How to forward calls

Always versus conditional forwarding

Unconditional — sometimes “always” — forwarding diverts every call immediately. Your phone never rings. This is what you want when switching to another number entirely.

Conditional forwarding only diverts in specific circumstances: when you are already on a call, when you do not answer within a set number of rings, or when the phone is unreachable. Calls ring normally the rest of the time. This is what most people actually want, and what voicemail itself uses under the hood.

The distinction matters when troubleshooting. If calls vanish without ringing, unconditional forwarding is the usual culprit. If they ring and then divert, it is conditional.

Setting it up

On iPhone, forwarding lives in Settings under Phone. It is offered by carriers on most networks, though a few do not expose it there, in which case the codes below are the route.

On Android the location varies by manufacturer, but it is generally inside the Phone or Dialer app's settings rather than the system settings, under calling or supplementary services.

Carrier codes work on almost any handset and are the fallback when the menus are missing. The widely used GSM pattern is to dial a short code followed by the destination number and the send key. Your carrier publishes its exact codes, and they differ enough between networks that guessing is not worth it — the support pages are the reliable source.

Turning it off

In settings, the same screen that enabled it will disable it. With codes, carriers use a cancel code, usually a variation of the one that switched it on.

Forwarding is a common cause of calls apparently disappearing. If your phone has stopped ringing and you did not knowingly change anything, check forwarding before assuming a fault — it can be left over from a temporary setup or applied on the line by the carrier.

Things worth knowing before you rely on it

Forwarded calls may be charged. On many plans the leg from your number to the destination is billed to you at standard rates, and forwarding to an international number can be expensive.

Caller ID behaviour varies. The person receiving the forwarded call may see the original caller's number, or yours, depending on the network.

And forwarding does not move your messages. SMS follows different rules and generally will not divert with voice calls.

Common questions

What is the difference between always and conditional call forwarding?

Always forwarding diverts every call without ringing your phone. Conditional forwarding only diverts when you are busy, do not answer, or are unreachable, and calls ring normally otherwise.

Why are my calls being forwarded when I did not set it up?

Forwarding can be left over from an earlier setup, or applied on the line by the carrier. Check the forwarding settings in your phone app, and if the phone shows nothing enabled, ask your carrier — line-level forwarding cannot be seen from the handset.

Does call forwarding cost money?

Often yes. Many plans bill the leg from your number to the forwarding destination at normal rates, and forwarding to an international number can be costly. Check your plan before leaving it on.

Does call forwarding also forward text messages?

Generally no. SMS follows separate rules from voice calls and does not divert with them on most networks.