Call forwarding tells the phone network to send calls for one number to another number. Someone dials your business line, and your cell rings instead. It is one of the oldest phone features there is, it's included on most plans, and it takes about a minute to set up once you know where the switch is.
The catch is that the switch lives in a different place depending on your phone, your carrier and whether the line is a cell, a landline or an internet phone service. This guide covers how forwarding works, the four kinds you can set, where to turn each one on, the codes the major US carriers publish, and what forwarding changes about voicemail, billing and caller ID. Every step and code below comes from the phone maker's or carrier's own help page, linked and dated at the end.
How call forwarding works
Forwarding happens in your carrier's network, not on your phone. When a call comes in for your number, the network checks your forwarding setting and, if it's on, places the call to the number you chose. That's why forwarding keeps working when your phone is off, and why your phone has to reach the network when you set it up. Apple's guide says it plainly: you must be in range of the cellular network when you set an iPhone to forward calls, or calls won't be forwarded.
Because the network places a second call leg, a forwarded call can count as usage on your plan. Verizon, for example, bills forwarded calls the same as calls you answer on your phone, even when they go to a landline. AT&T's home phone page warns that additional local and long-distance charges may apply.
The four kinds of call forwarding
| Type | What it does | Also called |
|---|---|---|
| Always forward | Every call goes straight to the other number. Your phone does not ring. | Unconditional forwarding, CFU |
| Forward when busy | Calls forward only while you are on another call. | CFB |
| Forward when unanswered | Your phone rings first; calls you don’t pick up forward after a delay. | No-answer forwarding, CF NRY |
| Forward when unreachable | Calls forward when your phone is off or out of signal. | CF NRC |
Some landline services add selective forwarding, which forwards only calls from numbers on a list you keep. AT&T's home phone service supports up to six numbers this way, and Xfinity Voice lists it as a separate feature.
Where to turn it on
- iPhone: Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding, then enter the number under Forward To. iPhone settings only offer always-forward; for busy or no-answer forwarding, Apple says to contact your carrier. Full steps: call forwarding on iPhone.
- Samsung Galaxy: Phone app > More options (three dots) > Settings > Supplementary services > Call forwarding. All four types are offered. Full steps: call forwarding on Android.
- Google Pixel: Phone app > menu > Settings > Calling accounts > your SIM or carrier > Call forwarding. If you use Google Fi, forwarding is set in the Fi app or on fi.google.com instead, not in phone settings.
- Carrier codes: You dial a short code plus the number, the way you would place a call. Codes work on most phones but differ by carrier (table below).
- Landlines: Usually *72 to turn it on and *73 to turn it off, dialed from the line itself. See forwarding a landline to a cell phone.
- Internet phone services: VoIP providers set forwarding in their app or web settings. Look for "call forwarding" or "call handling" in the account settings.
Carrier codes from the carriers’ own pages
| Carrier and line | Forward all calls | Forward unanswered calls | Turn off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon (cell) | *72 + 10-digit number | *71 + 10-digit number | *73 |
| T-Mobile (cell) | **21*1 + number + # | **61*1 + number + # | ##21# (all calls), ##61# (unanswered), ##004# resets all forwarding |
| AT&T home phone (landline) | *72 or 72# + number | Call AT&T (800.288.2020) | *73 or 73# |
| AT&T Wireless Home Phone | *21* + 10-digit number + # | Not listed | #21# |
| Xfinity Voice (home) | *72 | Not listed (online settings) | *73 |
Two details trip people up. First, T-Mobile's codes include the 1 before the 10-digit number. Second, the AT&T home phone system calls the forward-to number to confirm the setup, and forwarding only turns on if someone answers that call.
What forwarding changes
- Voicemail: Calls that would have reached your voicemail go to the forward-to number instead, and if nobody answers there, to that number's voicemail. AT&T's home phone page describes exactly this. Record a greeting on the forward-to phone that works for business callers.
- Texts: Call forwarding moves calls only. Verizon's FAQ says it won't forward text messages, so texts to your business number keep landing on the original phone.
- Billing: Forwarded calls can use minutes or carry long-distance charges, depending on your plan. Check before you forward to a number in another area code.
- Destinations: Verizon only forwards to active US numbers that can take voice calls, and never to international numbers. Expect similar limits elsewhere.
- Caller ID: What the forward-to phone shows depends on the carriers involved. Test with a call from a phone you know before you rely on it.
When forwarding is the right tool for a business
Forwarding is a good fit when one person owns the phone and just needs it to ring somewhere else: a shop line that should reach the owner's cell after closing, a landline you're retiring, or a week away from the office. It's free or nearly free and needs no new service.
It starts to strain when more than one person should be able to answer, or when the call needs context. A forwarded call rings one phone. The person who picks up sees a number, not the customer's order. And if they miss it, the call lands in a voicemail box that may not be the business's. Our guides on sharing one business number with a team and what missed customer calls cost an online store go deeper.
A quick setup checklist
- Decide the type: always, busy, unanswered or unreachable.
- Write down the forward-to number with its area code (and the leading 1 for T-Mobile codes).
- Make sure your phone has signal when you set it up.
- Wait for the confirmation tone, message or status icon.
- Call your number from a different phone and check that it rings where you expect.
- Check the voicemail greeting on the forward-to phone.
- Put a reminder on your calendar to turn forwarding off if it's temporary.
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.
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.
See phone calls, business phone number and the AI receptionist. 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: VoIP, number porting and warm transfer. Related guides: call forwarding on iPhone, conditional call forwarding and call forwarding not working. See also simultaneous ring on iPhone and Android, how to forward texts, how to forward a voicemail, a business number that reaches your cell and warm transfers explained.
Frequently asked questions
Does call forwarding cost extra?
Usually not as a feature. Verizon says there's no monthly fee on most plans, though some older plans have one. The forwarded calls themselves can use minutes or add long-distance charges, depending on your plan.
Will my phone ring when calls are forwarded?
Not with always-forward. T-Mobile describes unconditional forwarding as preventing calls to your number. With no-answer forwarding, your phone rings first, then the call moves on.
Can I forward calls to more than one number?
Standard carrier forwarding sends calls to one number. Ringing several phones at once is a different feature, usually called simultaneous ring, that some carriers and phone services offer. Google Fi, for example, has a "Ring all numbers" option.
Can I set up forwarding from another phone?
Usually not. Verizon says you can't manage forwarding without using your mobile phone, and AT&T's home phone codes are dialed from the line being forwarded.
Sources: Apple: Set up call forwarding on iPhone, Samsung: Calling features on your Galaxy phone, AT&T: Google Pixel 7 Pro device guide, Google Fi Help: Call forwarding & caller ID, Verizon: Call Forwarding FAQs, T-Mobile: Self-service & short codes, AT&T: Learn how to forward calls (home phone), AT&T: Wireless Home Phone call forwarding, Xfinity Voice features quick reference guide. All checked October 19, 2026. Menus and codes change; if yours differ, your carrier's page wins.
