Montage of a CapTel captioned telephone, captions on the 2400i captioned telephone and the Assist feature icon

How to Switch Between Auto and Assisted Captions

Do you know that you have options around how captions are generated when using Hamilton® CapTel®? You can choose between using Auto Captions or Assisted Captions directly from within the device!

What's the Difference?

With Auto Captions, captions of your phone calls are completely computer-generated. This is a good option if you prefer not having a Captioning Assistant (CA) on the call, and you typically talk with others who are in quieter environments with little background noise. Captions appear in real-time, without delay, and you can switch to Assisted Captions at any point during the call.

With Assisted Captions, a Captioning Assistant (CA) facilitates captions – providing additional call details and making any necessary corrections. This option is especially useful if you want to be made aware of extraneous background noises or are talking with someone who has an accent or is in a noisy environment.

Switching Between Captioning Modes
on Hamilton® CapTel® Telephones

CapTel captioned telephones, the 2400i, 840i and 880i

During setup: Follow the on-screen instructions to select your Captioning Preference. Whichever method you choose will be used as the default method for your calls.

During a call: You can switch from Auto Captions to Assisted Captions at any point in a call by selecting the on-screen "switch" icon (2400i) or pressing the DOWN arrow button (840i/880i).

If you would like to change your default Captioning Preference setting, please press the blue button to contact Hamilton CapTel Customer Care for assistance.

Hamilton CapTel may adjust the captioning method of any call under certain circumstances to provide you with the best possible captioning experience.

Note 911 calls are given priority and will be processed using Assisted Captions once an operator is available.

Switching Between Captioning Modes
on Hamilton Mobile™ CapTel®

CapTel captioned telephones, the 2400i, 840i and 880i

There are a couple of different ways you can set your captioning preference:

1. From the Settings page:
Go to the Settings page in the app, scroll down to App Settings, and click on Caption Preferences. At the bottom of the page, scroll down until you see Captioning Mode. Here, you can choose the method you want to use for your calls – No Preference, Auto Captions or Assisted Captions.

2. During a call:
From the captions screen, click on the last icon at the bottom right (”A” inside of talk bubble or image of an operator) and select your preferred captioning method.

Note During calls, you can switch from Auto Captions to Assisted Captions at any point but cannot switch back to Auto Captions on the same call. All calls default to the method chosen on the Settings page.

3 Lesser-known Features of Your Hamilton® CapTel® Phone

You already know how to use your captioned telephone to stay connected with what matters most in your life – and there are some useful features you may not be aware of that can help you get even more enjoyment out of your phone.

If your model is the 2400i, follow the steps below

How to change the number of rings before your answering machine picks up

Setup screen showing how to set the number of rings

You can set the approximate number of times the CapTel will ring before the Answering Machine answers the call. The default setting is four (4) rings, but you can set it to any number of rings between two (2) and twenty (20).

Note The ring count may be slightly different in telephone systems that use “distinctive” ring patterns. Please experiment with this setting as needed for your specific telephone system.

To set the number of rings before answering:

  1. From the display screen, touch Settings icon (Settings).
  2. Touch Answering machine icon (Answering Machine).
  3. Touch Set ring count icon (Set Ring Count).
  4. Touch the Up/down arrows icon (arrows) to select the number of rings you’d like to use, then touch Accept icon (Accept).
  5. Press Home icon (HOME button) to exit.

How to turn your keypad lights on or off

The CapTel keypad lights up for easy dialing in dark environments. You can set the keypad lights to go off when your CapTel is not in use. When set to “off” the keypad lights will go off after approximately 30 seconds of non-use. The default setting is Keypad Lights On.

  1. From the display screen, touch Settings icon (Settings).
  2. Touch General settings icon (General Settings).
  3. Touch Keypad lights on icon (Keypad Lights On).

How to turn on your “phone line in use” indicator

Line in Use Detector

CapTel can help detect when another telephone in your home or office is off-hook (for example, if someone is talking on another telephone in your home that is connected to the same line, or if another telephone on that line is not hung up). This can be helpful if multiple people or devices share your telephone line.

When Line in Use is on: you can join a call in progress that has been answered on an extension line by simply picking up the CapTel handset and you will get captions. This is the default setting.

When Line in Use is off: If the call was answered on an extension line, you can join by picking up the CapTel handset and pressing one of the keys on the number keypad. The captioning service will connect to the call and you will get captions.

  1. From the display screen, touch Settings icon (Settings).
  2. Touch General settings icon (General Settings).
  3. Touch Advanced settings icon (Advanced Settings).
  4. Touch Line in use icon (Line in Use Detector).

Interested in learning more about all the features of your Hamilton CapTel 2400i?
Download the 2400i Bluetooth Phone User Manual



If your model is the 840i, follow the steps below

How to change the number of rings before your answering machine picks up

You can set the approximate number of times the CapTel will ring before the Answering Machine answers the call. The default setting is four (4) rings, but you can set it to be any number of rings between three and twenty (3-20).

Note: The ring count may be slightly different in telephone systems that use “distinctive” ring patterns. Please experiment with this setting as needed for your specific phone system.

To set the number of rings before answering:

Yes button
  1. With the handset hung up, press the YES button to see the Options menu.
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button until Answering Machine is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Options screen on the 840i telephone, with "Answering Machine" highlighted
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button repeatedly until Answering Machine Settings is highlighted. Press the YES button to accept.
View of the Settings screen on the 840i telephone, with "Answering Machine Settings" highlighted
Yes button
  1. Check that Answer Ring Count is highlighted. Press the YES button to accept.
View of the Display screen on the 840i telephone, with "Answer Ring Count" highlighted
Up and Down, then Yes buttons
  1. Use the UP or DOWN arrow buttons to select the number of rings, from 3 rings up to 20 rings. Press the YES button to select.
No button
  1. Press the NO button repeatedly to exit.
View of the Answer Ring Count screen on the 840i telephone, with “10 Rings” showing between up and down arrows

On incoming calls, your CapTel phone will ring this number of times before the Answering Machine picks up the call.

How to turn your keypad lights on or off

The Captel 840i dialing keypad is lit to make it easier to see the number keys. The lights on the number keypad can be turned on or off in the CapTel Options menu. When Keypad Lights Timeout is selected, the lights on the number keypad go off automatically after approximately 60 seconds of non-use.

To turn the lights on the number keypad off:

Yes button
  1. With the handset hung up, press the YES button to see the Options menu.
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button until Settings is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Options screen on the 840i telephone, with "Settings" highlighted
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button to highlight Phone Settings. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Settings screen on the 840i telephone, with "Phone Settings" highlighted
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button repeatedly until Keypad Lights is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Phone Settings screen on the 840i telephone, with "Keypad Lights" highlighted
Up and Down buttons
  1. Press the UP or DOWN arrow button to turn Keypad Lights Always On or Keypad Lights Timeout.

NOTE: When Keypad Lights Timeout is selected, the dialing keypad lights will go off whenever the display is blank (after approximately 60 seconds of non-use). The lights will remain on when the phone is in use.

Yes button
  1. Press the YES button to select your option, or press the NO button to exit.
No button
  1. Press the NO button repeatedly to exit out of the Options menu.
View of the Keypad Lights Settings screen on the 840i telephone, with "Keypad Lights Timeout" highlighted

Note: The CapTel display screen typically stays on whenever you have new answering machine messages that have not been reviewed. If you set Keypad Light Timeout, however, the CapTel display screen will also turn off after approximately 60 seconds of non-use.

How to turn on/off your “phone line in use” indicator

When the Line in Use feature is on, the CapTel display lets you know when an extension phone connected to the same telephone number is being used. This is helpful in environments where there are multiple phones on the same telephone line, to alert you so that you do not accidentally pick up and dial when a different call is already in progress. To join the call in progress, simply pick up the CapTel handset. The call will automatically connect to the Captioning Service, and you will see captions on the CapTel display. The default setting for Line in Use is ON.

To turn Line in Use off:

Yes button
  1. With the handset hung up, press the YES button to see the Options menu.
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button repeatedly until Settings is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Options screen on the 840i telephone, with "Settings" highlighted
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button to highlight Phone Settings. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Settings screen on the 840i telephone, with "Phone Settings" highlighted
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the UP or DOWN arrow repeatedly until Line in Use is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Settings screen on the 840i telephone, with "Line in Use" highlighted
Up then Yes buttons
  1. Use the UP arrow button to highlight Line in Use Off. Press the YES button to select.
No button
  1. Press the NO button to exit out of the Options menu.
View of the Line in Use screen on the 840i telephone, with "Line in Use Off" highlighted

Note: When Line in Use is OFF, you cannot join a call in progress by simply picking up the CapTel handset. You must first press one of the dial pad keys to connect the call to the Captioning Service. Once connected, you will see captions of the call in progress.

Interested in learning more about all the features of your Hamilton CapTel 840i?
Download the How-To Guide

What to Know About Listening Fatigue

Thumbnail preview of the “Listening Fatigue” fact sheet

For people with hearing loss, it takes more cognitive resources to understand the same information that people without hearing loss can hear and therefore process more easily. This is called “listening fatigue.” The American Academy of Audiology put together this consumer-friendly, helpful fact sheet on listening fatigue that includes why it occurs and how to best mitigate its effects. It’s a must-read for people with hearing loss!

3 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Hamilton® CapTel® Telephone

In order to make the most of any technology, it’s good to understand the features and use them to their fullest. Here are three quick tips for getting the most out of your Hamilton CapTel phone.

If your model is the 2400i, follow the steps below

The 2400i model information presented here refers to the Bluetooth® version of the phone. If your Hamilton CapTel 2400i does not have Bluetooth, please refer to the 2400i User Manual.

How to customize your captions:

You can adjust the font size and style of the conversation captions to make them easier to read.

Sample captions setup screen on the 2400i

Note Changing the font size or style only applies to conversation captions. The font size and style for your CapTel 2400iBT menu options always remains the same.

To change the font size of the captions:

  1. Touch Settings icon (Settings).
  2. Touch Display icon (Display).
  3. Touch Font settings icon (Font Settings).
  4. The display shows you what the current font size and style setting is. To change the font style, touch one of the five (5) style options available. To change the font size, touch Plus icon or .
  5. When you have selected the font size and style that you prefer, touch (Accept) to save your change or (Cancel) to exit.
  6. When you are done, press Home icon (HOME button) to exit.

Note: you can change the font size and style of your captions at any time, even while on a call.

How to review captions from a previous call:

Your CapTel 2400iBT keeps a list of information about recent calls, including calls that you may have missed. You can review options from the call, the date and time of the call, and any Caller ID information if available. CapTel can even show you a picture of the caller if it is someone in your Contact list.

Sample call history screen on the 2400i, with numbered regions indicating areas of interest
  1. Previous calls: Touch the call you want information about.
  2. Information about the call shows up here.
  3. Indicates whether the call was incoming, outgoing, or unanswered.
  4. Date and time of the call.
  5. Use the scroll bar to review entries further down the list.
  6. Next/Previous: Lets you move up/down through entries in the list.
  7. Delete all: Erases all calls in Call History.
  8. Delete: Erases the selected call from Call History.
  9. Review captions: Review captions of the call.
  10. Call: Places a call to this person.
  11. Add to Contacts: Adds caller to your Contacts list.

Tip Remember to first touch the call listed in Call History on the left side of display that you want to review. Once you touch the call listing, more information about the call will appear on the right of your screen, including a picture of the caller if you have added a picture for him/her in your Contacts list.

How to store a phone number in your phone’s directory:

You can save up to 100 names in your contact list for quick and easy dialing.

Sample contacts screen on the 2400i, showing some contacts on the left and detail of a contact on the right

To add a new contact:

  1. From the Display screen, touch Contacts icon (Contacts).
  2. Touch Plus icon (add new contact).
  3. Use the on-screen keyboard to type in the First Name of the person you want to add.
  4. Touch the field next to "Last" to move down, then use the on-screen keyboard to enter the last name of the person.
  5. You can be specific about which numbers you are adding: Mobile phone icon (Mobile), Home phone icon (Home), or Work phone icon (Work). Touch the fields next to the numbers you’d like to add to begin entering.
  6. When you are finished entering the Contact’s information, touch Save button icon (save). The new contact appears on the left side of your Contacts list.
  7. When you are finished, press Home icon (HOME button) to exit.

Interested in learning more about all the features of your Hamilton CapTel 2400i?
Download the 2400i Bluetooth Phone User Manual



If your model is the 840i, follow the steps below

How to customize your captions:

You can adjust the font size of the conversation captions to be larger or smaller, making captions easier to read. You need to change the font size before or after a call; you cannot change the font size during a live captioned call.

Note: Changing the font size applies only to conversation captions. The font size and style for your CapTel 840i Options menu always remains the same.

To change the caption font size:

Yes button
  1. With the handset hung up, press the YES button to see the Options menu.
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button repeatedly until Settings is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Options screen on the 840i telephone, with "Settings" highlighted
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button repeatedly until Display Settings is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Settings screen on the 840i telephone, with "Display Settings" highlighted
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button until Set Conversation Font Size is selected. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Display screen on the 840i telephone, with "Set Conversation Font Size" highlighted

Note: From Display Settings you can also change the color of captions, set how the captions scroll across the screen, and adjust the screen brightness to suit your preferences.

How to review captions from a previous call:

To review captions after your conversation is ended and the phone is hung up:

Yes button
  1. With the handset hung up, press the YES button to see the Options menu.
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button repeatedly until Conversations is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
Yes button
  1. Check that Review Conversations is highlighted. Press the YES button to select. You will see a list of your calls, with the most recent call on the top of the screen. Previous calls appear farther down the list.
View of the Options screen on the 840i telephone, with "Conversations" highlighted; second screen shows "Review Conversations" highlighted
Up and Down, then Yes buttons
  1. Press UP or DOWN arrow button to scroll through the list of calls. When the call you want is highlighted, press the YES button to select.
View of a list of recent conversations on the 840i telephone, with one highlighted
Up and Down buttons
  1. You will see captions of the selected conversation. Use the UP or DOWN arrow buttons to scroll through the conversation.
Yes and No buttons
  1. When you are done, press YES to erase or NO to exit.

NOTE: You can erase conversations one by one after you review them by pressing YES to Erase. To save the conversation, press NO.

No button
  1. Press the NO button repeatedly to exit out of the menu system.
Two screens showing a sample captioned conversation on the 840i telephone

Note: Your CapTel phone comes with the Save Conversations feature enabled, letting you view conversation captions after you've hung up the phone. If you turn off the Save Conversations feature, all conversation captions will be erased every time you hang up the phone.

How to store a phone number in your phone's directory:

You can save 97 names and phone numbers in the CapTel 840i Phone Book. To add a new contact to the Phone Book:

Yes button
  1. With the handset hung up, press the YES button to see the Options menu.
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button repeatedly until Edit Phone Book is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Options screen on the 840i telephone, with "Edit Phone Book" highlighted
Down then Yes buttons
  1. Press the DOWN arrow button until Add a New Contact is highlighted. Press the YES button to select.
View of the Phone Book Options screen on the 840i telephone, with "Add a New Contact" highlighted
  1. Use the dialing pad to enter the letters of the name of the person you wish to add. Look for the letters listed on the number keys to know which number key to press. For some letters, press the number key several times until the correct letter appears on the display screen.
View of a contact's name being entered on the 840i telephone
The number 5 button, with the letters J, K, and L

Example: To enter the letter "L", press the number 5 key three times until you see "L" on the display screen.

Example: To enter the name "Mary", press the 6 key for the letter "M", the 2 key for the letter "a", the 7 key three times for the letter "r", then the 9 key three times for the letter "y". You may need to wait for the cursor to change from | to _ when entering letters that are on the same number key.

Tip: Press the DOWN arrow button for a backspace. Press the # button to add a space. Press the UP arrow button to shift lock for capital letters. Press UP again to return to lower case.

Yes button
  1. Once you have entered the contact name, press the YES button to advance to the Number selection.
View of a contact's name already entered, with cursor in place to enter a new phone number on the 840i telephone
Down button
  1. Enter in the phone number by using the dialing pad. Use the DOWN arrow button to backspace. CapTel automatically inserts a hyphen as you enter the phone number.

NOTE: If a dialing prefix is required to get an outside line, enter in the dialing prefix first, then the phone number. Use the UP button to add a 2-second delay.

View of a contact's number being entered on the 840i telephone
Yes button
  1. When you are done entering the phone number, press the YES button to save your new contact information.
Yes and No buttons

Press the YES button to enter more contact names/phone numbers, or press the NO button repeatedly to exit the menu system.

Note: Phone book entries are stored alphabetically by the first letter of the name.

Interested in learning more about all the features of your Hamilton CapTel 840i?
Download the How-To Guide

How to use Zoom with Hamilton® CapTel®

Montage showing elderly couple using the Hamilton CapTel 2400i captioned telephone and a laptop with Zoom video call in progress

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Zoom video conferencing platform is more popular than ever. Whether it’s family gatherings, book clubs, gym workouts or some other replacement for in-person social activity, there’s no reason for anyone to be left out.

To connect to a Zoom meeting using a CapTel phone:

  1. Click the link provided in the Zoom invite to connect to the video portion of the meeting. This will open an internet browser window that connects to Zoom.
  2. When prompted about audio, you MUST choose “phone” audio.
  3. From your CapTel phone, dial the phone number provided in the Zoom meeting invite.
  4. Watch the Signal Meter on the display screen of your CapTel phone to determine when the call is connected.
  5. Once connected, enter the Meeting ID and press #. Then, enter the Participant ID (if any) and press #.

To connect to a Zoom meeting using Hamilton® Web CapTel®:

  1. Click the link provided in the Zoom invite to connect to the video portion of the meeting. This will open an internet browser window that connects to Zoom.
  2. When prompted about audio, you MUST choose “phone” audio.
  3. Next, open another browser window and connect to Hamilton Web CapTel and place a call to the phone number provided in the Zoom invite.
  4. Once connected, enter the Meeting ID and Participant ID (if any).

Note: If your preferred video conference platform is something other than Zoom (Google Meet, GoToMeeeting, Skype, etc.) the experience is very similar. You should be able to use your Hamilton CapTel captioned phone with any such service.

Support for Hamilton CapTel customers

Do you have questions about your Hamilton CapTel phone or the captioning service? Simply click on the image of your phone model below for a list of Frequently Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, feel free to initiate a Live Chat session. Our Hamilton CapTel customer care representatives are ready to help you.

Choose your model:

Still need assistance?

In addition to Live Chat, you can email us at info@hamiltoncaptel.com or call 877-455-4227 and we’ll be there to answer any questions you have.