This function is used to enable or disable call screening. While enabled, when a caller is presented to the user's voicemail mailbox, if the user's phone is idle they will hear through the phone's handsfree speaker the caller leaving the message and can select to answer or ignore the call.

This feature is supported on ETR6D, ETR18D, ETR34D, 1408, 1416, 9500 Series, M7310, M7310N, M7208, M7208N, M7324, M7324N, T7208, T7316 and T7316E phones.

Call screening is only applied as follows:

It is only applied to calls that have audible alerted at the user's extension before going to voicemail. This requires the user to have both voicemail coverage and call screening enabled and the phone's ringer not set to silent. However it is not applied if the user transfers the call to voicemail.

It is only applied if the user's phone is idle, that is not on a call or with a call held pending transfer or conference.

Calls that ring the user, are then rerouted (for example follow a forward on busy setting) and then return to the user's mailbox are screened.

While a call is being screened, the phone can be used to either answer or ignore the screened call. Auto answer options are ignored.

Answering a screened call:
While a  call is being screened, it can be answered by pressing the Answer soft key. On ETR phones, pressing the MIC/HFAI button will answer the call. Pressing the call appearance or line button on which the call is indicated will also answer the call.

When answered:

The phone's microphone is unmuted and a normal call between the user and the caller now exists.

The voicemail recording stops but that portion of the call already recorded is left as a new message in the user's mailbox.

Ignoring a screened call:
While a call is being screened, it can be ignored by pressing the Ignore soft key if displayed. On 1400 and 9500 Series phones, pressing the SPEAKER button will ignore the call.  On ETR phones, pressing the SPKR button will ignore the call. On M-Series and T-Series phones, pressing the Release key will ignore the call. On all phones, the Call Screening button can be press to both turn off call screening and to ignore the currently screened call.

When ignored:

The call continues to be recorded until the caller hangs up or transfers out of the mailbox.

The user's phone returns to idle with call screening still enabled. However any other call that has already gone to voicemail is not screened.

While a call is being screened:

The mailbox greeting played and the caller can be heard on the phone's speakerphone. The caller cannot hear the user.

The user is regarded as being active on a call. They will not be presented with hunt group calls and additional personal calls use abbreviated ringing.

For 1400/9500 Series phones, if the phone's default audio path is set to headset or the phone is idle on headset, then the screened call is heard through the headset.

Any additional calls that go to the user's mailbox when they are already screening a call, remain at the mailbox and are not screened even if the existing call being screened is ended.

Making or answering another call while listening to a screened call is treated as ignoring the screened call.

Another user bridging into a screen call answers the call.

Phone based administration cannot be accessed and the hold, transfer and conference buttons are ignored.

The screened caller using DTMF breakout ends the call screening.

Enabling do not disturb overrides call screening except for calls from numbers in the user's do not disturb exceptions list.

Locking the phone overrides call screening.

Manual call recording cannot be applied to a call being screened.

While a call is being screened, it uses one of the available voicemail channels. If no voicemail channels are available, call screening does not occur.

If an extension already has a button set to this function, creating another button with this function will automatically clear the setting from the existing button.

This function is only supported on a button that includes LED/LCD indicator. The indicator is lit when the function is enabled.

If the user has this feature enabled, removing this button will turn the feature off.

Any call currently being screened will continue being screened but further calls will not receive screening.

Direct Line Pickup can be used to answer a call that is being screened.

While listening to call screening, you can press an appearance button to make, answer or join another call. When you do this, the screened call is ignored and the new call is connected. However, on ETR phones the new call is connected as listen-only (microphone off and speaker on). In order to speak on the call the user needs to lift the handset or touch the Mic/HFAI button.