Touch telephone. Do you know how to put your phone into tone mode?

There are times when a subscriber calls various services or a hotline and hears an answering machine offer that advises switching your phone to tone mode. But not all users are aware of how to complete this process. The article will provide useful information to those people who do not know how to switch the phone to tone mode.

Dialing modes

The main modes of telephone dialing are divided into pulse and tone. These systems are the fruit of the development of communication. An earlier form of telephone operation is the pulse mode. Dialing a number with it is carried out by interrupting the line with a certain list of sounds. Any subscriber will probably remember his calls from a regular phone to another city via a long-distance line.

Tone mode is a more recent invention and appeared relatively recently. Its main difference from pulse is that each number has a pre-selected sound. You should pay attention to the fact that all modern telephone models are produced taking into account the use of this feature. The pulse mode for such models is a thing of the past. But, despite this innovative approach, phones with classic capabilities are still popular to this day. Therefore, if you need to switch to tone mode, you should clarify whether the menu of your device allows it.

Examination

To find out whether the required function is enabled, pick up the phone and press any key. You must determine what kind of sounds are coming from your device. If you hear short beeps, this indicates that your phone has switched to the tone mode system.

If you can recognize sounds similar to clicks, then the device undoubtedly operates in pulse mode. The latter option limits a number of functions. We will discuss further how to switch the phone to the tone mode we need.

Process

Press the “*” button on your device - this is the easiest way to switch your device to tone mode. This method is only effective if the menu provides a similar function. Not every phone model involves simply pressing a button. Hold and do not release the “*” or “#” key for several seconds. The word "tone" or "t" should appear on your phone's display. If the display shows absolutely nothing, then you should again listen to the sounds made by the handset while pressing the buttons. Some models are equipped with special “T” or “P” keys, which are located on the body. They were created to convert a radiotelephone from pulse mode to tone mode.

There are other custom steps for this customization. They are typical for some models. The switching method can be a combination of buttons “*” and “-” or “-”, “*”, “-”.

Nothing fit

If none of the methods proposed above for switching to the telephone's tone mode work, then it is recommended that you turn to a detailed study of the menu of your device. Many models can be translated using it. Enter the settings and refer to the option “Switch between modes”. Select the method of operation you need and confirm your action.

We have dealt with the concept of tone mode, but finally we should talk a little more about pulse mode. First of all, telephones with a rotary dialer work this way. Pulse mode is a dialing method in which digits are transmitted to the station by step-by-step closing and then opening the selected telephone line.

Landline (wired, home) telephones for their intended purpose are now used less and less, giving way to radio-based mobile devices. Since the latter, in most tariffs, does not require a monthly subscription fee, the cost of using them is even lower than that of their stationary counterparts. At first glance, it may seem that no problems can arise when using wired phones, since the technology is old and well-studied. But this is true for the developer, and not for the average user of such a phone.

For example, sometimes companies and banking institutions indicate a toll-free telephone number in their contact information, by calling which many issues can be resolved. Usually, an answering machine on the other side of the line picks up the phone, asking the subscriber to press certain numbers (turn the dial) during the conversation. Unfortunately, for many, the call ends here, since the answering machine does not react in any way to actions on the phone, ignoring button presses. Why?

The reason is simple - there is a pulse and tone mode of the phone. Surely, everyone has heard strange clicks or beeps that accompany pressing numbers or dialing a number using a dial. The beeps are tone mode and the clicks are pulse mode. Let's look at how dialing occurs in old rotary phones.

When the dial is rotated to the required distance and automatically returns to its original position, special electrical contacts are closed: each closure forms a click-pulse; by counting their number, you can determine the digit being dialed and, accordingly, the number. This “counting” is carried out by the equipment at the station (ATS). Simple and effective. In newer phone models, the contacts are replaced with a special pulse generator, which, by the way, can also be switched to tone mode.

Subsequently, pulse dialing was replaced by a more technologically advanced one. In it, dialing is carried out not by digits, but by modulating alternating current with the desired frequency. Each number (button) has its own signal tone. Then everything is the same: the PBX perceives a combination of tones and converts them into a dialed telephone number. The tone mode is more noise-resistant (errors in dialing now depend entirely on the attentiveness of the owner, and not on the state of the network), and also allows you to connect with the subscriber more quickly. All modern phones are tone phones; they may not have a pulse mode at all.

By the way, it is believed that the tone mode provides higher sound quality. This is only half true. To work in tone mode, both the telephone and the PBX must support it. Trying to use a new phone on a pulse PBX will not give any advantages (if, at all, the device works). Stations designed for tone mode are digital (or mixed), as opposed to analog pulse. Hence the improvement in sound.

Programmable allows you to switch the phone to tone mode and operate both pulse and tone communication networks. Let's assume that the subscriber is served by an analog PBX. To put your phone into pulse dialing mode, you usually need to press and hold the “*” (asterisk) button for a few seconds. If this does not help, then turn the device over and examine the bottom cover - often there is a small toggle switch for selecting a mode. Switching to tone dialing is performed in the same way.

Now let's return to the example given at the beginning of the article. Owners connected to analog stations may forget about communicating with an answering machine that requires pressing any buttons, since this is impossible without additional equipment. Of course, there is a way out - this is a special set-top box that generates tone signals into the network, but you will have to forget about convenience.

Often, when contacting support or calling a hotline, the subscriber is urged to switch to touch-tone dialing. As a rule, this happens when trying to call a multi-channel number, which requires pressing numbers on the handset of the phone to confirm the choice. It’s not difficult even for a beginner to understand such nuances.

What is tone mode on a phone?

Telephone communication is a complex thing, but at the same time incredibly interesting. For this reason, before switching the phone to tone mode, it is worth understanding its essence and considering what other dialing options are available. Telecommunication technologies are moving far ahead every year, and even now modern devices only support tone type. For older devices, you still have to switch between the two:

• pulse, which involves closing the telephone line in a special way, where each dialed digit corresponds to the number of pulses.
• tone, using an analog signal to dial the required combination of numbers.

A user who does not understand the intricacies of this topic will be able to distinguish these methods of entering numbers by ear. Remember the old rotary phones: when you scrolled the disk, you heard some clicks that varied depending on the number. Some devices released even 10-15 years ago still have the ability to switch to pulse mode. Another input method will give itself away as a difference in the pitch of the signal, which will depend on the key pressed. The advantage of tone digital input over pulse input lies primarily in the speed of dialing and connecting with the subscriber.

Tone mode on a landline phone

With the passage of time and the development of internal telephone networks, the abandonment of outdated pulse dialing looks quite logical. Multifunctional office phones, similar to those produced by Avaya, do not even have the ability to change modes. This is understandable, since in large companies work is constantly in full swing, and the speed of dialing to a client or partner is important.

Home devices will make you worry about how to enable tone mode on your phone. For example, the list of characteristics of the wired model of a Panasonic device states that both options are available. In some cases, pressing buttons is not enough to switch between them, and you should contact your communications service company for help. It is a mistake to believe that absolutely all radio telephones, unlike wired telephones, have only tone dialing. Voxtel Select series devices support both methods of transmitting a telephone number.

Tone mode on a mobile phone

It is more profitable to make calls to long-distance hotlines, where you have to listen to an answering machine for a long time, from a mobile phone. Most devices are equipped with only one input method, so the question of how to switch a cell phone to tone mode does not arise. To switch to the extension line of the desired operator, you will need to press keys with certain numbers, which is only possible with the tone option. A person dialing a call center number will hear a characteristic signal, indicating that the connection has been established with the selected operator.

There has never been a pulse connection on mobile phones, since this is a feature of telephone networks for landline devices, and the modernization of Russian telephone exchanges has made it possible to abandon this option forever. However, it may not be necessary to switch between input methods, but to enable the desired type of connection that was disabled for some reason. Without activating this function, some devices will not allow you to dial a number.

How to put a mobile phone into tone mode

If we answer this question in general and in relation to each gadget, but there is only one answer - nothing! By default, all phones support and operate in tone mode and do not provide any other selection options. However, there are exceptions to the rules: you cannot transfer to another set, but you can simply turn off the existing tone set. This instruction explains how to switch to tone mode on a mobile phone with touch controls:

1. Dial the phone number.
2. Once the connection is established, bring up the on-screen keyboard.
3. Press the star or plus key. For different gadget models, you may need to hold these buttons for a while.

This algorithm will also be effective for owners of push-button phone models. Here the situation is even somewhat simpler: you don’t need to open the keyboard on the screen. Having reached the dialed number and heard a request to turn on tone input, which was probably turned off, you only need to press and hold one of the keys (usually “star”, “pound” or “plus”) until a characteristic signal.

Switching a landline phone to tone mode

The internal structure of home communication devices, like telephone lines, determines the choice of mode change method. In most cases, this can be done without leaving the apartment or private house. How to put your phone into tone mode in the classic way is described in the following instructions:

1. Pick up the phone if you have a corded one, or press the call key on your radiotelephone.
2. Hold the star button for a second.
3. Try pressing the number keys: if they make sounds that are different in tone, then everything is done correctly.

Another option is suitable only for some models:

1. Inspect the tube from all sides for the location of additional levers on it.
2. If you notice a switch with the Latin letters P and T, meaning pulse and tone dialing, then move the lever to the T position.
3. You can check by pressing the number buttons.

Video: Tone mode

Many of us at least sometimes have to call multi-line phones to various hotlines. It’s easier to do this from a mobile phone, but sometimes more expensive, because the operator begins to read money from the beginning of the connection. First, you listen to an answering machine message that asks you to choose which specialist to connect with, and then in some cases you will have to spend more than one minute on the line waiting for the operator to respond. In this case, it is more profitable to use a landline device, but in this case you need to decide how to transfer the phone to

Phone operating modes

There are two options for telephone operation - pulse and tone. Talking over is possible if you turn on the tone mode. and PBXs support pulse dialing by default. Modern digital PBXs and more advanced telephone models are tone-on-tone. You can determine how your phone is configured by default by holding the handset to your ear and listening to the sounds it makes as you dial a number:

1. On a phone set to pulse mode by default, you will hear characteristic clicks, the number of which corresponds to the dialed digit.
2. In tone mode, a characteristic sound signal will be heard in the speaker.

If you heard the sounds described in the first case, to call the hotline you need to find out how to switch the phone to tone mode. However, it is worth noting that owners will not be able to do this without purchasing additional equipment.

How to find instructions for your telephone

First of all, when we need to learn a new function of something, we turn to the instructions. It comes complete with any equipment. In it you can find a lot of very useful tips, including how to switch your phone to tone mode. If the user manual is lost along with the box or was not there initially, you should use the tips offered later in our article.

The easiest way to put your phone into tone mode

Sometimes, for objective reasons, it is impossible to find a user manual, or it may contain only a technical description of the model, and the functions are described very poorly. In this case, use a simple and proven method of switching to tone mode.

Once you have dialed the number and are connected to the answering machine, press and hold the star (*) for a couple of seconds. Usually this is enough to immediately switch to the required mode. If the transition does not work, then you should try again. If the transition procedure is successful, you can enter any extension numbers. However, you will need to go through this procedure every time you call.

Tone mode and its features

Panasonic specialists thought about introducing tone mode in their devices before other companies. It is no secret that its spread everywhere remains only a matter of time; an increasing number of PBXs are using digital technologies, and organizations are creating multi-channel numbers for convenience. Before you put your Panasonic phone into tone mode, examine the device carefully. On some models you may see a "tone" key or a "pulse-tone" switch. The switch must be set to “tone” mode, and the key just needs to be pressed.

Modern radiotelephones of this brand are programmed by default for tone dialing mode, and most often there is no need to enter additional settings. If the program is broken, then using the instructions it is easy to fix it.