Why Phone Calls Get Disconnected (and How to Prevent It)
Dropped calls are frustrating—especially when you've been waiting all day to hear from someone. Many disconnects happen because the phone system flags certain features and automatically ends the call. A few small changes on your end can make a real difference.
Trying to turn a call into a three-way (3-way) call is one of the fastest ways to get disconnected. Calls from an incarcerated person are monitored and routed through a controlled system. A three-way attempt looks like a workaround, so the system often cuts the call the moment it detects one.
Call transfers and call-waiting cause the same problem. Answer a call-waiting beep or try to switch to another line, and you break the call flow the facility's system expects. That interruption can trigger an automatic disconnect.
Even pressing your keypad at the wrong moment can drop the call. Touch-tone numbers or navigating an automated menu mid-conversation can look like you're trying to access features the system doesn't allow - so it disconnects you.
Quick warning: Avoid three-way calls, transfers, and call waiting during incarcerated-person calls, and don’t press touch-tone keys or use automated menus - any of these can end the call.
AdvancePay is a prepaid balance tied to your phone number. You fund the account, and your incarcerated family member or friend calls you using those funds. The balance draws down with each call.
Because calls still run through the controlled calling system, the same "normal phone habits" can end them abruptly. Three-way attempts, transfers, or call-waiting can all trigger a disconnect - even if you're mid-conversation. One quick tap to merge or switch calls, and you're cut off.
- ✓ Keep the call one-to-one: don’t attempt a three-way call and don’t try to transfer the call
- ✓ Don’t press touch-tone numbers or try to use automated menus during the call
- ✓ If you use AdvancePay, make sure your prepaid balance is funded so calls can go through and continue
- Turn off call waiting (if you can) - Call-waiting interruptions can disconnect incarcerated-person calls.
- Keep your keypad hands-off - Don’t press touch-tone numbers or interact with automated menus during the call.
- Don’t merge, add, or move the call - Avoid three-way calling and don’t attempt call transfers.
- ✓ If you rely on AdvancePay, add funds ahead of time so your phone number’s prepaid balance is ready before the call comes in
Keep calls from dropping: No three-way calls, no transfers, no call waiting, and no pressing touch-tone keys. If you use AdvancePay, keep your prepaid balance funded.
If calls keep disconnecting, contact ConnectNetwork AdvancePay support at (866) 732-9098 for help with billing or call issues.
Double-check your AdvancePay setup to make sure everything is in order. If disconnects continue after you've avoided call waiting, transfers, three-way attempts, and keypad presses, call (866) 732-9098 to troubleshoot.
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