Q&A for How to Dial a Rotary Phone

The phone number may offer a choice to make selections by speaking what you want into the speaker, or you can hold the line and speak to the operator from the company, explaining that you don’t have a touch tone phone.

Press the switch hook 10 times. This corresponds to the 0 having the longest travel time when you dial it on a rotary dial, which is because the switch is closed 10 times.

Any landline phone is connected to the telephone line. If you have home telephone service, it can simply be plugged into a jack. The phone number corresponds to the home number, it does not have a unique number like a cell phone. It reflects the number in the telephone service.

That is not possible. The microphone cannot dial numbers. You may be thinking of switch-hook dialing, which when done on a modern phone like the AT&T Trimline phone, looks like you are slapping the handset, but you must activate the switch-hook. Alternatively, you can play DTMF tones into the microphone if you have a DTMF tone generator or other audio device.

You will get a busy signal if the phone is left off-hook and you try to call the number. Ensure the switch-hook is properly engaged when the phone is on the hook. If the sound continues, it may be defective or damaged.