Microsoft Teams won't send dial pad inputs when navigating a phone tree during a conference call

[jcjchavez]

Our users sometimes need to dial to an external number from the Teams app on their phone, add another external number to the call, then use the dial pad to navigate a phone tree. However, the Teams conference won't send the dialpad inputs to the phone tree system. Is there a way we can make this work? 

[#2]

@cgigate1460 and @Adam1982690, when I'm on a call, the dial pad in Teams -> Calls makes DTMF tones. I can use this to navigate prompts, enter information (e.g., PIN, zip code, meeting security code), or trigger effects in a multiparty conference call.

If you are saying that also works for you, but that you have a separate problem where DTMF tones stop working in the specific case where you want to add an additional party to an existing call, then you are correct that I was missing the point. If your issue ONLY occurs when making a call while already on a call, I admit I've never had a need to test that specific use case. If that's the issue, sorry for the confusion on my part.

[#3]

@GraniteStateColin 

This is not the scenario of the issue.

if you are talking about a pure phone call, you can use dial pad to dialout, you have DTMF tone to navigate through the phone tree (IVR).

The not working scenario, when you have a ongoing meeting (conference) , you want to add a participant to the meeting.  the the wanted participant behind a phone extension or needs get through IVR tree to reach him/her, the Teams cannot send out DTMF tone to navigate through IVR. that is an issue 

[#4]

This issue is a long-standing "feature" that harkens all the way back to Skype for Business and Lync Server.

If you are currently in a conference call and need to add a remote party into that call, (and you know the remote party can only be reached by DTMF tones, such as an extension that must be entered at a lead auto attendant) the Audio Conferencing service DOES NOT SUPPORT DTMF tones for any outbound call you initiate from it. The dial pad in the meeting window will allow you to smash DTMF numbers all day long, but the Audio Conferencing service does not pass on those tones to the remote party. Even if it did support DTMF tones, it would blast DTMF tones out to all participants on the conference call, which could result in issues for remote parties already connected.

The only workaround for this is to use "Merge Calls":
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/merge-calls-in-teams-15fd64cf-1500-4143-b199-1bbda98fd695

Merging requires you to initiate a brand-new PSTN call to your remote party, issue required DTMF tones as necessary until the call is connected to the user, and then merge the call with the ongoing conference call.

[#5]

Slype for Business or Lync server don't have the issue.
SfB and Lync can merge phone calls and meetings together. Thanks to the SIP protocol, it can use re-invite to merge two or more sessions!
The issue is only in the Teams meeting!
Unfortunately, teams moved from the robust SIP protocols to the Skype protocol, which has very weak telephony features that causes huge problems for the telephony.

[#6]

SFB/Lync absolutely did suffer from this same issue (DTMF outbound in active conference call). Proof:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/avmcu-does-not-support-dtmf-in-lync-server-or-skype-for-bu...

SIP mention only marginally relevant here. SFB/Lync utilized the Centralized Conference Control Protocol (3CP) for management of conferences, and that protocol got translated to specific SIP standards for integration with telephony. Info:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/office_protocols/ms-confbas/6cb739fe-3a84-4266-8d52-0af7...

While Teams has shifted to a REST-based communication protocol that is closely aligned with Skype Consumer, the AVMCU functionality is still largely structured off the prior SFB AVMCU capabilities (hence the issue still being present). Either way, we still get SIP transport for telephony integration by way of Direct Routing, Calling Plans, and Audio Conf Dial-In/Out.

Now...all that being said, I am now noticing the URL about Call Merge has some limitations listed at the bottom which I did not notice prior. One notable limitation: meetings. That is an incredibly frustrating and unfortunate limitation. Hopefully they close the gap on that.

[#7]

What if went back to the 80s and used DTMF tone generator?

maybe an app that plays tones in the "microphone" ?? I know its a little dumb, but if microsoft can't make a dial pad appear cant we have one.

perhaps even a app added in teams 😛

[#8]

@Anthony_Antonacci 

Im thinking the same thing.  I found a React App that is a DTMF tone generator with dial pad buttons.  I can put this into my own MS Teams App, but the audio currently goes to the users default sound device.  Does anyone know how to send audio from a Teams app out to all participants?  Without using a virtual audio device in windows piped to the microphone?

[#9]

This is our issue as well. The workaround we started using was to add our own cellphone to the call, then use the keypad on the cellphone to navigate the auto-attendant. Once we get the person we need, drop the cellphone from the call.

[#10]

Just some additional information to explain what is happening here. In our case, we have an intercom at our security gate where the visitor presses a button and it dials a Teams calling Call Queue. It rings all users in the call queue but only one answers. Sometimes, the user is able to enter a DTMF code into the keypad on Teams to open the gate. Other days they can't.
The reason for this, from looking at the call history is that sometimes the call type is considered a 'call' as it only has two participants. Other times it is considered a 'conference' as it thinks there are 3 or more participants. There are not, there is only the intercom and the person who answers I haven't yet figured out WHY it thinks there are 3 participants - although one theory I have is that the users it is happening to are often logged in to 2 desktops at once.

The reason DTFM codes will not work in a 'conference'/'Teams meeting' (and Teams call that has more than 2 participants is by design. When you are in a meeting, Teams enables a feature that lets you enter codes beginning with * so that if you join the meeting from your phone you still have all the normal Teams functionality. Eg. *6 mutes and unmutes your mic. *5 raises your hand. To allow these 'features' it needs to disable the normal DTMF codes used to open gates or select an option at an auto attendant etc.
The solution we need from Microsoft here is to either:
A. Disable this feature and choose to just use DTMF codes, as we never have users join a meeting via a call now that the Teams app exists.

B. Set a policy for a Teams number that forces it to connect as a call, not a conference.
I feel like option B would present it's own issues, for example, a call can only have 2 participants. Will it drop the wrong participant to force it to a call? So option A seems like it is the only one that will solve everybody's problems. However, this has been ongoing for years now so I wouldn't hold my breath.

[#11]

@RogerNorthupThe initial issue is about a 3-way call, I don't know how this tread changed subject.
When in a Teams 3-way phone call, the dial pad is unavailable.

[#12]

@IT_admin_84 No, from what I can tell from the original post the dialpad is not unavailable. It is there, it is just not sending the inputs when navigating a phone tree. eg. When a call says "press 1 for this menu" while in a 3-way call, the user is going to the dial pad and dialling 1 and nothing is happening. 

This is the same issue that many others are referring to in this thread.

[#13]

My bad, the title says "when navigating a phone tree during a conference", I was implying that a conference is 3 people and more on call.

@timivett