Without call waiting, a second caller reaching your Batelco line while you’re already on a call either hears a busy tone or gets diverted straight to voicemail, depending on your settings — they have no way to know you’re simply on another call and might call back several times before giving up. Call waiting fixes that by notifying you instead of blocking them.
Quick answer
Dial *43# to activate, #43# to deactivate, and *#43# to check status. Free, and identical on SimSim prepaid and postpaid.
How the beep-and-swap actually works
With call waiting on, a second incoming call during an active one triggers a short beep and shows the caller’s number on screen — your current call stays connected, uninterrupted, until you act. Pressing your phone’s call button (or “Swap,” depending on your handset) puts the first caller on hold and connects the second; pressing it again swaps back. Neither caller is aware of the other unless you tell them.
A universal GSM standard
*43# isn’t a Batelco-specific feature — it’s part of the GSM standard, so it works identically on every carrier worldwide, including while roaming on a network that supports it (nearly all do). If you’ve used call waiting on any other SIM before, nothing about the code or behaviour changes here.
When it’s worth turning off
Some people deliberately disable call waiting during important calls (an interview, a formal meeting) precisely to avoid the beep interrupting their concentration — dial #43# beforehand and *43# afterward to switch it back on.
Want incoming calls redirected somewhere else entirely instead of just flagged? See Batelco call forwarding.
*43# is the GSM/3GPP standard supplementary-service code, verified against Batelco’s official support guidance, July 2026.
Step-by-Step Guide
- 1
Activate
*43#.
- 2
Check
*#43#.
- 3
Deactivate
#43#.
Alternative Methods
Dial *43# from your phone dialer.
Phone Settings
Troubleshooting
No beep
Enable in phone Settings too.
Switch
Press call button.
Look Up More USSD Codes
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it cost anything on Batelco?
No. Switching call waiting on, off, or checking its status is free; you only pay for the calls you take.
Does SimSim prepaid support call waiting?
Yes — SimSim prepaid and Batelco postpaid both support it, because it's a GSM network feature rather than a paid extra.
Can I use it while travelling?
Yes. *43# is a global standard, so call waiting follows you onto roaming networks that support it (almost all do).
What happens to the second caller if I don't answer the beep?
They typically go to voicemail or hear the call continue ringing briefly before disconnecting, depending on your handset and voicemail settings.
Why would I want to turn call waiting off?
To avoid interruptions during an important call — dial #43# before, and *43# afterward to re-enable it.