Call Forwarding Setup Guide: Every Carrier, Step by Step

Call forwarding is one of those features that's been on every phone since the 90s, but most people have never actually set it up. If you're a business owner trying to route your calls to an answering service, an AI receptionist, or just a second phone — this guide walks you through the exact steps for every major carrier.

No fluff. No jargon. Just the codes and the steps. Bookmark this one because you'll probably need it again.

First: Conditional vs. All-Call Forwarding

Before we get into the carrier-specific stuff, you need to understand the two main types of call forwarding. This matters because picking the wrong one will either send every call away from your phone (when you still want to answer some yourself) or only forward under conditions you didn't expect.

All-call forwarding sends every single incoming call directly to your forwarding number. Your phone doesn't ring. It doesn't vibrate. Calls go straight to the other number. This is useful if you're going on vacation, if your phone is broken, or if you want 100% of calls handled by someone else.

Conditional forwarding only kicks in when you can't answer. Specifically, it forwards calls when your line is busy, when you don't pick up after a certain number of rings, or when your phone is turned off or out of service range. This is what most business owners want — you answer when you can, and everything else gets forwarded automatically.

For most service businesses, conditional forwarding is the move. You pick up when you're free. When you're on a job, driving, or on another call, the AI receptionist or answering service catches the rest.

AT&T Setup

All-call forwarding: Pick up your phone and dial *72, then the 10-digit number you want to forward to. You'll hear a confirmation tone or a brief message. That's it — all your calls now go to that number.

Conditional forwarding (no answer): Dial *71, then the 10-digit forwarding number. This routes calls to your forwarding number when you don't pick up after several rings. Your phone still rings first, giving you a chance to answer.

To turn it off: Dial *73. You'll hear a confirmation tone. Calls come back to your phone like normal.

If you have an AT&T business account, you can also manage forwarding through the AT&T Business portal or the myAT&T app under the Call Forwarding section. But honestly, the star codes are faster.

Verizon Setup

All-call forwarding: Dial *72, then the forwarding number. Wait for a confirmation tone or for the forwarded number to ring. Once you hear that confirmation, hang up. Done.

Conditional forwarding (no answer): Dial *71, then the forwarding number. Same deal — your phone rings first, and if you don't answer, the call bounces to your forwarding number.

To turn it off: Dial *73. Wait for the confirmation tone. You're back to normal.

Verizon's codes work the same whether you're on a personal or business plan. If you're on a Verizon business account with advanced features, you might also have access to forwarding rules through the My Business portal, but the star codes work just fine from any phone.

T-Mobile Setup

All-call forwarding: Dial *72, followed by the forwarding number. You'll get a confirmation. Every call now routes to that number without your phone ringing.

Conditional forwarding (no answer): Dial *71, then the number. Calls ring your phone first. If you don't answer, they forward.

To turn it off: Dial *73.

T-Mobile also lets you set up forwarding through the T-Mobile app or your online account under the Line Settings section. One nice thing about T-Mobile — you can set separate forwarding rules for "busy," "no answer," and "not reachable" through their app if you need that level of control. But for most people, *71 for conditional and *72 for all calls does the job.

Landline Setup

If your business runs on a traditional landline — and plenty of service businesses still do — the process is basically the same star code system.

All-call forwarding: Pick up the handset, dial *72, then the forwarding number. Wait for a confirmation tone or for the other end to ring. Hang up. All calls are now forwarded.

Conditional forwarding: Dial *71 and the forwarding number. Calls forward only when unanswered.

To turn it off: Dial *73.

One thing to watch with landlines: some local phone providers require you to have call forwarding activated on your account before the star codes will work. If you dial *72 and nothing happens, call your provider and ask them to enable the call forwarding feature. It's usually free or a couple bucks a month.

VoIP Systems (Google Voice, RingCentral, and Others)

VoIP systems handle forwarding through their settings menus rather than star codes. The good news is they're usually more flexible than traditional carriers.

Google Voice: Open Google Voice settings, click "Calls," and find the "Forward calls to" section. Add your forwarding number and toggle it on. Google Voice can ring multiple numbers at once or route sequentially. You can set it to forward only when your Google Voice number isn't answered.

RingCentral: Log into your admin portal. Go to Phone System, then Call Handling & Forwarding. You can set up sequential or simultaneous ring groups, set the number of rings before forwarding, and specify different rules for business hours vs. after hours. RingCentral gives you the most granular control of any system on this list.

Other VoIP providers (Grasshopper, Nextiva, Vonage, 8x8) all have similar settings under their call management or call handling sections. If you can't find it, search their help docs for "call forwarding rules" — every VoIP provider has this feature.

Which Type Should You Use?

If you're forwarding to an AI receptionist or answering service, go with conditional forwarding almost every time. Here's why: you still want the chance to answer your own phone. Your existing customers know your voice. Prospects respond well to talking to the actual owner.

But when you're elbow deep in a job, driving, or it's 9 PM on a Tuesday — that's when forwarding catches the calls you'd otherwise lose. Conditional forwarding gives you the best of both worlds. You answer when you can. The backup catches everything else.

The only time I'd recommend all-call forwarding is if you're deliberately routing 100% of calls through a system — like during a vacation, or if you've set up a triage line where the AI qualifies calls before passing them to you.

Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Enable all-call forwarding: *72 + forwarding number (all carriers and landlines)

Enable conditional forwarding: *71 + forwarding number (all carriers and landlines)

Disable forwarding: *73 (all carriers and landlines)

VoIP: Settings menu → Call Handling / Forwarding section

Save those codes in your phone's notes app. You'll use them more than you think.