How To Forward Phone Calls (Number, Carrier & Phone)

Learning how to forward calls to a different number is a simple way for desk phone and smartphone users to avoid missed calls, because, as we all know, no one can be available 100% of the time. And when you are out of reach or too busy to answer calls, you need to keep customers happy throughout the day.

Call Forwarding is a feature that allows you to send all the calls that come to your phone to another phone of your choosing. With Call Forwarding, you can forward your mobile calls to another phone number, including another mobile phone or a landline phone, like your home or office number.

When you turn this feature on, your mobile phone will not ring when you receive a call. Instead, the call will go straight to the phone number that you have designated to receive your forwarded calls.

How to forward calls on Android using the Phone app

Android phones let you choose between four different call-forwarding options without any dial codes. Here’s how:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Hit the three-dot menu button.
3. Go to Settings.
4. Select Calling accounts.
5. Tap on your main SIM.
6. Tap on Call forwarding.
7. You will see multiple options, including:
   1. Always forward: All calls go to your desired secondary number.
   2. When busy: Calls go to your secondary number of choice when you are on another call.
   3. When unanswered: Calls go to a secondary number when you don’t take a call.
   4. When unreachable: Calls go to a secondary number when your phone is off, in airplane mode, or has no signal.
8. After choosing one of the listed options, go ahead and set the forwarding number.
9. Select Enable, Turn on, or OK.

To turn off call forwarding, tap on whatever option you enabled and select Turn off.

How to set up call forwarding on Android using dial codes

You can also do things the old-fashioned way and use dial codes to set it all up manually.

• Unconditional call forwarding: *21*
• Call forwarding when the line is busy, doesn’t pick up, or is out of range: *004*
• Call forwarding when the line is busy: *67*
• When no pick up: *61*
• Call forwarding when out of range: *62*

How to use dial codes:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap on the Dialer button.
3. Dial the code, followed by the number you wish to forward calls to, followed by the # sign.
4. Example: *21*123-456-7890#.
5. Press Call.

How to set up call forwarding with third-party apps

Some people might prefer a more organized and intuitive way to set up call forwarding on Android. Plenty of options exist in the Google Play Store, and an example is the Easy Call Forwarding app.

One of the app’s main benefits is that you can set call forwarding more granularly. For example, you can configure different settings for each SIM card if you have a dual-SIM smartphone. You also get access to a nifty widget that lets you quickly turn call forwarding on and off.

Easy Call Forwarding

1. Download Easy Call Forwarding from the Google Play Store.
2. Open the app.
3. You’ll be asked to grant permissions. Tap on Grant Permissions.
4. Hit Allow.
5. Select Configure. Enter the destination number and select your provider. Then hit Save.
6. Toggle call forwarding on where it says forwarding is disabled.

Other third-party apps include:

Call Divert – Forwarding

Call Divert has icons for enabling and disabling call forwarding along with a handful of other settings and a handy list of dial codes you can use to control various features on your phone. 

Call Forwarding

Call Forwarding is a simple app that has two buttons: one to set up call forwarding and another to disable it. 

How to forward iPhone calls to another cell phone number

To forward calls to another number with an iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Head to your Settings app.
2. Select Phone.

3. Tap Call Forwarding.
4. Toggle on call forwarding.
5. ​Enter the phone number that will receive your forwarded calls.

When you want to turn off the call forwarding feature, simply toggle it back off, and you’ll receive calls on your iPhone again.

Apple doesn’t offer a built-in conditional call forwarding option, but some carriers let you set up this feature by dialing a code, just like you would on a landline.

How to forward calls on traditional phones or landlines

If you are still using a traditional office phone but are constantly on the go, learning how to forward calls from a landline to a cell phone is essential for keeping up with phone calls.

The method you need to use will depend on the type of desk phone you have. If your office has its own internal phone network, reach out to your IT department for instructions on how to forward calls. But if your phone is on a landline, you can forward calls with these four steps:

1. Dial *72.
2. Type in the phone number that will receive your forwarded calls, including the area code.
3. Press pound (#).
4. Wait for a confirmation tone to beep before hanging up.

All of your calls will automatically forward to your chosen phone number.

If you want to reroute your calls back to your landline, just dial *73, wait for the confirmation tone, and you should be all set.

Some service providers allow you to set up conditional call forwarding, which only forwards calls when you don’t answer or your phone line is otherwise unavailable. Your provider can tell you the proper activation and deactivation codes for this advanced feature.

Call forwarding on carriers

Setting up call forwarding through your carrier may be an option, as your carriers may support the feature. For example, you can set up call forwarding through Verizon and T-Mobile. We also know it can be done through T-Mobile. Some MVNO carriers may have call-forwarding tools of their own, but AT&T has no call-forwarding solution of its own.

Do some research and see if you can set up call forwarding at a carrier level. This is helpful because it won’t matter which device you are using. You can switch devices and your call forwarding settings will continue to work.

Troubleshooting Call Forwarding

Try these tips if you’re having trouble getting Call Forwarding to work:

• Confirm the feature is turned on by dialing *72. You’ll hear a fast busy tone if it’s active, and a normal dial tone if it’s off. 
  
• You cannot forward calls to hotels, motels, pay phones, or prisons.
  
• You can forward calls to long-distance numbers, but you must have long-distance service.
  
• If you have both Call Waiting and Call Forwarding, your call will be forwarded before Call Waiting can alert you to it.
  
• If your number is listed as private or anonymous, you will need to unblock your number by pressing *82 before forwarding calls to a phone number with Anonymous Call Rejection.
  
• If you receive a busy signal when you try to use Call Forwarding, you may need to change your phone’s settings and double-check that you’re using the feature correctly. 
  
• Make sure your phone is set to tone, not pulse. Many phones have a physical P/T switch located on the side, bottom, or back of the unit. If you don’t see a physical switch, go into the phone’s setup menu and look for the P/T settings.
  
• If you are unable to make outgoing calls when Call Forwarding is active, there’s a problem with the service, and you need to contact your service provider.

Limitations to call forwarding

Call forwarding can be a big hassle for your team members. Whether you are using a traditional phone system or a smartphone for business, be aware of these four limitations:

• On many landline phone systems, you may need to manually set up your call-forwarding feature each time you want to forward calls to another number or device. 
• You may forget to disable call forwarding when you no longer wish to automatically forward calls to another phone number.
• If you are paying for a desk phone system on top of another separate phone plan, you may be paying for two separate services when you do not actually need to.  
• There is no way to automatically forward business calls exclusively if you are using one phone number for both business and personal purposes.

Can I make outgoing calls while Call Forwarding is active?

You can still make outgoing calls while Call Forwarding is active. However, because all incoming calls are transferred immediately, you can’t answer incoming calls on your original line when this feature is activated.

If there are only some numbers you want to have forwarded, use Selective Call Forwarding instead. You will hear a short ring on the original phone each time a call is forwarded. The number receiving the forwarded call then rings normally.

Also, note that you will be charged applicable rates if you forward calls to a long-distance or toll number.

What does *72 mean on a phone?

You can still manually set your phone to forward calls using a dial code if you want to. In most cases, you can forward all incoming calls to your Android phone to another number by dialing *72 followed by the 10-digit phone number you want to forward to.

Does call forwarding cost money?

Make sure to look into your plan’s details, as some older plans can still have a fee for call-forwarding features. This is no longer common, but it can happen, and it doesn’t hurt to check.

Additionally, any call forwarding service is pretty much taking an incoming call and making an outgoing call, so you will use up your minutes accordingly if you don’t have unlimited calling.

Does call forwarding continue to work if I switch devices?

Not usually, especially if you’re using the phone settings or an app to set up call forwarding. You’ll likely lose the changes if you switch devices. Sometimes the changes stick around when you use dial codes, but even these fail most times.

A better alternative to call forwarding

If you want to avoid the hassle of transferring calls to another phone, getting a virtual phone number can be the best solution for your team. VoIP phone systems let you make and receive calls using your internet connection. They can function as a call-forwarding app but also offer key features to help you avoid missed calls without the need to turn on call-forwarding.

While there may be a few cases in which VoIP call forwarding can help — like when you’re temporarily in a place without a reliable internet connection — a virtual number can take care of your needs more efficiently in all of the following scenarios.

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References

• Android Authority
• Business Insider
• Open Phone
• Century Link