The "Merge Calls" button isn't working. What should I do?

TapeACall records your conversations by creating a three-way conference call between you, the person you're speaking with, and our recording line. If the Merge Calls button isn't working, it’s almost always due to your mobile carrier not supporting 3-way conference calling.

Here’s everything you need to know to resolve the issue:

👉 You may not have 3-way conference calling enabled
TapeACall requires 3-way calling to function. Without it, you won’t be able to merge the calls, and the recording can’t start. To fix this:

1. Contact your mobile carrier
2. Ask them to confirm that 3-way conference calling is enabled on your line

👉 How to test if 3-way calling is available
Even if you're certain it's enabled, you can confirm by doing this simple test:

1. Call one contact using your Phone app
2. Tap Add Call and dial a second contact
3. Try to Merge Calls

If the merge option is greyed out or doesn’t appear, your carrier has not enabled this feature.

👉 Try a direct call to our Access Number
If merging works in the above test, but not during TapeACall sessions, you can:

1. Call the TapeACall Access Number directly: you can find it in your Contacts with the name TapeACall (Don't forget to Merge!)
2. Add the other party to the call
3. Merge the calls manually

If the problem persists, reach out to us and we’ll provide a different Access Number from our system to try.

👉 Why does the Merge button take a while to appear?
If you’re using carriers like Verizon, Sprint, or US Cellular, the Merge Calls button may take up to 30 seconds to become active. This is a known delay on CDMA networks and unfortunately cannot be sped up.

To avoid putting your contact on hold:

1. Open TapeACall and press the red record button to start the call to the Access Number
2. Once connected, tap Add Call and dial the person you want to record
3. When both calls are active, tap Merge Calls

Following these steps should ensure your recording works smoothly.