Knowing how to divert your incoming calls shouldn't feel like playing a game of phone tag with your own device's settings menu. Between navigating buried toggles on iOS, carrier-specific dial codes, and legacy landline tricks, simply routing calls to the right place often creates more headaches than it prevents.
Call forwarding is a phone feature that automatically redirects incoming calls from your number to a different phone number you choose. There are two main types: unconditional forwarding, which sends every call to another phone right away, and conditional forwarding, which only forwards calls you miss, decline, or don't answer within a set number of rings.
Call forwarding is a regulated, standard telecom feature, not a special add-on: the FCC explicitly includes call forwarding among the basic telecommunications services covered by its consumer accessibility rules, alongside call waiting and caller ID.
Knowing how to forward phone calls the right way starts with picking which type you actually need. If you're stepping away from your desk for an afternoon, conditional forwarding makes more sense than sending every single call straight to another phone.
People set up call forwarding for a handful of recurring reasons, and knowing yours ahead of time makes it easier to pick the right settings below:
Whatever your situation looks like, taking two minutes to set this up now can save you a week's worth of missed opportunities and frantic voicemail checking. Once you know which route fits your setup, you're ready to pick the method below and route your calls wherever you actually are.
If you're wondering how to forward calls on iPhone, the process lives inside your Phone app's settings, not deep in the general Settings app where people often look first. Apple's official support guide confirms the same path referenced throughout this section.
Here's how to forward phone calls on iPhone step by step:
Note that how to forward calls from iPhone works slightly differently depending on your carrier — some carriers handle this natively through iOS, while others (like US Cellular, covered below) require a dial code instead of the toggle in Settings.
If you are upgrading or switching between recent Apple devices, you don't need to relearn the interface. iOS handles call redirection at the operating system level, meaning the internal workflow remains completely uniform whether you are using an iPhone 13, 14, 15, or even a newer generation running the latest iOS update.
Here’s why hardware generation doesn't change the steps:
You can follow the exact same menu navigation across any modern iPhone. The only thing that changes the process is who provides your cell service, not how new your phone is.
How to forward calls on iPhone Verizon works through the same Call Forwarding toggle described above, since Verizon supports native iOS call forwarding.
If the toggle doesn't appear in your Phone app settings, dial *72 followed by the 10-digit number you want to forward to, then wait for a confirmation tone. Verizon's own support page confirms this is the standard activation code across its network, with no monthly fee on most plans.
If you are searching for how to forward calls on a US Cellular iPhone, you won't always find the standard Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding toggle available. US Cellular often processes network features via direct star codes rather than native iOS menus.
The good news is that the dial-code method bypasses the menu system entirely. It works on every iPhone model, from the newest iPhone releases all the way back to older legacy devices like the iPhone 5.
Have a look at this quick reference for US carriers.
|
Forwarding Type |
How to Activate |
How to Deactivate |
|
All Calls (Unconditional) |
Dial *72 + 10-digit number |
Dial *720 (or *73) |
|
When Line is Busy |
Dial *90 + 10-digit number |
Dial *900 |
|
When Unanswered / No Answer |
Dial *92 + 10-digit number |
Dial *920 |
To set up call forwarding on your iPhone, open the Phone app, navigate to the Keypad tab, and enter the specific activation code for your desired forwarding type followed immediately by the 10-digit destination number, such as dialling *725551234567.
Once entered, tap the green Call button and remain on the line until you hear a confirmation tone or network prompt verifying that the feature is active before hanging up.
How to forward calls on Android works similarly to iPhone but lives in a different menu.
Open your Phone app, tap the three-dot menu in the top corner, select Settings, then Calling accounts or Supplementary services, and look for Call Forwarding.
From there, you can choose to forward all calls, or only calls you miss, busy-line calls, or unanswered calls, and enter the destination number. Google's official support documentation notes that the exact star codes for conditional forwarding can vary by carrier, so it's worth confirming yours if the in-app menu doesn't show every option you expect.
Verizon gives you two primary ways to redirect incoming calls: through your device's built-in operating system settings (like the native menu toggles on iOS or Android) or via universal carrier dial codes.
While device settings are convenient, using Verizon's dial codes is often faster and serves as a reliable override if your phone's native menu fails to update or isn't supported by your specific plan configuration. Dial codes work across every Verizon phone, regardless of whether you're using the latest iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy, or a basic flip phone.
|
Forwarding Option |
Activation Code |
Deactivation Code |
Details |
|
Immediate (All Calls) |
*72 + 10-digit number |
*73 |
Redirects every incoming call automatically without ringing your phone. |
|
Conditional (No Answer) |
*92 + 10-digit number |
*920 |
Forwards calls only when you don't answer after a set number of rings. |
|
Conditional (Busy Line) |
*90 + 10-digit number |
*900 |
Sends calls to the secondary number only when your line is currently in use. |
To set up forwarding using Verizon's dial codes, open your phone's dialer app, navigate to the keypad, and enter your chosen activation code followed directly by the target 10-digit phone number, such as typing *725551234567 for standard forwarding.
Press the green Call button and stay on the line until you hear a brief confirmation tone or an automated message verifying that the service is active before hanging up.
If your device is physically out of reach, lost, or broken, you don't need the handset in front of you; you can easily manage or activate Verizon call forwarding remotely by logging into your My Verizon account online or through their mobile app under your line's feature settings.
US Cellular is one of the carriers where the dial-code method matters most, since how to forward calls with US Cellular usually isn't handled through your phone's native call forwarding menu the way Verizon is.
To learn how to forward calls on US Cellular, or more specifically how to forward calls on a US Cellular phone of any model:
This same process covers how to forward cell phone calls US Cellular whether you're on an Android device or an iPhone. If you're specifically trying to figure out how to forward calls on my US Cellular phone and the code above doesn't seem to work, confirm that call forwarding is enabled on your specific plan, since some prepaid US Cellular plans restrict the feature.
US Cellular's support center is the best place to verify current codes for your specific line, especially since some accounts have migrated network infrastructure in recent years and may use different codes than older lines. US
Cellular how to forward calls questions we see most often also include how to forward calls to another phone US Cellular for temporary situations, like forwarding your work line to a personal cell phone for the day.
The same *72 code works for that too, since how to forward US Cellular calls doesn't change based on why you're forwarding them.
While *72 is the standard gold status shortcut for standard call forwarding, the process has a few subtle nuances depending on your provider, network setup, and how you want your calls handled.
Here’s how to get it done.
Deactivating call forwarding is even easier and uses a universal counterpart code:
Depending on your phone carrier (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum, Xfinity, or local VoIP services), your dial codes might differ slightly:
If your landline service is bundled with a digital or fiber internet provider voice over IP number, you can often skip dialing codes entirely and enable call forwarding instantly through your provider’s online account portal or mobile management app.
If your carrier or device isn't listed above, the general approach to how to forward calls to another phone is largely the same everywhere: look for a "Call Forwarding" setting in your Phone app, or dial *72 followed by the destination number as a universal fallback that works on most carriers in the US.
How do I forward my calls to another number if I don't see a Call Forwarding menu at all?
Check your carrier's app or online account portal. Most carriers, including smaller regional ones, let you manage how to forward phone calls to another phone entirely online without touching your device's settings.
How do you forward calls to another phone from an account portal specifically: log in, find the "Call Settings" or "Call Forwarding" section, and enter your destination number there instead.
For anyone asking how do I forward calls from one phone to another when both phones are physically in front of them, the process is identical to forwarding to any other number. Your own second phone's number just becomes the forwarding destination. How to forward calls from one phone to another, how to forward calls from one iPhone to another, and how to forward calls from one cell phone to another all use the exact same steps, regardless of whether the second phone happens to be another iPhone or a completely different brand.
Wondering how to forward calls to another number without the phone physically in hand?
If your carrier offers an online account portal or app, you can typically set up or change call forwarding remotely without touching the original device at all, which is useful if a phone was lost, is in for repair, or is simply left at home. Log into your carrier's website, navigate to call settings, and enter the new forwarding number there instead of dialling a code from the handset itself.
Voice call forwarding and text forwarding operate on completely different network protocols, meaning they are almost always treated as two separate services. Learning how to forward calls and texts to another phone requires configuring each option individually rather than turning on a single master switch.
Voice call forwarding handles incoming audio calls and is managed directly through your phone’s settings menu or universal carrier dial codes like *72. SMS and text forwarding, on the other hand, typically lives inside your device's primary messaging app settings or within your carrier’s official account management portal.
Because traditional cell networks do not natively redirect SMS messages using simple star codes, text forwarding relies heavily on software-level integration, such as Apple's Text Message Forwarding feature across iOS devices, or specialized carrier applications.
Before attempting to set up text redirection, check your carrier's app or web account settings to verify whether SMS forwarding is supported on your active plan, as policies and feature availability vary widely by provider.
Once you no longer need your calls redirected, turning the feature off is just as quick as enabling it in the first place. You can deactivate forwarding using whichever method is most convenient for your setup:
Listen for the brief confirmation tone or automated prompt verifying the change, and your incoming calls will instantly resume ringing on your primary device.
How to stop forward calls from landline to cell phone: pick up the receiver, dial *73, and hang up once you hear a confirmation tone. This deactivates forwarding immediately, and incoming calls will start ringing on the landline again right away.
How to un forward calls US Cellular, or how to un forward phone calls US Cellular more specifically: dial *720 and wait for the confirmation tone.
This is US Cellular's specific deactivation code, which differs from the more universal *73 used by Verizon and several other carriers, so double-check you're using the right one for your line. This works the same way whether forwarding was originally set up through the dial code or through a menu setting.
On most modern plans, no — it's a standard included feature. Some older or prepaid plans may charge a small fee or restrict it, which is worth checking with the carrier.
Usually not. The call typically just rings through normally on the receiving end, with no indication it was redirected.
Sometimes, but not always — many carriers block or add extra charges for international forwarding, so this needs to be confirmed with the specific carrier first.
No. Voicemail on the original number usually still works independently, so a missed forwarded call can still leave a voicemail on the original line if the forwarding number also doesn't pick up.
Mastering call forwarding on your personal device or landline is great for individual convenience, but scaling a growing business requires far more than basic carrier shortcuts. Managing client outreach across separate cell phones and traditional lines quickly leads to missed opportunities, unorganized VoIP call logs, and fragmented customer data.
If you're ready to upgrade from manual dial codes to an automated, intelligent call management system, Ringy (our CRM VoIP platform) offers a complete cloud-based communication suite designed to streamline sales workflows and customer interactions.
Request a demo with Ringy today to see how seamless, professional call routing can transform your team's productivity.