How to 3 Way Call a Person

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Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: April 4, 2024 Fact Checked

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iPhone

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Android Method

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Cell Phones and Landlines

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Have you ever wanted to talk to more than one friend on the phone? Three-way calling and conference calls makes this feat possible. iPhone and Android users may call up to five people at one time!

Conference Calling on Smartphones

On iPhone or Android, start a phone call with one contact. Wait for the recipient to pick up.
Tap add call and select a new contact. This may also look like a phone and + icon. Wait for the second recipient to pick up.
Tap merge calls or tap the merging arrows icon.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

iPhone

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Call a friend. You may do this one of three ways:^{[1]
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- Press “Contacts”. Tap on the friend’s name. Tap the phone button to the right of their number to make the call.
- Tap “Favorites”, tap on the friend’s name to make the call.
- Tap “Keypad” and enter the phone number manually.
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Let them know you are in the process of setting up a conference call.
This icon is a large “+”. It is located in the bottom left corner of two rows of icons.^{[2]
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You will have access to your contacts, favorites, and the keypad.) When the second call goes through, the first call is automatically placed on hold.
Let them know you are in the process of setting up a conference call.
This will combine the two individual phone calls into a conference call. The “merge calls” option is located in the bottom left corner of two rows of icons. It temporarily replaced the “add call” option.^{[3]
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Repeat this process up to three times. You may have a conference call with up to five people.
- The number of people allowed on one conference call varies by carrier.
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Add an incoming call. You may merge an existing call or conference call with an incoming call. To do this:
- Tap “Hold Call + Answer”. This will mute your current conversation and put it on hold.
- Select “merge call” to add the incoming call to the conference call.
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Speak to a friend privately. During a conference call, you may need to speak to just one friend. To do this:
- Tap > near the top of the screen.
- Tap the green Private to the right of the individual’s name. This will place all other calls on hold.
- Press “merge calls” to rejoin the conference call.
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End one phone call.
- Tap > near the top of the screen.
- Tap the red phone icon to the left of the individual’s name.
- Tap End. This will end the connection with that person while maintaining the rest of the calls.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Android Method

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You may access their number through “Contacts” or “Favorites”. Alternatively, you may use the keypad to enter their phone number.^{[7]
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Let your friend know you are setting up a conference call.
This will provided you with access to your contacts, favorites, and the keypad. This icon may appear one of two ways: a person with a “+” OR a large “+” with the words “Add call”.^{[8]
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Select another friend from your list of contacts or favorites. Alternatively, you may enter the number on the keypad. Once the second call goes through, your first call is placed on hold.
Let them know you are setting up a conference call.
Your first and second calls will combine into one conference call.^{[9]
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This feature is not available on all Android models.
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Tap “End Call” to disconnect the conference call.
- Other callers may leave the conference call at any time. Since they did not originate the conference call, their exit will not disconnect the entire conversation.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Cell Phones and Landlines

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Let them know you are setting up a three-way call.
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Press and hold your phone’s flash button for one second. Pressing this button places the first caller on hold. This button is also called hook-switch, link, or recall. Your phone may not have a clearly labeled flash button. If you can’t located this button, try one of the following options:^{[11]
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- Tap your cell phone or cordless phone’s “Call” button.
- Quickly press your landline’s receiver-disconnect button.
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Dial your second friend’s number.
- If your “Call” button doubled up as your flash button, press “Call” again.
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Talk to your friend. Let them know they are joining a three-way call.
- If they do not pick up, tap your phone’s flash button twice. This will disconnect the second call and return you to the first conversation.
- If you get their voicemail, press * three times. This will disconnect the second call and return you to the first conversation.
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Hang up to end the conference call.
- At anytime, one of the two people you called may hang up. You will remain on the phone with the other individual.
- To disconnect from your second friend, press your phone’s flash button. You will remain on the phone with the first friend you called.

Community Q&A

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Question

Are there special instructions for adding an international number to a conference call?

Community Answer

No. Dial create the three-way call and dial the international number as you normally would.

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Question

If I put one call on hold, can that person hear static and whispering in the background?

Community Answer

No. If one part of the conference call is set on hold, he doesn't hear anything.

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Question

How can I talk to more than six people at a time?

Community Answer

If some of these people are in the same room, you can put one or more phones on speaker.

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Warnings

Your regular rates for domestic and foreign calls will still apply to three-way calls.

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If you organize the entire three-way call, you are responsible for covering the cost of each phone call. If one of your contacts adds a caller to the conference, they are responsible for covering the cost of that call.

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Charges may apply if you use three-way calling on landlines if you are not subscribed into a bundle or a package which includes many calling features, including three-way calling. Check with your local telephone company.

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