Activate Call Forwarding

Call forwarding, though not as popular today as it was before the days of call waiting and voice mail, is still a useful feature to know about in certain situations. It allows your phone to redirect calls to another line, either when certain conditions are met or at all times. Read this guide to learn how to set up and activate call forwarding on your phone.

Steps

In the United States

  1. Sign up. Call forwarding isn't usually included as a standard feature in most phone service plans. Call your provider and ask to sign up for call forwarding if you'd like to use it.
    • There are two types of call forwarding: conditional and unconditional.
      • Conditional call forwarding will only forward a call from the activated phone to the target phone if the activated phone is busy or nobody picks up after a certain number of rings.
      • Unconditional call forwarding means that once activated, all calls sent to the activated phone will be rerouted to the target phone no matter what (until the call forwarding service is canceled).
    • Phones that use the 4G LTE communications standard have call forwarding options built in, and do not require that you sign up, in most cases.
  2. Set up call forwarding on a landline or conventional cell phone. The way to activate call forwarding for all landline phones and cell phones on a 1G network in the United States is the same.
    • Pick up the receiver or turn your cell phone on.
    • Dial the following code based on the type of forwarding you want:
      • Dial *72 to set up unconditional call forwarding.
      • Dial *68 to set up conditional (busy signal/no pickup) call forwarding.
      • Dial *63 to forward calls from specific phone numbers only.
      • Dial *90 to only forward calls on a busy signal, but not on no pickup. This option is not available from every carrier.
      • Dial *92 to only forward calls on no pickup, but not in case of a busy signal. This option is not available from every carrier.
      • If you use Sprint Nextel phone service, the codes are slightly different: *72 for unconditional forwarding, *73 for forwarding on no answer, *74 for forwarding on a busy signal, and *28 for both.
    • After entering the code, dial the 10-digit phone number you want to forward calls to. Once that line is answered, call forwarding will be set.
      • If your target line is busy or nobody picks up when you try to set up forwarding, hang up and dial the code plus number a second time. This will usually set up unconditional call forwarding even without an answer from the other line.
        • The redialing technique may or may not work for other types of call forwarding.
  3. Set up call forwarding on a 2G or 3G (GSM/UMTS) cell phone. If you have an early smartphone or conventional cell phone made within the last several years, chances are it uses one of these protocols.
    • Turn your cell phone on.
    • Dial the following code based on the type of forwarding you want:
      • Dial *21* for unconditional call forwarding.
      • Dial *004* for conditional forwarding when the line is busy, doesn't pick up, or is out of service range.
      • Dial *67* to forward calls on a busy signal.
      • Dial *61* to forward calls on no pickup.
      • Dial *62* to forward calls when the phone is out of service range.
    • After entering the code, dial the 10-digit phone number you want to forward calls to, and then press # to finalize forwarding.
      • On 2G and 3G phones, it is possible to overwrite call forwarding to another number by re-entering the appropriate code and supplying a new number. To revert to the original forwarding number, enter the code without a phone number, followed by a # instead of a *.
  4. Set up call forwarding on a 4G phone. The most modern protocol for cell phone communications is 4G. If you have a new smartphone, chances are it operates on a 4G network.
    • Turn your cell phone on.
    • Navigate to the appropriate app for setting up call forwarding on your phone.
      • The location of this feature varies from model to model, but nearly all 4G phones have it. Consult your user manual if you can't find it.
    • Follow the directions on your screen to set up call forwarding numbers and options.

In the European Union

  1. Learn the codes. The European Union generally follows a set pattern for all (non-4G) phones across all providers when it comes to setting up call forwarding. They are similar to the codes for 3G phones in the United States.
    • Pick up or turn on your phone.
    • Dial the following code based on the type of forwarding you want:
      • Dial *21* to set up unconditional call forwarding.
      • Dial *67* or *69* to forward calls on a busy signal.
      • Dial *61* to forward calls on no pickup.
    • #* After entering the code, dial the 10-digit phone number you want to forward calls to, and then press # to finalize forwarding.
  2. Set up your 4G phone for call forwarding. This is identical to the process for setting up call forwarding on a 4G phone in the United States.
    • Turn on your phone and navigate to the appropriate app to set up call forwarding.
      • This feature is included on nearly all 4G phones, but its location varies from phone to phone. Consult your user manual if you can't find it.
    • Set the options and numbers for call forwarding by using the prompts on your screen.

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