‘Busy on Busy’ Feature in Microsoft Teams

Managing incoming calls effectively is crucial to maintaining productivity and responsiveness. Microsoft Teams, a leading collaboration platform, offers a range of features to streamline communication, including the “Busy on Busy” functionality. In this blog post, we’ll delve into what “Busy on Busy” entails, its benefits, and how to leverage it for improved call management. If you’re using Microsoft Teams Phone, and you aren’t aware of “Busy on Busy” yet, this blog may save you some massive headaches or complaints from end-users.

“Busy on Busy” is a feature in Microsoft Teams that allows users to control how incoming calls are handled when they are already engaged in an active call or meeting. Essentially, it prevents multiple calls from ringing simultaneously on the same device or user account, reducing interruptions and ensuring a smoother calling experience.

By preventing simultaneous incoming calls, “Busy on Busy” helps users stay focused on their ongoing conversations or tasks without the distraction of additional ringing calls. This promotes uninterrupted workflow and boosts overall productivity.

For both callers and recipients, “Busy on Busy” contributes to a more seamless and professional communication experience. Callers receive a clear indication that the recipient is currently unavailable, reducing frustration and misunderstandings. Meanwhile, recipients can manage their calls more efficiently, minimizing missed opportunities and ensuring timely responses.

“Busy on Busy” allows users to customize call handling preferences based on their availability and preferences. Whether prioritizing certain calls, redirecting to voicemail, or providing alternative contact methods, users have greater control over how incoming calls are managed, optimizing communication efficiency.

How to Enable “Busy on Busy” in Microsoft Teams (Admin Center)

1. In the left navigation of the Microsoft Teams admin center, select Voice > Calling policies.
2. Select the policy you would like to update or select Add to create a new policy.
3. Choose an option for Busy on busy during calls:
   • Off: No busy option is enabled, and new or incoming calls can still go to the user while the user is already in a call.
   • On: New or incoming calls will be rejected with a busy signal.
   • Use unanswered settings: The user’s unanswered settings will be used, such as routing to voicemail or forwarding to another user.
   • Let users decide: Users can determine their busy options choice from call settings in the Teams app.
4. Select Save.

Note: for end users to be able to configure the “Busy on Busy” options in their Teams client as described in the next section, the “Let users decide” option must be configured in the Teams Admin Center. Also, multiple policies can be configured differently and applied to different sets of users. For example, for some organizations we’ve enabled “Busy on Busy” globally to be set to “On,” but then created a policy for receptionists that is configured with “Let users decide.” It’s important to configure the policies that best fit your users needs.

How to Enable “Busy on Busy” in Microsoft Teams (Teams Client)

Enabling “Busy on Busy” in Microsoft Teams is a straightforward process.

Open Microsoft Teams and navigate to your profile picture at the top right corner. Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.

• Select Calls: In the Settings menu, choose the “Calls” tab.
• Toggle “Busy on Busy” Option: Scroll down to the “Call answering rules” section and locate the “Busy on Busy” option. Toggle the switch to enable this feature.
• Customize Preferences (Optional): Depending on your preferences, you can further customize how incoming calls are handled when you’re busy. Options may include redirecting to voicemail, forwarding to a delegate, or sending a busy signal.
• Save Changes: Once you’ve configured your preferences, don’t forget to save the changes to apply the “Busy on Busy” settings.

Microsoft Teams “Busy on Busy” feature offers a valuable solution for managing incoming calls efficiently, minimizing disruptions, and optimizing user experience. By enabling this feature and customizing call handling preferences, users can enhance their communication workflows, ultimately driving greater efficiency and effectiveness in their day-to-day operations.

Have any questions about this feature or anything else about Microsoft Teams? Please reach out to our experts at any time!