An iPhone can forward every call it gets to another number with one switch in Settings. It's the quickest way to send your business calls to a coworker's phone while you're on a flight, or to move calls from a work iPhone to the one you actually carry.
There are two things the iPhone setting won't do, and they're the reason many people go looking for help: it only forwards all calls (not just missed ones), and on some carriers the setting doesn't appear at all. This guide covers the steps Apple publishes for iOS 27, what to do on a dual-SIM iPhone, how to forward only unanswered or busy calls through your carrier, and how to turn forwarding off.
Forward calls on iPhone: the steps
These steps match Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 27. On iOS 18 and later, the Phone settings sit under Settings > Apps. On older versions, Phone is listed directly in Settings; the rest of the steps are the same.
- 1. Open Settings: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
- 2. Open Phone settings: Tap Apps, then tap Phone.
- 3. Turn it on: Tap Call Forwarding, then turn on Call Forwarding.
- 4. Choose a line (Dual SIM only): If your iPhone has two lines, choose the line you want to forward.
- 5. Enter the number: Tap Forward To, enter the number you want calls to go to, then tap Back.
When forwarding is on, a Call Forwarding icon appears in the status bar at the top of the screen. Apple adds one condition that catches people: you must be in range of the cellular network when you set it up, or calls won't be forwarded. If you turn it on in airplane mode or a dead zone, toggle it again once you have signal.
Test it before you rely on it
- Call your iPhone number from a different phone, ideally on a different carrier.
- Your iPhone should not ring; the forward-to phone should.
- Let the call go unanswered once, to see whose voicemail picks up. It will usually be the forward-to phone's voicemail, so check its greeting.
- Send yourself a text. It still arrives on your iPhone, because call forwarding does not move texts.
Why the Call Forwarding setting might be missing
- Your carrier handles it with codes: Apple's guide covers iPhones on GSM networks and tells people on CDMA networks to contact their carrier. If the menu isn't there, use your carrier's dial codes (below).
- Google Fi: Google says Fi forwarding has to be set on fi.google.com or in the Google Fi app, and that iPhone and Android device settings don't control it.
- A work or managed phone: A company-managed iPhone can have settings locked by your IT team. Ask them.
Forward only missed or busy calls on iPhone
This is the setting most business owners actually want: let the iPhone ring, and only send the calls you miss somewhere else. The iPhone menu doesn't offer it. Apple's guide says that if your carrier supports conditional forwarding when the line is busy or not in service, you should contact the carrier for setup. The two carriers below publish codes you dial from the Phone app's keypad like a normal call.
| Carrier | Forward unanswered calls | Turn it off |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon | *71 + 10-digit number | *73 |
| T-Mobile | **61*1 + number + # | ##61# |
| T-Mobile (busy) | **67*1 + number + # | ##67# |
| T-Mobile (unreachable) | **62*1 + number + # | ##62# |
T-Mobile also lets you change how long the phone rings before a call forwards: dial **61*1, the number, then ** and the seconds, then #. T-Mobile allows delays from 5 up to 30 seconds. Verizon's FAQ doesn't list a delay setting.
How to turn off call forwarding on iPhone
- Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding.
- Turn off Call Forwarding. The status-bar icon disappears.
- If you turned it on with a carrier code, turn it off with the carrier code too: *73 on Verizon, ##21# or ##61# on T-Mobile, or ##004# to reset all T-Mobile forwarding.
If calls still go elsewhere after that, see how to turn off call forwarding and call forwarding not working.
Common ways businesses use iPhone forwarding
- A vacation or sick day: Forward a work iPhone to a coworker who is covering. Turn it on the evening before with signal, test it, and set a reminder to turn it off when you're back.
- Switching to a new phone: If you're moving to a new device but keeping the old line active for a while, forward the old line to the new one so nothing is missed. Moving the number itself is better long term; see how to port a phone number.
- A shop or office phone: If the business line is an iPhone that sits on a counter, forwarding it to the owner's phone after closing keeps calls from going unanswered. Forwarding all calls means the counter phone won't ring, so turn it off in the morning.
- Backup for missed calls: If you want the iPhone to ring first, use your carrier's no-answer code instead of the Settings switch, as shown above.
Whatever the reason, the forward-to phone answers as itself. Tell whoever covers how to greet business callers, and make sure their voicemail greeting makes sense for your customers.
Watch out for call forwarding scams
Apple's guide includes a warning worth repeating. iPhone alerts you and blocks links in messages, email, webpages or apps that ask you to turn on call forwarding, because scammers use them to send your calls, including verification calls, to their own phone. If you get one you didn't expect, ignore it. Only set up forwarding yourself, from Settings or your carrier's published codes.
Is forwarding your business line to an iPhone a good idea?
For a solo owner, often yes. It's free, quick, and puts the business number in your pocket. The trade-offs show up as you grow: the call rings one iPhone, your personal voicemail may answer business calls, and nobody else on the team knows the call happened. If you're mixing business calls and texts on your own phone, our guide to why to stop texting customers from your personal phone covers the problems and the fixes.
What Chargezen does instead
Chargezen doesn't forward calls, and it doesn't sell phone lines, desk phones or forwarding. It takes a different approach to the problem forwarding usually solves. Concierge answers calls and texts on your business number, around the clock: a new US number from Chargezen, or the number your customers already know, brought over to Chargezen. It recognizes the caller, looks up their orders and handles the request on the call.
When a person should take over, Concierge alerts your team in the Finn app and the browser, and emails or texts the teammates you pick. A teammate listens in, taps Join the call, and Concierge tells the caller they're there, so nobody starts over. From the Finn app on iPhone or Mac, a teammate can also transfer the call to another teammate. The call, its transcript and every text and email with that customer stay in one conversation. See human handoff and how joining and transferring calls works.
On iPhone, that's the Finn app: you see the live call, listen in, join with a tap and hand the call back to Finn when you're done, without forwarding anything to your personal number.
To be plain about the limits: Chargezen has no call forwarding, simultaneous ring, ring groups, phone menu or business-hours routing, and it offers US (+1) numbers only. If you need calls to ring a list of phones by schedule, a VoIP phone system does that; our comparisons with Google Voice, Grasshopper and RingCentral say where each one fits.
Concierge Starter is $20 a month with 20,000 credits. Pro is $199 a month with 199,000 credits, or $1,990 a year. Phone and text charges are billed as used, with no per-user fees. See pricing.
Related terms: AI receptionist, warm transfer and number porting. Related guides: how to forward calls, call forwarding on Android and conditional call forwarding. See also how to forward texts, simultaneous ring on iPhone and Android and warm transfers explained.
Frequently asked questions
Can I forward calls on iPhone without a carrier code?
Yes, for all calls: Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding. For missed or busy calls only, you need your carrier's codes or support.
Does iPhone call forwarding forward texts?
No. It moves calls only. Verizon's FAQ says the same about its forwarding: texts stay on the original phone.
Can I forward calls to an international number?
Check your carrier. Verizon, for example, says calls can't be forwarded to an international number.
Does forwarding work when my iPhone is off?
Always-forward does, because the network handles it. It has to be turned on while the phone has signal, though. For calls that forward only when the phone is off or out of range, use T-Mobile's unreachable code or ask your carrier.
Sources: Apple: Set up call forwarding on iPhone, Google Fi Help: Call forwarding & caller ID, Verizon: Call Forwarding FAQs, T-Mobile: Self-service & short codes. All checked October 19, 2026.
