How to enable call forwarding on your phone

Edited 14 hours ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Call forwarding is a feature available on most phone networks that allows you to redirect incoming calls to another phone number. This can be very useful when you can't pick up your phone, are traveling, or would prefer to have someone else take your calls for a while. This guide will walk you through the process of enabling call forwarding on different types of phones, step by step. We'll cover both mobile phones and landline phones.

Understanding call forwarding

Call forwarding can usually be set up in several different ways, depending on the phone model and network provider. There are a few types of call forwarding:

• Unconditional call forwarding: redirects all incoming calls to another number.
• Conditional call forwarding: Redirect calls based on specific conditions, such as when the line is busy, there is no answer, or the phone is out of reach.

Enabling call forwarding on a mobile phone

For Android phone

The settings may vary slightly depending on your phone manufacturer and network provider, but the steps are generally the same.

1. Open the Phone app on your Android device.
2. Tap the menu icon (usually three dots or lines).
3. Select Settings or Call Settings.
4. Tap Call forwarding.
5. You may see options for Always forward, Forward when busy, Forward when unanswered, and Forward when unreachable. Select the option you want:
• Always forward: Enter the phone number you want to forward all incoming calls to and tap Enable.
• Forward when busy, Forward when unanswered, Forward when unreachable: Enter the forwarding number for each status as desired.

For example, if you wanted to set up unconditional call forwarding, you would do the following:

<ol>
    <li>Open your Phone app.</li>
    <li>Tap on Menu (three dots).</li>
    <li>Go to Settings.</li>
    <li>Select Call Forwarding.</li>
    <li>Choose Always Forward.</li>
    <li>Enter the number to forward calls to.</li>
    <li>Tap Enable.</li>
</ol>

For iPhone

Follow these steps to enable call forwarding on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap Phone.
3. Tap Call forwarding.
4. Toggle the Call Forwarding switch to turn it on.
5. Tap Forward to and enter the phone number you want to forward calls to.

For example:

<ol>
    <li>Open Settings.</li>
    <li>Scroll down and select Phone.</li>
    <li>Tap Call Forwarding.</li>
    <li>Toggle the switch to enable.</li>
    <li>Enter the forwarding number.</li>
</ol>

Enabling call forwarding on a landline phone

Digital landline phone use

Digital landline phones usually have a simple method of enabling call forwarding through their built-in menus.

1. Pick up the receiver.
2. Press the Menu button on your phone.
3. Go to call settings or phone settings.
4. Find and select the Call Forwarding option.
5. Enter the number you want your calls forwarded to.
6. Save the settings and hang up the receiver.

For example:

<ol>
    <li>Pick up the phone receiver.</li>
    <li>Access the Menu.</li>
    <li>Go to Call Settings.</li>
    <li>Select Call Forwarding.</li>
    <li>Enter the forwarding number.</li>
    <li>Save and exit.</li>
</ol>

Using an analog landline phone

If you are using an older or analog landline phone, you may need to use a specific code provided by your telephone service provider. Here is a general approach:

1. Pick up the receiver and listen for a dial tone.
2. Dial the call forwarding activation code, usually *72 or 72#, and listen for the second dial tone.
3. Enter the phone number to which you want your calls forwarded, then press the # key (if necessary).
4. You will hear a confirmation tone indicating that call forwarding is activated. If you don't hear it, contact your service provider for assistance.
5. Put down the receiver.

For example:

<ol>
    <li>Pick up the receiver.</li>
    <li>Dial *72 or 72#.</li>
    <li>Enter the forwarding number.</li>
    <li>Press # if needed.</li>
    <li>Listen for the confirmation tone.</li>
    <li>Hang up.</li>
</ol>

Disabling call forwarding

For Android phone

To disable call forwarding on an Android phone:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the menu icon.
3. Select Settings or Call Settings.
4. Select Call forwarding.
5. For each type of forwarding, select it and tap Disable or Turn Off.

For iPhone

To disable call forwarding on iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Phone.
3. Tap Call forwarding.
4. Toggle the Call Forwarding switch to turn it off.

For digital landline phones

Disabling call forwarding on a digital landline phone is simple:

1. Pick up the receiver.
2. Press the menu button.
3. Go to call settings.
4. Find and select the Call Forwarding option.
5. Choose to disable or turn off call forwarding.
6. Save the settings and hang up the phone.

For analog landline phones

To disable call forwarding on an analog landline phone:

1. Pick up the receiver and listen for a dial tone.
2. Dial the call forwarding deactivation code, usually *73 or 73#.
3. You will hear a confirmation sound indicating that call forwarding has been deactivated.
4. Put down the receiver.

Troubleshooting common problems

Sometimes, you may encounter problems when setting up call forwarding. Here are some common problems and ways to resolve them:

Call forwarding not working

If call forwarding isn't working, make sure the feature is enabled and the forwarding number is entered correctly. Double-check that you've followed all the steps correctly for your specific phone model and network provider.

No confirmation tone

If you don't hear a confirmation tone after setting up call forwarding on a landline phone, make sure the codes you are using are correct. If the problem persists, contact your service provider.

Calls are not reaching the forwarded number

If calls are not reaching the forwarded number, make sure the number is active and capable of receiving calls. Also, make sure there are no typos while entering the forwarding number.

Conclusion

Call forwarding is a useful feature that can help you manage your calls more efficiently. Whether you're using a mobile phone or a landline, the steps to enable and disable this feature are generally straightforward. Always remember to make a test call to verify that the feature is working correctly. If you encounter any problems, your service provider is a valuable resource for troubleshooting assistance.

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