How to Transfer a Call on a Cisco Phone (Blind vs Consult)

Quick answer

"How to transfer a call on cisco phone" almost always means the same muscle memory: Transfer → dial → Transfer. Cisco's Multiplatform article for the 6800, 7800, and 8800 series walks that path for both "stay on the line until they answer" and "send it without talking" flows [Cisco SMB5713 MPP transfer, checked 2026-10-19]. Unified CM admin guides name the same timing rule: second Transfer after answer = consult; before answer = blind [CUCM 14 Call Transfer].

MPP and Unified IP Phones are different firmware families. If your IT team says "these are MPP," follow SMB5713. If the cluster is Unified CM, follow the Transfer softkey / Trnsfer behavior below. The button label may read Transfer or Trnsfer depending on the softkey template.

Pass/fail step table (MPP 6800 / 7800 / 8800)

Use this table while standing at the desk phone. Each row has a pass condition so you know whether the handset actually completed the redirect.

Cisco's MPP write-up is explicit: the first Transfer parks the active call; the second Transfer finishes the move. Option 1 waits for answer and lets you bounce between the two parties with Resume. Option 2 completes without waiting; after that second press you cannot pull the call back [SMB5713].

Unified CM softkeys: consult, blind, on-hook, DirTrfr

On Unified Communications Manager, consult and blind are not separate features you enable. The timing of the second Transfer press decides which one you get. Admin guides also describe Transfer On-Hook: if that service parameter is True, hanging up after dialing can complete the transfer the same way a second Transfer would [CUCM Call Transfer overview]. If On-Hook is False and you hang up too early, the caller may sit on Hold instead of moving.

Older Unified IP Phone user guides (7942/7962 era) spell the same user steps: Transfer → number → Transfer again for a silent handoff, or wait for answer for a consult. They also warn you cannot Transfer from hold (resume first), and that hanging up without On-Hook transfer enabled only parks the call [Cisco 7942/7962 user guide PDF].

Direct Transfer (DirTrfr) is different: you join two already-established calls and drop yourself, without starting a consult dial. Only use it when both legs already exist on your line. Join keeps you in a conference; DirTrfr removes you. If your softkey set never shows Transfer or DirTrfr, the softkey template assigned to the device is missing those keys: raise a ticket rather than guessing feature access codes.

When transfer is the wrong tool

Attended transfer moves one live conversation to another person. It is not the same as always-forwarding your DID to a cell. If the goal is "all inbound rings elsewhere until I flip it back," use the carrier or PBX forwarding controls in business call forwarding and keep deactivate codes nearby.

Shared-line pickup, park orbits, and hunt groups also look like "send the call away" but follow different keys. If Transfer rings an unexpected queue, your dial plan may be rewriting the digits; test with a known internal extension first.

Desk checklist before you escalate to IT

Print or pin this five-line check next to the handset. 1) Connected, not Hold. 2) Transfer appears on the softkey row or as a fixed button. 3) You know whether outside calls need a 9 or 8 prefix. 4) You know whether hanging up completes a transfer in your building. 5) You have a test extension that always answers.

If step 2 fails, softkey templates are an admin job. Asking the help desk for Trnsfer on the Connected and On Hold states is faster than inventing feature access codes from a forum post. If step 4 is unclear, place one supervised test call with a coworker and watch whether On-Hook finishes the move.

Document the model family on the bottom sticker (MPP vs Unified branding) so the ticket reaches the right playbook. Mixing SMB5713 steps with a CUCM DirTrfr request wastes a round of screenshots.

If Transfer never appears, open the ticket with three facts IT can act on: phone model and firmware family, softkey template name if shown under Settings, and whether the call was Connected or on Hold when you looked. Ask them to add Trnsfer (or Transfer) to the Connected state; forum feature-access codes are a last resort. When outside transfers fail at dial, confirm the site dial-plan prefix (often 9 or 8) before blaming the handset. One supervised test to a known internal extension, then one with the prefix to a cell, separates prefix mistakes from softkey gaps.

FAQ