Call Forwarding: Complete Guide to Setup, Codes, and Settings

Call forwarding redirects incoming calls from one phone number to another before the recipient picks up. Whether you are a solo professional who needs calls to reach your mobile when you step away from your desk, or a 50-person support team that needs after-hours calls routed to an on-call agent, the mechanics are the same — but the implementation varies considerably by device, carrier, and phone system.

This guide covers activation and deactivation codes, step-by-step setup for iPhone and Android, carrier-specific nuances for Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, how to disable forwarding cleanly, and how forwarding compares to call routing and call transfer. VoIP-specific configurations and business use cases are covered in a dedicated section.

What Is Call Forwarding?

Call forwarding — also called phone forwarding or call redirect — is a telephony feature that automatically sends incoming calls to a different number before the original line answers. The caller dials one number; the call arrives at another.

There are two primary types:

Unconditional call forwarding redirects every incoming call immediately, regardless of whether the original line is available. The phone never rings at the original number.

Conditional call forwarding redirects calls only when specific conditions are met:

• No answer — the call goes unanswered after a set number of rings (typically 15–30 seconds)
• Busy — the line is already in use
• Unreachable/off — the device is powered off or outside network coverage

For individuals, conditional forwarding to voicemail or a secondary number is the most common use case. For businesses, unconditional forwarding is often used during scheduled closures, while conditional forwarding handles overflow and after-hours scenarios.

Call Forwarding Codes: *72, *71, *73, and More

Most US carriers support a standard set of Feature Access Codes (FACs) for activating and deactivating call forwarding directly from the dial pad — no app required.

The difference between *71 and *72: *72 forwards every call the moment it arrives — your phone never rings. *71 only forwards when your line is busy or you do not answer within the ring timeout. Use *72 when you will be completely unavailable; use *71 as a fallback when you want your phone to ring first.

To activate using *72: dial *72, hear a confirmation tone or second dial tone, then dial the destination number and press Send. Most carriers confirm activation with a tone or recorded message.

How to Set Up Call Forwarding on iPhone

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Phone.
3. Tap Call Forwarding.
4. Toggle Call Forwarding on.
5. Tap Forward To and enter the destination number.
6. Return to the previous screen — the toggle must remain green to stay active.

Pro tip: The Call Forwarding toggle in iPhone Settings only controls unconditional forwarding. If you do not see the option at all, your carrier has disabled the native toggle. In that case, use *72 from the dial pad or your carrier’s app instead.

Does call forwarding work when the iPhone is off? Conditional forwarding set to “unreachable” will redirect calls at the network level, so callers are forwarded even when your device is powered down. Unconditional forwarding (*72) also operates at the carrier network, not the device, so it persists regardless of device state.

How to Set Up Call Forwarding on Android

Android’s call forwarding path varies by manufacturer and carrier, but the general route is:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the three-dot menu (or the kebab icon) and select Settings.
3. Tap Calls or Calling accounts.
4. Tap Call Forwarding.
5. Select the forwarding type: Always forward, When busy, When unanswered, or When unreachable.
6. Enter the destination number and tap Enable or Turn On.

Samsung-Specific Instructions

On Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the three-dot menu > Settings.
3. Tap Supplementary services.
4. Tap Call forwarding.
5. Select your SIM if dual-SIM, then choose the condition type.
6. Enter the forwarding number and tap Enable.

Samsung’s UI exposes all four conditional forwarding conditions (always, busy, no answer, unreachable) from a single screen, which makes it easier to configure layered forwarding rules without using dial codes.

Call Forwarding by Carrier: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile

Verizon

Verizon supports *72/*73 for unconditional forwarding on postpaid lines. Conditional forwarding uses *71/*74. The My Verizon app also allows forwarding configuration under Account > Device Settings.

Billing note: On Verizon, forwarded calls consume airtime minutes from the plan of the forwarding line. If you are on an unlimited plan this is moot, but prepaid customers on per-minute plans pay for both the incoming leg and the forwarded leg — effectively double billing for a single call.

AT&T

AT&T uses the same *72/*73 codes. The AT&T Phone Manager and online account portal support forwarding management. AT&T’s conditional forwarding to voicemail is pre-configured by default on most lines, so disabling it requires explicitly canceling with *74 or through the portal.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile supports both *72/*73 and the GSM **21*[number]# format. The T-Mobile app provides forwarding controls under Account > Line Settings. T-Mobile also supports ##002# to clear all conditional forwards simultaneously — useful when troubleshooting missed calls caused by stacked forwarding rules.

Common mistake: Activating *72 forwarding and then switching carriers or porting your number without first canceling forwarding. The forward persists at the network level and can cause calls to miss the new number entirely for 24–48 hours post-port.

How to Disable Call Forwarding

Via dial codes:

• *73 — cancel unconditional forwarding
• *74 — cancel busy/no-answer forwarding
• ##002# — cancel all conditional forwards (works on GSM networks including T-Mobile and AT&T)

On iPhone: Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding > toggle off.

On Android: Phone app > Settings > Calls > Call Forwarding > select each condition > tap Disable.

Verify it is off: Dial *#21# to check unconditional forwarding status. A message reading “Not forwarded” or “Disabled” confirms deactivation. For no-answer forwarding, dial *#61#.

Call Forwarding vs. Call Routing vs. Call Transfer

These three terms are frequently conflated, but they describe distinct functions:

Call routing operates within a business phone system — a PBX or cloud VoIP platform — and applies rule-based logic: time of day, caller ID, IVR selection, or agent availability. An auto-attendant is the front-end voice menu that feeds the routing engine.

Call redirect is sometimes used interchangeably with forwarding but more precisely describes network-level SIP redirects defined in Session Initiation Protocol (RFC 3261), where the server instructs the client to contact a different URI rather than proxying the call.

Decision framework:

• If you need to send all calls to a different number without answering → use call forwarding
• If you need rules-based distribution across a team → use call routing
• If you need to hand off an active call to a colleague → use call transfer

Call Forwarding for Business and VoIP Systems

Businesses use call forwarding differently from individual users. A 10-person team might forward the main business line to a mobile after 6 PM. A 200-agent contact center might use conditional forwarding as a failover when the primary VoIP trunk goes down.

On modern phone systems for businesses, call forwarding is configured through a web dashboard rather than dial codes. Platforms like RingCentral, Google Voice for Business, and Nextiva expose forwarding rules as part of broader call flow builders — you define conditions, destination numbers, and fallback sequences in a visual interface.

Key VoIP-specific capabilities:

• Time-based forwarding: Route calls to different numbers during business hours vs. after hours without manual toggling
• Ring groups: Forward to multiple numbers simultaneously; the first to answer takes the call
• Auto-attendant integration: Forward after IVR selection to the appropriate department or external number
• Voicemail-to-email: Conditional forwarding to voicemail with transcription delivered to inbox

International call forwarding adds cost complexity. Forwarding a US number to a UK mobile number means the caller pays domestic rates, but the business absorbs international termination costs — typically $0.01–$0.05 per minute depending on the destination. For global teams, a virtual phone number in each country is more cost-effective than forwarding across international trunks.

Acknowledged trade-off: VoIP forwarding through a dashboard offers flexibility, but it introduces a dependency on internet connectivity. If the VoIP provider experiences an outage, call forwarding rules may not execute. Carrier-level forwarding (*72 at the PSTN layer) is more resilient because it operates independently of internet availability — a relevant consideration for businesses in areas with unreliable connectivity.

The FCC’s guide to phone service features outlines consumer rights around call handling, which is relevant when evaluating carrier compliance for business lines.

According to Gartner’s research on unified communications, a majority of enterprises had shifted to cloud-based phone systems by 2023, making dashboard-based call forwarding the dominant configuration method for business users rather than legacy dial codes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does call forwarding work for a business phone system? Business phone systems — whether PBX or cloud VoIP — configure forwarding through an admin portal. Rules can be time-based, condition-based (busy, no answer), or triggered by IVR input. The forwarding logic runs at the platform level, not the individual device, so it applies consistently across all users on the system.

What is the difference between call forwarding and call routing? Call forwarding sends calls from one number to another based on a simple condition (always, busy, no answer). Call routing applies multi-variable rules within a phone system — caller ID, time of day, department selection — and distributes calls across agents or queues. Routing requires a PBX or VoIP platform; forwarding works on any phone line.

Can I set up call forwarding on a VoIP system? Yes. VoIP platforms handle forwarding natively through their dashboards. Unlike carrier-based forwarding, VoIP forwarding can be conditional on business hours, caller attributes, or queue status. Configuration takes 2–3 minutes through a web interface and applies immediately without dial codes.

How do I forward calls using *72? Dial *72, wait for the confirmation tone, dial the full destination number (including area code), then press Send. You will hear a confirmation tone or message when forwarding is active.

What is the difference between *71 and *72 call forwarding? *72 forwards every incoming call immediately — your phone never rings. *71 only forwards when your line is busy or unanswered after the ring timeout. Use *72 for complete unavailability; use *71 as a backup when you want your phone to ring first.

How do I turn off call forwarding? Dial *73 to cancel unconditional forwarding. Dial *74 to cancel busy/no-answer forwarding. On GSM networks, ##002# cancels all conditional forwards at once. Verify deactivation by dialing *#21#.

What is the call forwarding check code? *#21# checks unconditional forwarding status. *#61# checks no-answer forwarding. *#67# checks busy forwarding. These return a status message indicating whether forwarding is active and to which number.

Does call forwarding work when my phone is off? Yes, if forwarding is set at the carrier network level (via *72 or conditional codes). The carrier intercepts the call before it ever reaches your device, so device state is irrelevant.

How do I set up call forwarding on Samsung? Phone app > three-dot menu > Settings > Supplementary services > Call forwarding. Select the condition, enter the destination number, and tap Enable.

Does call forwarding cost extra on my phone plan? On unlimited plans, typically no. On prepaid or per-minute plans, forwarded calls may count as two call legs — one incoming, one outgoing — effectively doubling the per-minute charge. Check your carrier’s terms; Verizon and AT&T both note this in their prepaid service agreements.

Conclusion

Call forwarding is one of the most practical features in telephony — straightforward in concept, but with enough variation across devices, carriers, and platforms that misconfiguration causes real problems. Knowing the difference between *71 and *72, understanding how conditional forwarding behaves when your phone is off, and verifying status with check codes like *#21# prevents the most common failure modes.

For individuals, the right approach is usually conditional forwarding through device settings or a dial code, depending on carrier support. For businesses, the calculus shifts toward VoIP dashboard configuration, which enables time-based rules, ring groups, and auto-attendant integration that dial codes cannot replicate.

Choose your method based on your actual requirements: carrier-level forwarding for resilience, VoIP-based forwarding for flexibility, and device-level settings for quick personal adjustments. Whichever method you use, confirm it is working — or not working — with the appropriate check code before relying on it for anything critical.