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Call Screening

Empower your team with call screening to filter out unwanted calls and stay focused on the conversations that matter most.

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What is call screening?

What is a screened call? Let’s start with a call screening definition. Screening calls gives you control over your calls before you decide to answer them.

 

Users can set rules for inbound callers, requiring them to identify themselves by recording their name, which gives your team just what they need to decide how to handle the call — decline it, answer it, forward it to someone else, or send it to voicemail.

Benefits

Benefits of VBC Call Screening

Vonage offers cutting-edge communications technology that hundreds of companies use to collaborate internally and connect with their customers every day. Our Unified Communications solution provides 50+ features, including Call Screening, that are flexible, scalable, and easy to use. This feature is already a part of your VBC service.

  • Control — When using Vonage Call Screening, callers announce themselves before the employee or agent answers the call so the recipient can decide how to handle the call.

  • Customization — Our call screening service allows your team to customize the call screen greeting by either recording their voice or uploading an MP3 or WAV file.

  • Ease of use — Call screening apps or services enable users to choose how to handle a call (answer it, transfer it, or send it to voicemail) with a simple keypad selection.

  • No surprises — Users know exactly who’s calling before answering the phone. With this additional information, they can make a decision about what to do with that call at that time.

 

Great for work-related calls!

"I am extremely impressed with the flexibility Vonage offers. The ability to take calls on my phone, at my desk, or on my computer at home is a game-changer for me. It allows me to be available for my clients whenever they need me, making them feel like I am always there for them."

Read full review on G2

Verified 4.5 star review via G2
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Still have questions about Vonage Call Screening?

A screening call is a process where incoming callers are identified and filtered before being connected, allowing users to decide whether to answer, forward, or send the call to voicemail.

The main reason why businesses screen calls is to manage and prioritize their incoming calls so that they’re dealt with in the most appropriate manner. Screening calls ensures that high-value clients, partners, and urgent matters get immediate attention. Screening calls also means that calls are routed to the right person or department for faster resolution, increasing customer satisfaction. 

 

Not only that, but by screening calls, companies can minimize disruption as employees are able to focus on critical tasks. Organizations that screen calls also benefit from increased security and privacy as it eliminates calls from suspicious or unknown callers who may be attempting to access sensitive information.

Call screening gives your team more control over their workflow, arming them with additional information before answering a call so they can focus only on important calls. It also adds a level of personalization; if the caller isn’t saved in the user’s contacts, call screening can identify the caller so the user can refer to them by name, possibly even know what the call is about.

Call Screening reduces time wasted by filtering out spam, robocalls, and irrelevant inquiries, allowing users to focus only on important calls. It enables quick caller identification, helping businesses and individuals prioritize conversations that matter while avoiding unnecessary disruptions.

1. Call Screening prompts inbound callers to record their name with a message like “Who may I say is calling?” — users can customize the message. 

2. The caller hears “Please wait while I locate your party.”

3. Call Screening rings the user’s extension, plays the caller’s recorded name — i.e., “You have a call from (name)” — and offers a list of options to handle the call. 

4. The user decides whether to take the call, decline it, put it on hold, or otherwise dispose of it.

To access VBC services and apps, including our call-screening capabilities, start by selecting a VBC plan that’s right for your business. View our plans and buy online, schedule a conversation, or simply call 855-430-6401 to discuss your needs with  an expert who can tell you all about the advantages of VoIP  for your business.

The Call Screening feature is part of your VBC service. The default setting is disabled for screening calls, meaning that if you want to benefit from this feature, you’ll need to toggle it on to enable it.

 

To record a caller prompt recording, go to Settings in your Vonage Business Communications account. Click Extensions, and you will see three buttons — Play (plays the standard message), Record (lets you record a personalized message with your phone), or Upload (you can upload a recording from your computer).

Call Screening is automatically enabled on all Vonage Business Communications accounts. The admin can set it up for all of the accounts at the business, or end users can set it up and control it on an individual basis — just go to Settings, click Extensions, and toggle the feature on or off.

To disable Call Screening on your VBC account, log in to the Admin Portal, then click on Phone System and  select Extensions. Then find the Call Screening extension and click the pencil icon. Scroll to the call screening section and toggle the feature to Off. Remember to click Save to apply the updated settings.

After disabling Call Screening, calls will come through to you directly.

Yes, Vonage provides Android call screening. Vonage enables Android users to decide what to do with incoming calls as it requires the person calling them to announce themselves before the recipient picks up the phone. This essentially creates a form of call screening on the user’s Android device.

While Vonage doesn’t have a standalone call screening app, it provides a Call Screening feature within its Business Communications service to help manage incoming calls effectively.

There is no extra charge for call screening — it’s included in your Vonage Business Communications plan, along with a wealth of other features like Call Forwarding, Call Blocking, and Voicemail to Email.

Choosing the right call screening service depends on your business needs, budget, and call volume.

Look for key features, such as caller ID and spam filtering to block robocalls and identify important contacts. Would you like a call screening service that can be integrated with your CRM and business tools?

Also, consider whether the call screening service you’re looking at is easy to set up and manage. Does it provide an intuitive dashboard and reporting that your organization would benefit from?

Keep your budget in mind. Check pricing to ensure you pick a call screening service that’s cost-effective for your business size. Also, check if it can scale as your business grows.

Ensure that the call screening app or service you’re considering complies with regulations, such as GDPR. Does it offer call encryption and fraud prevention so you know that any sensitive data your company handles will be safe?

Finally, compare providers to see which one offers everything you need at a price that’s within your budget.

If your business receives frequent spam, robocalls, or time-wasting inquiries, call screening services can help you filter out distractions and prioritize important calls. It improves efficiency, enhances customer interactions, and ensures your team focuses on high-value conversations.

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Thanks for reaching out!

We'll get back to you as soon as we can. In the meantime, feel free to explore more about Vonage and how we're making communications more flexible, intelligent, and personal so our customers can stay ahead.

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