RingCentral call forwarding: How it works + limitations

Imagine you’re finally clocking out for a well-deserved weekend. You’re driving home, music blasting, thinking about sinking into the couch with a bowl of popcorn. But your business number starts to ring.

With a sigh, you answer. You’re surprised to learn it’s a simple customer support question that your on-call teammate should’ve answered. It’s time to choose a phone system that offers better call forwarding features. 

If you’re considering going with RingCentral for your call forwarding needs, you should understand what it can and can’t do. To access it, your admin has to activate call handling permissions for specific users. You can choose to forward all calls, create scheduling rules, or send callers to voicemail. You can also play a custom audio message if you prefer. The downside? There’s no visual editor for call forwarding. That means you’ll have to manually adjust your settings without seeing your call flows in context.

This guide explores the key features and limitations of RingCentral call forwarding. You’ll learn about the different options available, how to set it up, and a RingCentral alternative that offers modern call forwarding for teams.

How to forward calls on RingCentral

RingCentral offers call handling and forwarding settings at two levels: for admins and for users.

• Admin-level forwarding lets account administrators set up call forwarding rules for other users. For example, you can set up business hours that affect incoming calls to the main company number.
• User-level forwarding is when reps add rules to their own number or user extension. They can adjust when calls come in during specific days and times.

Here’s what these look like in greater detail.

How to forward RingCentral calls as an admin

As a RingCentral admin, you can manage call forwarding at the account level. This means you can make changes to your own phone number, as well as your entire team.

There are two different types of calls you can forward: company calls and queue calls.

Company calls refer to any incoming call that reaches your main business number. Creating forwarding rules will affect every inbound call to that number. For example, you could send all incoming after-hours calls to a voicemail inbox or an emergency backup number.

Queue calls are groups of callers routed to specific groups. This could be an internal extension or a shared support number where multiple team members work together to answer calls. Forwarding rules for queue calls only affect calls coming to that specific group. For example, you can send all missed callers on your shared support number to RingCentral’s AI receptionist.

Here’s how to set up call forwarding as an admin in RingCentral:

Forward all company calls

1. Sign in to the RingCentral Admin Portal.
2. Click Phone System.
3. Select the company number you wish to configure.
4. Click Call Handling & Forwarding. If your business has multiple locations, click the site you want to manage, then click the Company Call Handling tab.
5. Toggle on Forward All Company Calls.
6. Select your forwarding destination. You can see a full list of these options in the Forward all company calls forwarding options section below.
7. If you want to limit call forwarding to a specific window, check Specify start and end dates. Then enter the dates and times you want your call forwarding process to continue.
8. Click Save to confirm your selections.

Keep in mind you can also use the Admin Portal to configure business hours and your IVR menu, as well as schedule settings for after-hours calls.

Forward all queue calls

1. Sign in to the Admin Portal.
2. Go to Phone System, Groups, and Call Queues.
3. Click the call queue you want to modify.
4. Click the Call Handling & Members dropdown.
5. Click the Forward all queue calls toggle to turn it on.

How to forward RingCentral calls as a user

Individual users can set up their own call forwarding in RingCentral without admin access. There are two ways to do this:

• Forwarding all incoming calls to a specific destination
• Setting up call forwarding rules for during and after your business hours

Note: This feature is available only if your Admin has provided you with call handling permissions. 

Here’s how to forward RingCentral calls as a user via the desktop, browser, and mobile apps:

Desktop and web app

To turn on Forward All Calls:

1. Click your profile picture at the top left.
2. Click Incoming call rules.
3. Click the Forward all calls toggle to turn it on.
4. Click Add schedule, then use the date and time selectors to set your call forwarding schedule.
5. Select your forwarding destination.
6. Click Save.

Keep in mind that Forward All Calls will override any existing call handling settings for work hours. If you want to route calls differently after hours, you’ll need to set up standard call forwarding settings.

To configure standard call forwarding settings:

1. In the navigation bar, click Settings.
2. Click Phone in the left panel.
3. Click Incoming call rules.

4. By default, incoming call rules apply 24/7. To set up a schedule for work and after-hours, click the Pencil icon to set a custom work schedule.

• To create a custom rule with a different schedule and call handling instructions, click Add Rule.

5. Click the Welcome greeting toggles to turn on one or more options for callers. This could be a screening prompt, a notice of connection, or playing music.
6. Under Ring settings, you can review and manage how your apps and devices will ring. Incoming calls will either:
   • Ring in order: Devices ring one at a time
   • Ring all at once: All numbers and devices ring simultaneously
7. Toggle individual devices or numbers on or off to include or exclude them from the ring order.
8. Click Add number or coworker if you want incoming calls to ring additional numbers or extensions.
9. In the If no one answers section, click the dropdown to select how missed calls should be routed. We explain your options later in the guide.
10. Click Save to confirm your settings.

Mobile app

To turn on Forward All Calls:

1. Open the RingCentral mobile app.
2. Tap your profile icon or navigate to Settings.
3. Select Phone, then tap Incoming call rules.
4. Toggle on Forward All Calls.
5. Choose your forwarding destination.
6. Tap Save to confirm.

To configure standard call forwarding settings:

1. Go to Settings, then tap Phone.
2. Tap Incoming call rules.
3. To set a custom work schedule and configure separate after-hours rules, click the Pencil icon. To create a custom rule with a different schedule or instructions, click Add Rule.
4. Click the Welcome greeting toggles to turn on one or more options for callers. This could be a screening prompt, a notice of connection, or playing music.
5. Set your preferred ring order. This could be ringing in order, or ringing all together.
6. Toggle devices and numbers on or off to include them in your ring sequence.
7. Set your preference for missed calls. For example, you might forward the call to an external number, send to voicemail, or play an announcement.
8. Tap Save to save your changes.

RingCentral call forwarding options

There are multiple ways to forward your calls on every RingCentral pricing plan. These options can vary depending on the type of call forwarding you choose.

This includes:

Forward all calls forwarding options

The Forward all calls feature in RingCentral lets you forward every incoming call to another destination when you can’t pick up the phone. This is configurable at the user level. That means you don’t need to be an admin to set this up for your RingCentral number.

You can choose to forward all calls to:

• A voicemail inbox. You can also configure a custom greeting.
• Any extension or phone number. This includes numbers outside of RingCentral.
• A custom or general announcement. Play a recorded message, then end the call.

Forward all company calls forwarding options

If you’re a RingCentral admin, you can forward all incoming calls to your company’s main numbers. This can be useful during business closures, holidays, or emergencies.

You can forward all company calls in RingCentral to the following destinations:

• A recorded announcement. Send calls to an extension that plays a recorded message and then disconnects.
• Voicemail. Send callers to a dedicated voicemail inbox so you can follow up later.
• A specific user. Send calls to a selected user or extension.
• Multiple users in a call queue. Send callers to a queue where multiple team members share responsibility for incoming calls.
• Company greeting. Play a default or custom greeting.
• AI Receptionist. RingCentral’s AI Receptionist, or AIR, can answer questions, screen leads, and forward calls to other team members.
• IVR menu. Send callers to a phone menu.
• Shared line. Send calls to a shared number, like for sales or customer support.
• Limited extension. Send calls to an extension with limited features that isn’t tied to a specific user. It may be useful when configuring RingCentral call recording, since you won’t have to tie the feature to an individual user’s account.

Forward all queue calls forwarding options

Forwarding all call queues will send every member of a queue to a separate destination. That way, they can bypass the queue. This is useful for holidays, business closures, or emergencies when your team isn’t available to answer queue calls.

Here’s a breakdown of each queue destination you can choose from:

• AI Receptionist. Send callers to a RingCentral AIR extension.
• Announcement. Play an audio recording.
• Voicemail. Send missed calls to voicemail.
• External number. Forward the call to a number outside of RingCentral.
• A specific user. Send calls to a specific user.
• Multiple users – call queue. Send calls to a shared call queue where multiple team members can answer the phone.
• IVR menu. Send calls to a phone menu. 
• Delegated line. Send calls to multiple people on a shared number.
• Shared line. Send calls to multiple devices on a shared number.
• Limited extension. Send calls to a phone in a common area, like an office desk phone.
• Site. Send calls to an extension at a different company site. For example, you could send a sales call from your Norfolk division to your Richmond site.

How to set up additional RingCentral call routing features

Need to set up a more complex call flow? You can combine call forwarding with RingCentral’s other call routing features. This includes multi-level IVR, call transfers, and ring groups.

How to set up RingCentral IVR

RingCentral’s IVR phone menus let callers route themselves to the right person or department. You may have also heard IVR called a virtual receptionist or auto-receptionist.

Here’s how to set up RingCentral’s IVR feature:

1. In the Admin Portal on the RingCentral desktop and web app, click Phone System.
2. Under Company, click IVR Menus (b), then New IVR Menu.
3. Add keys under the Add Key dropdown box.
4. Decide how these keypad dials should route callers. This could be:
   • Routing the caller to a specific extension
   • Transferring to a voicemail inbox
   • Connecting to a dial-by-name directory
   • Transferring to an external number
5. Decide what happens if callers enter the wrong number or don’t press anything.
6. Click Validate Menus to check for problems with your IVR menu.
7. To finalize your menu, tap Save.

Keep in mind there’s also a visual IVR menu builder and an XML Editor if you’d prefer to build your phone menus another way.

How to transfer calls in RingCentral

You can transfer live calls to any number or voicemail inbox directly from the RingCentral mobile app. Use the following steps to set this up:

1. While on a live call, tap the three-dot More icon.
2. Select Transfer.
3. Choose your transfer type:

• Ask first. Give context to a team member before transferring a call over. Also known as a warm transfer.
• Transfer now. Transfer a call without speaking to the recipient first. Also known as a cold transfer.
• To voicemail. Send the caller to a specific person’s voicemail without ringing the number.

4. Search for the person, extension, or external number you want to transfer to.
5. For a warm transfer, wait until the recipient answers and brief them on the call before completing the transfer.
6. Tap or click Complete Transfer to finish.

How to set up ring order in RingCentral

RingCentral also lets you control the order in which calls ring your devices and team members. Here are the options available to RingEX users:

• Ring in order. Ring numbers or devices one at a time in a sequence you set. If the first person doesn’t answer, the call moves to the next.
• Ring all together. Ring all numbers or devices at once until someone picks up the phone.

For call queues, you have additional ring order options:

• Longest idle. Ring whichever team member has been inactive the longest. This can help distribute call volume evenly across your team.
• Fixed order. Rings team members one at a time in a specific sequence. This is useful when you want to prioritize certain reps before others.

You can adjust ring order settings under Call handling & forwarding in your RingCentral phone settings. Or you can make changes at the queue level in the Admin Portal.

RingCentral call forwarding limitations

RingCentral seems to offer plenty of routing features at first glance. But once you start building a custom flow for your business, you’ll see its call forwarding limitations firsthand.

Here are four reasons why RingCentral’s call forwarding settings fall short:

1. No visual call flow builder

RingCentral doesn’t have a visual interface to set up and manage your call flows. It has one for IVRs, but not for your call flow. 

Without a visual interface, it can be hard to see your call flow paths as you set up different ring groups, multi-level IVRs, and working hour schedules. 

2. Setup complexity

Setting up your call management and routing settings in RingCentral can be tedious. Each setting needs to be toggled on and modified in the admin portal. 

As one RingCentral review states:

“The platform is overly complicated and not intuitive, especially for small business owners who need something simple and reliable. Basic tasks take far more time than they should, and the overall setup process feels unnecessarily complex.” — Trustpilot

3. No backup call forwarding to AI Receptionist

RingCentral’s AI Receptionist add-on can only take incoming calls as they come in. That means you can’t forward unanswered calls to it as a backup call routing option. 

You can forward calls from the receptionist to a rep, but not vice versa. You can’t put callers back into the AIR queue. This could create problems for businesses with high call volumes. If you route callers to voicemail, they’re more likely to hang up and try reaching out to your competition. 

4. No call flow scheduling

RingCentral doesn’t let you set up multiple call flows to schedule when needed. 

For example, you can’t schedule a special call flow for a holiday and let it automatically take over from your default call flow. You’ll have to manually set up your working hours each time, which can be tricky when you’re moving fast or are out of the office.

You’ll also need to remember to adjust your settings again when you’re back to your regular working hours. 

How Quo offers more call routing flexibility

RingCentral does offer call handling and forwarding features. They’re just not designed for teams with complex or fluctuating schedules.

The good news is there’s a better alternative. Quo is a modern business phone system with more customizable call forwarding options than RingCentral. Each plan comes with unlimited calls and texts for Canadian and US numbers. You can also handle call forwarding as a team, with access to shared numbers, ring groups, and more.

See how Quo matches up to RingCentral below.

RingCentral call forwarding vs Quo at a glance

Here’s how RingCentral’s call forwarding features compare to Quo’s:

Feature	Quo	RingCentral
Visual drag-and-drop call flow builder	✅, available on all plans	❌
Call forwarding to AI receptionist	✅	❌
Multiple call flows	✅	❌
Call flow scheduling	✅	❌

Let’s explore these call forwarding features in greater detail.

1. Visual drag-and-drop call flow builder

Each Quo plan comes with a visual call flow builder. It lets non-technical users set call forwarding settings by dragging and dropping blocks in a visual canvas. That way, you can build complex call flows with:

• Multi-level IVR phone menus
• Conditional ring groups
• Backup call options
• Business hours and after-hours routing

Set up specific forwarding options in minutes to ensure no call goes unanswered. You can forward calls to external numbers after hours or create overflow paths during busy periods. You can even route calls to Sona, Quo’s AI agent, for 24/7 availability.

Speaking of Sona…

2. Forward calls to AI voice agents

Teams can forward incoming calls to Sona, Quo’s AI voice agent, to take calls when reps are busy or unavailable. Sona is built into Quo’s business phone platform so callers don’t have to leave voicemails or wait for callbacks.

First, train Sona on your company information. This could be your website, knowledge pages, or vocabulary that callers are likely to use.

Then provide custom scripts for specific scenarios. For example, you can instruct Sona to transfer urgent calls to your on-call staff after hours.

All Sona calls will appear in your Quo workspace with a call transcript and summary as soon as they end. That way, you can get immediate context into past interactions and decide on next steps, if any, for the caller.

Sona is also much more customizable than RingCentral. Unlike AIR, which requires a dedicated number or extension, Sona can handle calls in your primary business number. You can have Sona handle calls when your team is unavailable, or it can act as a backup routing option.You can also add Sona as a phone menu option, which is great for callers with  quick questions and who don’t need an extensive conversation.

Thousands of users say Sona is the easiest way to save time, build customer relationships, and never miss a call. No need to take our word for it, though:

“Before using Sona, we were drowning in repetitive questions from clients and tenants. Missed calls left us feeling like we were always one step behind. But since bringing Sona onboard, all those repeat questions are handled automatically, and no call goes unanswered.” – Gabe Chase, Owner, Brentwood Property Group 

3. Scheduled call flows

Need to switch up your schedule for a time, then set it back to your regular hours? With Quo, teams can set up multiple call flows and add them to their schedule as needed. 

Let’s say you have a one-week vacation on the horizon. You can use temporary call flows to create alternate call routing setups, then switch between them without editing your default flow. This might be useful for:

• Holidays or seasonal campaigns. Run unique greetings or routing during special offers or events.
• Meetings or short unavailability. Route calls to Sona or another destination while you’re unavailable.
• Temporary staffing or routing changes. Route calls to another team member while you’re away.You can easily schedule when specific flows should start and end. Or you can manually select them yourself from your list of call flows.

Learn more about why businesses switch from RingCentral to Quo

Wondering how else Quo stacks up to RingCentral? Learn more in our Quo vs RingCentral comparison.

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