Issue Summary

Star codes for call recording do not behave uniformly across all device types and application parameters. A customer reporting that a star code "does nothing" or produces unexpected results may simply be using the correct code on the wrong device type, or may have application parameters that override or suppress mid-call recording controls. 

The Hosted PBX platform applies recording star codes differently depending on whether the request originates from a hard phone, the UC Advanced Softphone, or the UC Operator panel. Additionally, whether a domain or user has call recording set to "always on," "on demand," or "never" at the application parameter level directly affects which star codes are valid and what mid-call behaviour the customer can expect.

Quick Resolution Steps

Step 1: Confirm the device type the customer is using. Hard phone, UC Advanced Softphone, UC Operator, or UC Hospitality. Do not assume the star code set is universal across these.

Step 2: Confirm the call recording application parameter for the user or domain. Check the Hosted PBX portal under the user's application parameters. The relevant setting is typically labelled something like "Call Recording" with values such as Always, Never, On Demand, or On Demand with User Initiation. The parameter in place determines which star codes are even functional for that user.

Step 3: Match the star code to the correct context.

• "Always On" recording: mid-call pause-and-resume codes (\*1 pause / \*2 resume, or as configured) should be enabled. If the customer cannot pause, confirm their role permissions allow recording control.
• "On-Demand" recording: the customer must initiate recording with the designated start code during the call. The call will not be recorded unless they do so.
• "Never": no star code will activate recording. If a customer in this setting tries to record, the application parameter must be changed first.
  • Hard phones may require the star code to be dialled as a mid-call DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-frequency) sequence. 
  • UC Advanced Softphone may surface recording controls as a UI button rather than a dialable code, meaning the star code is bypassed entirely by design.
  • UC Operator and UC Hospitality have their own call control interfaces. Recording actions in these applications is typically handled via on-screen controls rather than star codes. Customers expecting star code behaviour here may need to be redirected to the correct UI element.

Step 4: Verify the star code mapping in the portal. Under the domain's star code configuration, confirm the recording codes have not been remapped or disabled. A mismatch between what the customer was told and what is actually configured is a common source of confusion.

Step 5: Test with a known-good internal call. Have the customer (or tech) place a test call between two internal extensions and attempt the star code in the confirmed device and parameter context before drawing conclusions.

Watch For

• Users who were trained on star codes for one device and then switched to UC Advanced Softphone. The softphone's UI controls can silently replace star code functionality without notifying the user.
• Domains where recording parameters are set at the domain level but overridden at the user level, or vice versa. The effective parameter is not always obvious at a glance.
• UC Hospitality environments where recording behaviour may be tied to room or extension type rather than a standard user profile.
• Customers assume that because a star code worked on a previous call, it will always work. Recording mode can change if an admin updates application parameters between incidents.
• If star codes are entered too quickly on hard phones before the call is fully bridged. Timing issues are common and easy to misdiagnose as a configuration problem.

Escalate If

• The application parameter is correctly set for On-Demand recording, the star code mapping is confirmed correct, and the customer is on a compatible device, but recording still does not initiate.
• Recordings appear to start (no error or rejection tone), but are not appearing in the portal call records or UC Link reporting.
• A customer requires mid-call recording control from the UC Operator or UC Hospitality and is unclear whether their current configuration supports it.