How to forward calls to another number on iPhone, Android, or landline

No one can be available 100% of the time. However, when your business phone is out of reach or you’re too busy to answer calls, you need to keep customers happy throughout the day. Learning how to forward calls to a different number is a simple way for desk phone and smartphone users to avoid missed calls — though it isn’t the only option you have.

We’ll walk you through the process of call forwarding — diverting calls to another phone. Then, we’ll introduce a better way to provide an excellent experience for both customers and team members.

What is call forwarding?

While the term is used in a wide range of use cases, call forwarding refers to setting up one phone number so that calls are automatically redirected to a different number.

How to forward calls to another number at a glance

Here’s how to set up call forwarding on the most common devices:

Device	Steps	Notes
iPhone	1. Open Settings → Phone. 2. Tap Call Forwarding. 3. Toggle On. 4. Enter the number to forward calls to.	Works only if your carrier supports it.
Android (Phone App)	1. Open the Phone app. 2. Tap More (⋮) → Settings → Call forwarding. 3. Choose condition (Always forward, When busy, When unanswered, When unreachable). 4. Enter the forwarding number and confirm.	Wording may vary by device/carrier. Some Android models hide this under Supplementary services.
Landline or Traditional phone	1. Pick up the handset. 2. Dial *72. 3. Enter the forwarding number. 4. Wait for confirmation tone/announcement. 5. Hang up.	Codes vary by carrier — check provider support.

How to forward calls on traditional cell phones or landlines

Phone provider	Activate	Deactivate
Verizon	Dial *72 followed by the 10-digit forwarding phone number. Listen for a series of beeps, and then wait for the call to end automatically.	Dial *73. Listen for a series of beeps, and then wait for the call to end automatically.
AT&T	Dial *72, enter a forwarding number, and then press #	Dial *73#
T-Mobile	Press **21*1 + phone number #	Press ##21#

If you’re still using a traditional office phone but are constantly on the go, learning how to forward calls from a landline to a cell phone is essential for keeping up with phone calls.

The method you need to use will depend on the type of desk phone you have. If your office has its own internal phone network, reach out to your IT department for instructions on how to forward calls. But if your phone is on a landline, you can set up unconditional call forwarding with these four steps:

1. Dial *72.
2. Enter the phone number that will receive your forwarded calls, including the area code.
3. Press pound (#).
4. Wait for a confirmation tone to beep before hanging up.

All your calls will automatically forward to your chosen phone number.

Ready to take calls on your landline again? Just dial *73, wait for the confirmation tone, and you should be all set.

Some service providers allow you to set up conditional call forwarding, which only forwards calls when you don’t answer or your phone line is otherwise unavailable. Your provider can tell you the proper activation and deactivation codes for this advanced feature.

How to forward calls on an iPhone or Android device

If you’re using a mobile phone, call forwarding can still be useful when you’re too busy to pick up your phone. Though there’s no way to exclusively forward business calls if you’re using one phone number for business and personal purposes, it can guarantee some time away from answering calls.

Memorizing your provider’s dial codes may still be necessary if your phone runs on the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, like some older Verizon phones. However, most smartphones have a more intuitive call-forwarding process than landline phones.

How to forward iPhone calls to another cell phone number

To enable call forwarding on an iPhone to another phone number, follow these steps:

1. Head to your Settings app.
2. Go to Apps, then select Phone.
3. Tap Call Forwarding.
4. Toggle on call forwarding.
5. ​Enter the phone number that will receive your forwarded calls.

When you want to turn off the call forwarding feature, simply toggle it off, and you’ll receive calls on your iPhone again.

Apple doesn’t offer a built-in conditional call forwarding option, but some carriers let you set up this feature by dialing a code, just like you would on a landline.

Related: How to forward a text on an iPhone

How to forward calls on Android using the Phone app

Android call forwarding includes four different options without any dial codes. Here’s how:

1. Head to your Phone app.
2. Tap on the three-dot menu icon, and tap Settings.
3. Select Supplementary services.
4. Select Call forwarding.
5. Choose one of four options:
   • Always forward to automatically forward any call
   • Forward when busy to reroute if you’re on a call
   • Forward when unanswered to reroute anytime you don’t answer
   • Forward when unreached to forward if you don’t have a phone signal, your phone is off, or it’s in airplane mode.
6. Enter the phone number that will receive your forwarded calls and confirm.

To turn off call forwarding, tap on whatever option you enabled and select Turn off.

Related: How to forward a text on Android

What are the limitations to call forwarding?

Call forwarding can be a big hassle for your team members. Whether you’re using a traditional phone system or a smartphone for business, be aware of these four limitations:

• On many landline phone systems, you may need to manually set up your call forwarding feature each time you want to forward calls to another number or device. 
• You may forget to turn off call forwarding when you no longer wish to automatically forward calls to another phone number.
• If you’re paying for a desk phone system on top of another separate phone plan, you may be paying for two separate services when you don’t need to.  
• There’s no way to automatically forward business calls exclusively if you use one phone number for business and personal purposes.

A better alternative to call forwarding

If you want to avoid the hassle of transferring calls to another phone, getting a virtual phone number can be the best solution for your team. VoIP phone systems like Quo let you make and receive calls using your internet connection. They can function as a call forwarding app and offer key features to help you avoid missed calls without needing to turn on call forwarding.

While there may be a few cases in which VoIP call forwarding can help — like when you’re temporarily in a place without a reliable internet connection — a virtual number can take care of your needs more efficiently in the following scenarios.

• Splitting responsibility for incoming calls: When you’re busy, you shouldn’t have to spend extra time forwarding calls to a different number. Quo lets you share business phone numbers with your team, so you can share responsibility for incoming calls and texts. You can also set a custom ring order in your call flow settings to specify which team members or call groups receive incoming calls first.
• Call and text without needing two phones: You can access virtual phone numbers from anywhere using any mobile device or computer. If your team members are away from their desks, they can stay in touch without sharing their personal cell numbers — or having to turn call forwarding on and off between two separate phones.
• Sharing access with a vendor: If you have a virtual assistant, you can safely give them access to your business number without call forwarding. Simply invite them as a user (with the member role for that number) in Quo; your external vendors can support your business without the ability to update your phone number settings or make any other changes to your account. 
• Giving your team more work-life balance: With a virtual number, you can set business hours so you only receive calls when your team is available. Incoming calls will automatically go to voicemail outside your business hours. Plus, if a teammate is temporarily busy, they can turn on Do Not Disturb.
• Automatically divert calls to another number or specific teammates: Tired of transferring calls to another phone when a client calls the wrong department? You can set up phone menus so clients can choose where they need to go — like dialing 1 for sales or 2 for customer support — and instantly get routed to the right place. In Quo, you can route calls to specific teammates, divert calls to any US or Canadian number, forward calls to another Quo number, and much more.
• Automatically divert messages to another teammate: Rather than manually forwarding texts, you can automatically forward all messages to an email or Slack workspace.

How to forward calls in Quo

Not in a place with a reliable internet connection and still need to receive calls yourself? You can set up call forwarding in Quo using your mobile, desktop, or web app.

1. Click Settings from the left-hand menu.
2. Under Workspace, click Phone numbers.

3. Select the phone number you want to set up call forwarding on, then scroll down and tap Edit call flow under Call flow.
   

4. ​Select Default call flow.
5. Choose Forward all calls from the menu.
6. Enter the phone number that will receive your forwarded calls (Your forwarding number can be any US, Canadian, or toll-free number you have access to.) and press the Forward button.
7. After entering the number, you’ll be taken to the Forward all calls call flow.
   
   Note: This flow cannot include additional steps—you can only change the forwarding destination.
8. To activate your call flow, click the Publish now button at the top of the screen.

If you want to switch back to your default call flow, it’s easy!

1. Click  Forward all calls.
2. Select Default call flow from the dropdown, then Publish now. 

This will disable Forward all calls and publish your default call flow.

Want more flexibility? You can conditionally forward calls to an external number during or after business hours.

Bonus: Divert calls you’re already on to teammates

With a VoIP phone service, you don’t always have to set up call forwarding ahead of time to reroute incoming calls. If you pick up a call and realize it’s for another team member, use Quo’s call transfer feature (available on our Business plan) to send customers to the right person seamlessly.

To transfer a call, follow these simple steps:

1. Click the pause icon ⏸️ to place the caller on hold.

2. Click on “…” next to the hold option.

3. Select Transfer call.

4. On a desktop or mobile, type the name or phone number of the person you want to transfer the call to. You can also send a note when you transfer a call to a teammate in Quo, ensuring a smooth handover and avoiding the need for the customer to repeat themselves. Keep in mind that the message is only visible if you’re transferring a call to someone else in your Quo workspace.

When you add a message for a teammate, it appears with the incoming call notification.

The best way to avoid missed calls: Quo (formerly OpenPhone)

Call forwarding can be an extremely helpful feature when you’re getting business calls through your landline or smartphone. However, switching to a VoIP phone system is the best way to avoid missing important calls without the hassle of transferring calls to another phone.

With Quo (formerly OpenPhone), you can get phone calls and text messages on any device via an internet connection. Or you can share phone numbers with your team to allow anyone who’s available to pick up the phone. If you ever need to answer calls but don’t have internet — or if you get a call meant for someone else on your team — Quo (formerly OpenPhone) still offers VoIP call forwarding features to ensure you never miss a beat.

Sign up for a free, seven-day trial of Quo to give yourself the flexibility you need.

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