Line. To find out more, please see the personal phone number FAQ!
