Vonage Home Phone Features
The Features of Vonage Phone Service
As Vonage phone service is Internet based, that is, it uses voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), it comes packed with useful features. This is thanks to the advancement of today's technology. here you can learn more about Features of VoIP.
The Features of Vonage Phone Service
Here is the table showing the list of all Vonage phone service features:
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(P) besides a feature means there is an additional cost. All the prices are listed below together within feature explanations. For some features, prices depend on the calling plan you have, so we can't tell the exact price. You can see that inside your Vonage account.
Now we go into explaining each of the listed features, one by one.
Add a Line (Add a Voice Line)
You can add a second voice line to your Vonage service through your Online Account. The cost for your additional line depends on the calling plan that you choose and will be calculated before you confirm your order.
You cannot add an additional line if any of the following is true:
- You are a new customer and your adapter has not yet been configured and shipped.
- You currently have a pending order for an additional line that has not yet completed.
- Your account is in Suspend status or has been disconnected.
Anonymous Call Block
The Anonymous Call Block feature prevents callers who do not display their phone number on your Caller ID from ringing your Vonage phone number. Instead of ringing your phone, these callers will hear a message informing them that their call cannot be completed until their Caller ID is unblocked. In other words, anyone who dials you with a blocked Caller ID will receive a message that you don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. Callers who block their Caller ID get stopped from ringing your phone.
Anonymous Call Block stops incoming calls from the following only:
- Anonymous
- Private
- Private Number
- Private Name
- Number Private
- Caller Private
- Restricted
- Withheld
By default, Anonymous Call Block is turned off. Callers who do not block their number are able to ring your phone and this includes Caller ID displays that show Unavailable.
Bandwidth Saver®
This feature helps you maintain great call quality even with poor Internet connections. Vonage uses 90 kbps of bandwidth during a call and this is sufficient for most calls. If you have limited bandwidth available, 90 kbps may cause sound problems. Adjusting the amount of bandwidth used by a call can resolve sound issues. This is when Bandwidth Saver® kicks in.
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be carried across a network in a given time period. The higher your bandwidth, the more data you can send and receive. Every device connected to your network, including your Vonage adapter, uses your bandwidth when sending or receiving information.
Adjusting your bandwidth can sometimes increase the audio quality of your calls. You can change the default bandwidth setting for Vonage calls with the Bandwidth Saver tool. It is located on the Adapter & 911 Settings tab of the Features & Settings section of your Online Account.
Steps to change the Bandwidth Saver settings in your account:
- Sign in to your Online Account.
- Click the Summary tab and, under My Numbers, select a phone number.
- Go to Features & Settings and select Adapter & 911 Settings.
- Go to Telephone Adapter and click Bandwidth Saver.
- Select your bandwidth, which has three settings:
- Highest available sound quality (90kbps)
- Higher than normal sound quality (50kbps)
- Normal sound quality (30kbps)
- Click Save.
If you want to check your Internet speed, use our Test Internet Speed Tool.
Call Filter
Vonage Call Filter feature allows you to filter unwanted calls. You can screen and block annoying spam calls with Spam Block. You can also block up to 500 numbers with Selective Call Block. In your online account, select one of the following:
- Block all incoming calls marked as SPAM
- Direct all incoming calls marked as SPAM to voicemail
- Continue to receive all incoming calls marked as SPAM.
Selection can be easily changed or undone.
Block up to 500 numbers
With Selective Call Block, future incoming calls from the blocked number will not appear in either Call Activity or Recents.
Easily block
Use your Vonage Extensions app to easily block a number. You can also log in to your online account and block numbers in your recent activity or by manually entering the number.
Easily unblock
You can unblock numbers in your Vonage Extensions app, or by logging in to your online account.
Once a number is blocked, future incoming calls from that number will not appear in either Call Activity or Recents. Calls received before the phone number was blocked continue to appear.
Call Filter feature – which includes Spam Block and Selective Call Block – is only available in the US.
Call Hunt
Use the Call Hunt feature to forward incoming calls through a specified sequence of up to five phone numbers when a busy signal is encountered. All the phone numbers must be on the same Vonage account.
When a phone is busy, an incoming call is forwarded to the next phone number in the ring sequence. This continues until a phone number is not busy or the ring sequence ends. If the call is unanswered or the ring sequence ends, the call uses the Voicemail option you specified for that number.
Once you set a Call Hunt ring sequence in Online Account, you do not need to do so again unless you want to change the numbers in the list. Instead, turn on or off as needed.
NOTE: You must have two or more phone numbers on the same Vonage account to use this feature.
Call Hunt Setup
Set up your Call Hunt ring sequence and incoming calls will forward to the next Vonage number on the list when that line is busy. You can also select which phone number's Voicemail will answer if all lines are busy. You must have more than one voice line on the same Vonage account to use Call Hunt.
NOTE: Any Vonage phone number using the Extensions App with inbound calling enabled cannot be used in a Call Hunt sequence.
Call Return
Vonage Call Return feature lets you see who called and when, so you can return the call without having to dial the number. This features is also known as *69. It dials your last incoming call automatically.
How to use it?
Just dial *69 and your Vonage phone service will dial back the last call made to you. Vonage Call Return works with any number in the U.S. and Canada.
There are no extra charges to use the Call Return feature. However, returned calls are treated as an outgoing call. If you have a limited minute calling plan, the returned call will count against your allotted minutes. If the returned call is to a location not included in your calling plan, you will be charged the per minute rate to that location.
To use Call Return, dial *69 on your touch-tone phone. You will hear the phone number of the last incoming call, along with the date and time of the call. Press 1 to redial the number. Press 2 or hang up to cancel the callback.
Call Transfer
The Call Transfer feature transfer calls to any number in the U.S., including Puerto Rico, and Canada while you’re on another call.
After you have answered an incoming call, you can use Call Transfer to direct the call to another phone number. Transfer calls to phone numbers in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada at no cost and international locations for the same rate as your calling plan.
If you have a limited minute calling plan, transferred calls count against your minutes.
How to use Call Transfer?
- Answer the incoming call.
- Press Flash or the switch hook on your telephone.
- Dial #90 and enter the telephone number that is to receive the call.
- Hang up the telephone.
Helpful Hints
- International calling must be enabled to transfer a call to an international number.
- As soon as you enter the telephone number that is to receive the call, you can hang up.
- If the receiver of the transfer is not available to answer the call, the call is handled according to their settings. For example, if voicemail is set up, the transferred call goes to voicemail.
Call Waiting
Vonage Call Waiting lets you see who's calling when you’re on the other line. With this feature, you can place your current call on hold to pick up an incoming call or you can choose to let the incoming call go to voicemail. A tone while on a call alerts you that there is an incoming call.
Call Waiting is turned on by default, but you can turn it off for a single call or turn it on and off through your Online Account. Turning off prevents you from picking up another call while you are on a call.
Caller ID
As with most other Vonage features, the Caller ID feature is free, that is, it is included with your Vonage phone service. It allows you to see who is calling before you pick up the phone. Caller ID with Name displays the name and telephone number (if available) for incoming calls on any Caller ID enabled device or telephone. For calls that you place from a Vonage U.S. residential telephone number, your name and telephone number are displayed, if this feature is supported by the service of the person you are calling.
The display of your name and telephone number is turned on automatically with your Vonage service. The name that you provide when you sign up for Vonage service is the name that is displayed when you place a call.
Vonage Caller ID (as well as most in the industry) has a 13 character limit for the display. Both your last name and the initial of your first name are displayed when you place a call, if your name is less than 13 characters in length.
Caller ID Block
This feature lets you keep your phone number private when you make calls. Using Caller ID Block, you can turn off outbound Caller ID display for a single call or turn Caller ID off or on for all outbound calls.
Your name and phone number display on Caller ID enabled devices when you make outgoing calls. Caller ID Block prevents your information from displaying. Instead, "Anonymous," "Private Caller" or "Private" is displayed when you make an outgoing call.
- Turn Caller ID Block on or off for all outgoing calls in your Online Account.
- Turn Caller ID Block on or off for all outgoing calls or for a single call on your Vonage phone.
In Your Online Account
- On a desktop computer: Caller ID Block is located on the Calling Features tab of the Features & Settings section.
- On a mobile device: Select a number to modify, scroll to Block Your Caller ID.
On The Phone
- Dial *08 to turn off display of your Caller ID information on all outgoing calls.
- Dial *06 to turn on display of your Caller ID information on all outgoing calls.
- Dial *67 and then enter the phone number you want to call to turn off display of your Caller ID information for just that one call. Caller ID is turned back on once you complete your call.
Dedicated Fax Line (Add a Fax Line)
You can use any fax-capable machine to send and receive faxes on a dedicated Vonage Fax Line. To add a dedicated fax line to your Vonage account, you must maintain at least one Vonage voice line for making and receiving calls.
The Add-Ons link is located on the Summary tab of your Online Account.
Cost: $9.99 + taxes and fees
Includes 250 minutes of outgoing faxes to U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico; 3.9¢ per minute over 250
$9.99 One-Time Activation Fee
You can use any fax-capable machine to send and receive faxes on a dedicated Vonage Fax Line. To add a fax line to your Vonage account, you must maintain at least one Vonage voice line for making and receiving calls.
NOTE: Your Vonage voice line is not optimized for fax service, however, you can send and receive an occasional fax on this line. To do so, unplug the telephone cord from the port on the Vonage adapter and plug the cord from your fax machine into that same port.
Some advice for the Vonage fax line:
- Unlimited incoming faxes are at no cost.
- Outgoing faxes sent to international locations are at the same cost as your calling plan.
- Your fax line can be used to place calls, but it is optimized for sending and receiving faxes, not voice service. Many features such as Call Waiting and Voicemail are not available on fax lines.
- If you have more than one Vonage voice line and want to switch one to a fax line, you cannot make this change in your Online Account. Contact Vonage to optimize the voice line for fax use.
Do Not Disturb
This feature lets you set all your calls go straight to Vonage Voicemail Plus whenever you want.
Use Do Not Disturb to temporarily stop all incoming calls from ringing your phone. When Do Not Disturb is turned on, all incoming calls go to voicemail, if voicemail is turned on. If voicemail is not turned on, callers will hear a message that states you are not accepting calls. You can continue to place outgoing calls when Do Not Disturb is turned on.
When Do Not Disturb is turned on:
- Incoming calls go directly to Voicemail, if Voicemail is enabled. Otherwise, a message indicates that you are not accepting calls.
- Settings for Call Forwarding, SimulRing, and Call Hunt are ignored.
- Incoming calls do not ring the Extensions App.
To turn Do Not Disturb On and Off:
Turn Do Not Disturb on and off in your Online Account or from your Vonage home phone.
On The Phone
- Dial *78 to turn on.
- Dial *79 to turn off.
In Your Online Account
- Sign in to your Online Account.
- Click the Summary tab and under My Numbers, click a phone number, if applicable.
- Go to Features & Settings and click Calling Features.
- Go to Do Not Disturb and toggle ON or OFF.
Enhanced Call Forwarding
Enhanced Call Forwarding lets you direct incoming calls to any phone number, including international phone numbers. Call Forwarding is included at no additional cost with all Vonage calling plans. However, remember that forwarded calls are treated as an outgoing call. Additional charges will apply if you forward calls to numbers not included in your calling plan.
Easy setup
Set up call forwarding through your Vonage Online Account or by phone. You can turn it on and off easily from your call forwarding settings, too.
People will think you're home
Callers won't know the call is being forwarded. Call Forwarding can be set up to ring any landline or mobile phone number. Calls forwarded to numbers in countries outside of your calling plan will be charged at our low per-minute rates.
How much does Call Forwarding cost?
Call Forwarding is included with any Vonage for Home plan.
How To Setup Call Forwarding, Turn it On and Off
On your phone, to turn on:
- Dial *72 from your Vonage phone and listen for the prompt.
- Enter the area code and phone number to which calls will be forwarded.
NOTE: To forward to an international phone number, enter the country code and phone number. Do not include 011. - Press 1 to confirm or 2 to enter a different phone number.
To turn off, dial *73.
In your online account, to set up or edit:
- Sign in to your Online Account.
- Click the Summary tab and under My Numbers, click a phone number, if applicable.
- Go to Features & Settings and click Calling Features.
- Go to Call Forwarding and click Edit.
- Select the number of seconds you want your Vonage phone to ring before forwarding.
- Enter the phone number where you want to forward calls.
- Click Save. Once you save your settings, Call Forwarding is turned on.
To turn on or off:
- Sign in to your Online Account.
- Click the Summary tab and under My Numbers, click a phone number, if applicable.
- Go to Features & Settings and click Calling Features.
- Go to Call Forwarding and toggle ON or OFF.
Helpful Hints
- International Call Block must be turned off to forward to an international phone number.
- If you dial 911 Emergency Services from your Vonage phone, Call Forwarding is disabled for two hours.
- Call Forwarding and SimulRing cannot be turned on at the same time. Turning on one of these two features turns off the other.
- When Call Forwarding and Voicemail are both turned on for the same phone number, the incoming call is forwarded and will not go to Voicemail.
- Call Forwarding and SimulRing take priority over mobile inbound calling in the Extensions App. Turn Call Forwarding and SimulRing off to use mobile inbound calling.
In-Network Calling
The well know feature of Vonage phone service, In-Network Calling, allows for unlimited Vonage-to-Vonage calls at no additional cost. This is a great reason to have people you call the most use Vonage phone service.
International & Directory Assistance Block
This feature lets you block directory assistance and international calls.
The International Call Block allows you to prevent others from making outgoing international calls from your Vonage phone number.
To turn this feature On and Off:
- Sign in to your Online Account.
- Click the Summary tab and under My Numbers, click a phone number, if applicable.
- Go to Features & Settings and click Calling Features.
- Scroll to International Call Block and toggle ON or OFF
Hints:
- International Call Block prevents outgoing calls to all international locations, even if they are included in your calling plan.
- Vonage to Vonage calls and calls to Canada and Puerto Rico are not blocked.
- International Call Block must be turned off in order to make calls from a linked mobile number.
The Directory Assistance Call Block feature lets you prevent others from dialing 411 from your Vonage phone. By default, Directory Assistance Call Block is turned off and calls to 411 are allowed.
To turn Directory Assistance Call Block On and Off:
- Sign in to your Online Account.
- Click the Summary tab and under My Numbers, click a phone number, if applicable.
- Go to Features & Settings and click Calling Features.
- Scroll to 411 Directory Assistance Call Block and toggle ON or OFF.
Hints:
Charges
Most Vonage calling plans include unlimited calls to 411, but some do not. For plans that do not include unlimited calling to 411, calls are charged at $1.49 per call. If you are charged for calls to 411, using Directory Assistance Block prevents others from making these calls from your Vonage phone.
Free 411 Calls for Visually Impaired
If you are on a plan that charges for calls to 411 and you or someone in your household is visually impaired, you are eligible to receive 25 free 411 calls per month.
Network Availability Number®
Forward your calls to a number of your choice in case the power goes out.
When you use a Network Availability Number, any call that you receive when your Internet service is not available is forwarded to the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico phone number that you specify. You can set a different Network Availability Number for each of your Vonage phone numbers.
When you have your Vonage Network Availability Number turned on, incoming calls will forward to that number when your Internet service is not available. Set your Network Availability Number in your Online Account to any number in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico.
You can set a different Network Availability Number for each of your Vonage phone numbers.
To Add or Update Phone Number
- Sign in to your Online Account.
- Click the Summary tab and under My Numbers, click a phone number, if applicable.
- Go to Features & Settings and click Calling Features.
- Go to Network Availability and click Edit.
- Enter the area code and phone number where calls will be forwarded.
- Click Save to turn on.
To Turn Network Availability Number® On and Off
- Sign in to your Online Account.
- Click the Summary tab and under My Numbers, click a phone number, if applicable.
- Go to Features & Settings and click Calling Features.
- Go to Network Availability and toggle ON or OFF.
A Couple of Hints
Stay Connected if Adapter is Not
Should you decide to move to a new home or just move your Vonage adapter to another location in your home or business, set up a Network Availability Number so you remain connected while your device is not.
Use with SimulRing®
If SimulRing is turned on, your Network Availability Number is ignored and your SimulRing settings remain in effect.
Ring Lists
This feature lets you direct your incoming calls to the Vonage line(s) of your choice.
With Ring Lists, you can set up your Toll Free number or Virtual Number to ring on a series of two or more Vonage voice lines when you receive an incoming call. You need at least two Vonage voice lines on the same account as your Toll Free number or Virtual Number to use Ring Lists.
Ring List Order
You can chose how an incoming call to your Toll Free number or Virtual Number is routed to the numbers on your Ring List.
- Sequentially: An incoming will ring on the first number on the Ring List. If that number is busy, it will ring the next number on the list.
- Simultaneously: An incoming call will ring on all the numbers on the Ring List at the same time. The call will connect to the first number that is answered.
- Randomly: An incoming call will ring the numbers on the Ring List in a random order. If a number is busy, the call will route to another number on the list.
Ring List and Voicemail
You can set your Ring List to forward incoming calls to a selected phone number's Voicemail after a set number of seconds. A caller will get a busy signal if all the numbers on a Ring List are busy and the Voicemail option for Ring Lists is set to No Voicemail.
Set Up Your Ring List
Use Ring Lists for your Toll Free or Virtual Number to specify which voice lines ring when you receive an incoming call and in what order. You must have at least two Vonage voice lines on the same account as your Toll Free number or Virtual Number to set up a Ring List.
- On a desktop computer: Ring List is located on the Calling Features tab of the Features & Settings section of your Online Account.
- On a mobile device: Select Ring List under Multi-line features.
SimulRing®
Use SimulRing feature to direct all incoming calls to ring your Vonage phone number and up to five other phone numbers, all at the same time. You can pick up your incoming call on any phone you include in your list.
When you set up SimulRing, you do not need to do so before each use unless you want to change the settings. Instead, turn on or off as needed.
Ring up to five additional phones at the same time — landlines, cells, and smartphones — so you’ll be sure to catch critical calls.
- Configure it easily through your Vonage Online Account.
- Receive forwarded calls without the caller’s knowledge.
- Forward calls to numbers anywhere in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) and Canada.
NOTE: International numbers that are not included in your calling plan are charged at the per minute rate.
Seamlessly take calls from the road
Receive calls made to your home phone on up to five different phones, whether cellphones, smartphones or landlines. Callers don’t know the call is forwarded.
Go international
Forward calls to numbers anywhere in the U.S., including Puerto Rico, and Canada at no additional charge. You can also forward to international numbers. Please keep in mind that calls forwarded to international numbers not included in your plan will be charged at our low per-minute rates.
How much is SimulRing®?
SimulRing® is included with all Vonage for Home plans.
Easy to set up and manage
SimulRing®, like all of our features, can be set up in your Online Account. You can change your SimulRing® numbers as often as you’d like in your Online Account too.
Three-Way Calling
This Vonage feature lets you add a third person to your phone conversation, anytime.
Three-Way Calling lets you connect a third person to your two-way conversation. There is no additional cost for this feature if used for calls within the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. If you call an international phone number, you will be billed the same rate as your calling plan. Charges, if applicable, are the responsibility of the person who initiates the call.
For billing purposes, a Three-Way Call appears on your usage as two separate calls that happen at the same time.
Because a Three-Way Call is two calls at one time, it requires enough bandwidth for two calls simultaneously for a maximum bandwidth of 180 Kbps. If your Three-Way Calls are not successful, use the Bandwidth Saver to adjust your settings.
To make a Three-Way Call:
- Dial your first party and wait for connection.
- Inform first party that you are placing them on hold.
- Press Flash or the Switch Hook on your phone.
- Dial the second party.
- Press Flash or the Switch Hook on your phone to connect all three parties.
Toll-Free Plus®
A Vonage for Home toll-free number means others can call you at no cost to them. Toll Free Plus® feature lets you obtain a Toll Free Number which lets people call you at no cost from anywhere in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Calls to your Toll Free Number ring your existing Vonage phone number.
Choose your area code
Choose from 888, 877 or 866 toll-free area codes. Toll-free numbers may be used for business or personal use.
No additional devices
Calls to your Toll-Free Plus number ring your existing Vonage phone number on your existing phones. If you have more than one Vonage voice line, you can select which line will ring in your Online Account.
No cost calling to your toll-free number
No charge to call your number from the U.S., including Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada.
Set up is quick
Adding a Toll Free Plus number can be done at any time in your Online Account. The fee is $4.99 a month plus taxes and fees for first 100 minutes, and then only 4.9 cents for each additional minute. There is also a $9.99 activation fee for each Toll Free Number.
Virtual Numbers
This features lets you get a Vonage Virtual Number in one of 22 countries so your family or friends can call you without incurring international long distance rates.
International calling for the cost of a local call
Have family in the U.K. but live in the U.S.? Get a Virtual Number in the U.K. and they can call you in the U.S. simply by dialing your U.K. Virtual Number. Add more than one Virtual Number, no matter the calling plan.
An easy, affordable way to have them call you and save money
$4.99 – $9.99 per month (plus taxes and fees), depending on country.
Easy to set up
Just log in to your Vonage Online Account and select the country and area code of your Virtual Number.
Here is more about Vonage Virtual Number, including the list of the 22 countries with exact fees for each code.
Vonage Online Account
Manage your Vonage services and features in your Online Account. There is no need to register and nothing you need to do to set up your Online Account. It is automatically created when you sign up for Vonage service.
To sign in to your Online Account, you need your 10-digit Vonage phone number and your password. If you do not remember your password, you can reset it.
Using Mobile Phones
Your Online Account is optimized for use on most mobile phones, making it easy to manage many features, listen to Voicemail messages, make a payment or update your profile.
Visit Vonage for Home website to access your online account.
Vonage Voicemail Plus
Vonage Voicemail Plus is an enhanced voicemail service that allows you to access voice messages via e-mail – and much more. With Vonage Voicemail Plus you can check your messages wherever you are. Listen to your voicemail from any phone, or even from your Vonage Online Account. Voicemail Plus can also deliver voicemails to your e-mail inbox in a convenient audio format. Plus, check out Vonage Visual Voicemail®, a convenient way to receive transcribed English or Spanish voicemails of up to one minute in an e-mail or text message (message and data rates may apply).
Listen on your phone, smartphone or your computer
Listen to your voicemail messages from any phone, or your Vonage Online Account. Your Voicemails are stored on Vonage servers, so you can access them from any internet connection or any phone. You can also have your Voicemails sent to an email account and save them on your own device.
Get your voicemail transcribed and sent to your email or texted
Transcriptions of your Voicemails can be sent to your email or texted to you. You can set this up in your Online Account depending on your plan, text and message rates may apply.
Easy set up
You can set up Voicemail Plus from your Online Account or by using your phone's keypad.
Vonage Voicemail is turned on as soon as your Vonage service is activated, even if your Vonage adapter is not installed. Turn Voicemail on and off from your Online Account and also set the number of seconds that an incoming call rings before Voicemail picks up.
When you pick up the phone connected to your Vonage service and hear a stutter tone, this indicates you have new Voicemail messages. Listen to your messages in your Online Account, on the phone, or from an email.
Vonage® boomerang™
Vonage boomerang is a feature of the Vonage Extensions App. It lets you keep in touch with family and friends overseas by returning their calls and having the charges for those calls applied to your Vonage account.
If an international location is included in your Vonage calling plan, the call is returned at no cost to you or the international caller. If the location is not included in your Vonage calling plan, you will be charged our low international rates for that call.
Catch up with your international loved ones
Choose the loved ones you want to add to boomerang™ through the Vonage® Extensions® app. Enjoy automatic connections via your Vonage number when boomerang™ contacts call.
You don't need to be home
Calls from them to your Vonage number will ring your home phone and your mobile devices with the app. Use boomerang™ on smartphones or landlines – just like you’re making a normal call. Answer calls from almost anywhere using Wi-Fi or cellular data (standard data rates apply).
Save your international loves ones money
All phone charges are applied to your Vonage account.
Vonage® Extensions® App
Vonage® Extensions® App makes it possible to take Vonage with you, wherever you go.
- Make and recieve calls on up to 3 smartphones.
- Use your Vonage calling plan to make and take calls with your smartphone.
- Know who’s calling—the app uses your smartphone’s contacts for caller ID.
We have a page dedicated to Vonage® Extensions® App feature.