How do you change the number of rings?

Just got a ZTE Zmax Pro and still on the learning curve. Can't figure out how to reduce the number of rings. It rings like 10 times before voicemail, I'd like to change to 3 rings. I've gone into Call Settings, Voicemail Settings, you name it, can't find anything. Thx for your help! :thinking::oops:
 

mikedt

你好
It's your carrier network, not the phone that decides how long it rings before diverting to voice-mail. So enquire with your carrier about it.
 

mikedt

你好
For information, it's always been the phone company central office or telephone exchange that determines how long a phone should ring, before they divert, or timeout, etc.
 

Queenie Hearts

Lurker
Thread starter
For information, it's always been the phone company central office or telephone exchange that determines how long a phone should ring, before they divert, or timeout, etc.

oh really? I'm new to the Smartphone world. I'm used to my landline. I have so many things to learn!
 

mikedt

你好
oh really? I'm new to the Smartphone world. I'm used to my landline. I have so many things to learn!

With wired landlines, it's the telephone exchange that makes the phone ring, by sending out an AC ringing voltage. And with mobiles and smart-phones, the carrier system sends a signal to tell the phone to ring and to keep ringing until it's told to stop, and then the system switches to voice-mail or "Sorry, we can't connect your call." message etc.

Some phones and carriers may have had a customer *
or # code they could dial, to decide the time or number of rings, which instructs the telephone exchange to do it.
 

tommo47

On Yer Bike, In Yer Chair
Just got a ZTE Zmax Pro and still on the learning curve. Can't figure out how to reduce the number of rings. It rings like 10 times before voicemail, I'd like to change to 3 rings. I've gone into Call Settings, Voicemail Settings, you name it, can't find anything. Thx for your help! :thinking::oops:

Hi,

You could try the following two ways to check and change your settings, both work on my HTC M9, M7 and Desire S (all on different carriers) :-

1. Open your dialer and go to Settings, tap Call forwarding. You should get a network response giving you the voicemail number and status for the three forwarding events ie 'unreachable', 'busy' and 'unanswered'. Tap on 'unanswered' and it will show you the current delay with the option to change it.

Screenshot_20170701-083523.png Screenshot_20170701-083548.png Screenshot_20170701-083608.png Screenshot_20170701-083708.png

2. Open your dialer, key in *61*[voicemail number]*11*xx#, where xx is your required delay in seconds - 05,10,15,20,25 or 30, and hit Call/Send.

(in my case it would be :-
*61*+447953222222*11*30#)

Then key in *#61# to confirm the new setting.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:

Queenie Hearts

Lurker
Thread starter
Hi,

You could try the following two ways to check and change your settings, both work on my HTC M9, M7 and Desire S (all on different carriers) :-

1. Open your dialer and go to Settings, tap Call forwarding. You should get a network response giving you the voicemail number and status for the three forwarding events ie 'unreachable', 'busy' and 'unanswered'. Tap on 'unanswered' and it will show you the current delay with the option to change it.

View attachment 121280 View attachment 121281 View attachment 121282 View attachment 121283

2. Open your dialer, key in *61*[voicemail number]*11*xx#, where xx is your required delay in seconds - 05,10,15,20,25 or 30, and hit Call/Send.

(in my case it would be :-
*61*+447953222222*11*30#)

Then key in *#61# to confirm the new setting.

Hope this helps.

Tommo, TY so much for that! I tried both options and neither worked. The first suggestion, the unanswered gave no option, and the 2nd I did exactly what you said and got "unable to process". So then I thought maybe the 1 before the voicemail number is messing it up, and I tried again by entering number without the 1 and I got the same message. oh well, guess my Smartphone ain't so smart, lol. (I have a Zmax ZTE Pro using Metro T-mobile). TY for trying!
 

Queenie Hearts

Lurker
Thread starter
Just to let you all know, I went back to the store and he didn't know anything. Told me to call the MetroPCS main number. I held for a while and she came back and also didn't know of a way to lessen the rings. Beyond Dumb. I am sure I'm not the first person who has asked this...but they both said I was..
 

tommo47

On Yer Bike, In Yer Chair
Hi, did you try the *#61# MMI status code to see if the network accepts it?

I get the following response which all GSM networks should give.

Screenshot_20170709-173011.png Screenshot_20170709-173356.png

Strangely enough, after my previous post I tried to change my delay time but the network (EE) didn't accept the *61*07953222222*11*30# code but did accept the *#61# status code. I spoke to EE who accepted that there was a problem and said they would look into it.

I have just tried it again and it's working now!

I'm also a bit puzzled by your reference to a 1 before the voicemail number - in my post the voicemail number was within square brackets - [xxxx].

One other thing you could try is starting the delay change code with ** as it is an alternative found in some Google results. Both the * and ** work for me on EE and my other carriers which are BT and 3.
 
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