What is PIN Protect?

PIN Protect allows you to block outbound calls by an extension, until they enter their voicemail PIN into a special IVR menu. Once done, the extension will be able to make calls for a defined number of seconds before being blocked again.

Calls to numbers defined as Emergency Numbers are NOT BLOCKED by this function, to ensure legal compliance in various regions.

This is great for situations like a public phone for emergencies, where you still want to occasionally have authorized team members call out using the same device.

How do I configure it?

1. Open up the extension in question in Extensions > Extensions
2. Go to the Options tab
3. Check Enable PIN protect for… and enter in however many seconds you want to enable the calls for.

How do they use it?

If a user who has PIN Protect enabled attempts to make an outbound call, it silently disconnects the call without any visible error. As an admin, you can see the entry below in the Activity Logs:

<DATE> <TIME> AM - Call(C:<CALL ID>): External calls from Extn:<EXT> are not allowed because PIN protect option is activated

To allow calling, there is a special PIN Protect IVR to call, depending on your digit length

1. Call 77|777|7777|77777 (depending on phone system digit length)
2. Enter in the Voicemail PIN, found under the extensions Voicemail tab
3. You will be told that calls are enabled and get disconnected
4. For the next X seconds defined for the extension, they can make outbound calls to any number.

If PIN Protect expires in the middle of a phone call, that call stays connected. Once the call is disconnected, the user will not be able to make another call until they re-enter their PIN.