Conditional call forwarding codes, by carrier

Conditional call forwarding sends a call to another number only when you do not pick up, or when you are already on a call. On Verizon the code is *71 + number. On T-Mobile and Mint it is **61*1 + number + #. AT&T sets it in the phone's settings instead of with a code. The full list, from each carrier's own pages, is below.

Most pages that list these codes do not say where the codes came from, and some give codes the carrier itself does not publish. Every code here was read on the carrier's own website, with the page linked and the date we checked it. Where a carrier publishes no code, or its own pages disagree, we say so and give you the words to say to the carrier instead. A wrong code read off a blog is worse than no code.

We keep this table because our own setup uses it. When a shop sets up an AI agent with us, it can keep its number and forward the calls it misses to the agent, and the setup shows these same steps for the shop's carrier. The codes work the same whether you forward to an agent, an answering service, a coworker or your own second phone.

What are the kinds of call forwarding?

Carriers name these differently, but there are four.

• No answer. Your phone rings as normal. If nobody picks up, the call goes to the other number instead of your voicemail.
• Busy. If you are already on a call, the next caller goes to the other number instead of a busy signal or your voicemail.
• Unreachable. The phone is off or has no signal. T-Mobile, for one, publishes a separate code for this.
• Always. Calls go straight to the other number and your phone does not ring. Useful for a vacation or a day on a big job. Turn it off when you want your phone back.

"Conditional" call forwarding means the first three: the call only moves when something stops you from answering. For a small shop, no-answer forwarding is usually the one you want. Your phone still rings, you still get the calls you can take, and only the ones you miss go elsewhere.

Call forwarding codes for cell phones

In each code, "number" means the 10 digits of the phone you are forwarding to, area code first, with no spaces or dashes. Dial the code from the phone whose calls you want to forward, then press Call.

Sources, each the carrier's own page: Verizon (checked October 1, 2026); T-Mobile (checked October 1, 2026); Visible (checked October 1, 2026); Xfinity Mobile (checked October 4, 2026); Spectrum Mobile (checked October 4, 2026); Mint Mobile (checked October 4, 2026). Verizon's *72 steps are on its call forwarding FAQ (checked October 1, 2026).

What the carriers' own pages add

• Verizon: its own article says *71 + number sends calls on "when your phone is busy or when you don't answer after three or four rings." Its FAQ adds that if your plan does not have unlimited minutes, forwarded calls are billed according to your plan.
• T-Mobile: you can set how long the phone rings first by adding seconds before the #, as in **61*1 + number + **15# for 15 seconds. Its page also lists **62*1 + number + # for when your phone is off or out of signal, and ##004# to reset every kind of forwarding at once.
• AT&T: its page says: "For your security, you can only change your call forwarding settings from your wireless phone. You can’t manage call forwarding online." Look under call forwarding in your phone's settings. AT&T says forwarded calls are billed for the length of the call. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Visible: its page lists *71 for a busy line only. It does not say *71 covers unanswered calls, so we do not list it for no answer. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Xfinity Mobile: Xfinity says call forwarding can only be turned on from the Xfinity Mobile phone itself, and that while it is on, unanswered calls do not go to your mobile voicemail. Source, checked October 4, 2026.
• Spectrum Mobile: Spectrum says only the account holder can change call forwarding, and that while it is on, unanswered calls do not go to your mobile voicemail. To cover calls that come in while you are on another call, Spectrum's account page has a Busy Line & Missed Calls setting: under Your Services choose Mobile, pick the line, then Call Forwarding. Source, checked October 4, 2026.
• Mint Mobile: Mint gives T-Mobile style codes on its own help page, including **67*1 for a busy line or no coverage. Source, checked October 4, 2026.
• Cricket Wireless: its page lists call forwarding as a feature and points to each phone's user manual instead of giving a code. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Google Fi: Google Fi sets up forwarding in its own app or website, not with a dial code. Its choices are every call, or ringing your phone and another number at the same time. It has no setting for only the calls you miss, and it asks you to verify the other number with a code first. We do not have checked steps for that, so the simplest route is to give customers the other number. Source, checked October 4, 2026.
• UScellular: UScellular's own website now sends you to T-Mobile, so we could not find UScellular's instructions. Ask them, or set it in your phone's call settings.
• Consumer Cellular: Consumer Cellular does not publish a forwarding code for mobile phones. Ask them, or set it in your phone's call settings.

Call forwarding codes for landlines and business lines

Office lines differ more than cell phones. The same company can use different codes for a home line, a business line and an older copper line, and some only let you set forwarding online. Here is what each carrier's own pages say.

Home and small business landlines

• Spectrum (home phone). Always: Pick up the home phone and dial *72. Wait for the dial tone. Enter 1 and the 10-digit number and press #. To turn it off, dial *73. No answer and busy: Spectrum's two official pages disagree. One lists *92 for no answer and *90 for busy. The other says *71 covers both. Ask Spectrum, or try one and test it. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Frontier (home phone). Always: Pick up your home phone and dial *72. Wait for the second dial tone. Enter the 10-digit number. You will hear a confirmation tone. On some older Frontier lines forwarding cannot be switched from the phone. If *72 does not work, ask Frontier. To turn it off, dial *73. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• AT&T (home or business landline). No code we can stand behind. AT&T's codes differ between its digital AT&T Phone service and a traditional landline, so ask AT&T which you have. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Xfinity Voice (home phone). No code we can stand behind. Xfinity says call forwarding is not available with its Unlimited Saver and Local With More plans. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Windstream / Kinetic (landline). No code we can stand behind. Windstream says its forwarding codes vary by area. Source, checked October 1, 2026.

Business phone services

• Spectrum Business Voice. Always: Pick up your business phone, dial *72 and wait for the dial tone. Dial the 10-digit number, followed by the # key. Spectrum says to include 1 and the area code if necessary. Listen for the confirmation tone. To turn it off, dial *73. Spectrum says international forwarding destinations are not allowed. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Comcast Business VoiceEdge. No answer: Dial *92 and wait for the voice prompts. Enter the 10-digit number and press #. Wait for the confirmation tone. Busy: Dial *90 and wait for the voice prompts. Enter the 10-digit number and press #. Always: Dial *72 and wait for the voice prompts. Enter the 10-digit number and press #. To turn them off, dial *93 (no answer), *91 (busy), *73 (always). These codes are for Comcast Business VoiceEdge, set per line. If you are not sure which Comcast service you have, ask Comcast before dialling. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Comcast Business Voice (not VoiceEdge). No answer: Lift the receiver, press *92, and wait for the second dial tone. Dial the 10-digit number and listen for the confirmation tone. Busy: Lift the receiver, press *90, and wait for the second dial tone. Dial the 10-digit number and listen for the confirmation tone. Always: Lift the receiver, press *72, and wait for the normal dial tone. Dial the 10-digit number. Stay on the line until the agent answers. That switches forwarding on. To turn them off, dial *93 (no answer), *91 (busy), *73 (always). Comcast says busy and no-answer forwarding do not work on a line that is part of a hunt group. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Nextiva. No answer: Log in to the Nextiva voice portal as an administrator and click Users. Next to your user, open Voice Settings, then select Forwarding. Open Call forwarding (unanswered), enter the 10-digit number, choose the number of rings, and click Save. Busy: Log in to the Nextiva voice portal as an administrator and click Users. Next to your user, open Voice Settings, then select Forwarding. Open Call forwarding (busy), enter the 10-digit number, choose the number of rings, and click Save. Always: From your Nextiva phone, dial *72. When it asks, enter the 10-digit number. Press the # key. To turn it off, dial *73. Nextiva says user forwarding only forwards direct calls, not calls from a call center or call group. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• RingCentral. No answer: In the RingCentral app, go to Settings, then Phone, and click Edit next to Call handling. On the Work hours tab, under Missed calls, choose Forward to external number and enter the 10-digit number. Do the same on the After hours tab, then click Save. These are the settings for your own RingCentral user. If your main number answers with a company greeting or menu first, ask your RingCentral admin to send those calls on. Always: In the RingCentral app, go to Settings, then Phone, and click Edit next to Call handling. Turn on Forward all calls. Choose Contact or phone number, enter the 10-digit number, and save. RingCentral says this overrides your work hours and after hours settings until you turn it off. To turn it off, turn Forward all calls off in the same place. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Grasshopper. No answer: Sign in to the Grasshopper admin portal and open the extension your business number rings. Add the 10-digit number as a call forwarding number, below your own phone. Choose Calls will connect to you as soon as you pick up, so the agent hears the caller straight away. Under the forwarding numbers, select Options, choose In order, just once, and select Save. Grasshopper True Solo accounts allow only one forwarding number, so this needs a plan with more than one. Always: Sign in to the Grasshopper admin portal and open the extension your business number rings. Add the 10-digit number as a call forwarding number, choose Calls will connect to you as soon as you pick up, and make sure it is on. Select Off next to each of your other forwarding numbers, so only the agent rings. To turn it off, set your own number back to On and the agent's number to Off. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Quo (formerly OpenPhone). No answer: In Quo, open the call flow builder for your business number. After the Ring users step, add a Forward call step, choose an external number and enter the 10-digit number. Enable the call flow. Always: In Quo, open the call flow builder for your business number. Click the Default call flow dropdown at the top and select Forward all calls. Enter the 10-digit number and click Create new call flow. Click Enable this call flow and check that the Live indicator appears. To turn it off, select Default call flow from the dropdown and click Enable this call flow. Quo says a forwarded call is not recorded or transcribed, and counts double toward your usage. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Vonage Business. Always: Sign in to the Vonage Admin Portal as a Super User or Account Administrator. Click Phone System, then Extensions. Hover over the extension your business number rings and click the Pencil icon. Click Call Forwarding and turn on Forward Calls. Under Send To Ext. or Number, click Add New Number, enter the 10-digit number, and click Save. To turn it off, open Call Forwarding again, turn Forward Calls off, and click Save. Source, checked October 1, 2026.
• Google Voice. No code we can stand behind. Google says forwarding a Google Voice number to an automated system, like an AI agent, is not supported. If your business uses Google Workspace, your Google admin can send calls to another number with an auto attendant. Otherwise, give customers the other number. Source, checked October 1, 2026.

What to say when your carrier has no code

If your carrier is not listed, or it says to call, ring its customer service from the line you want to forward and use these words. They name the feature the way carriers do, so the person on the phone knows what to switch on.

• Only the calls you miss: "I want conditional call forwarding on no-answer to (the number you are forwarding to). Please do not forward all my calls, only the ones I do not answer."
• Calls that come in while you are on the phone: "I want conditional call forwarding when my line is busy, to (the number you are forwarding to)."
• All calls: "I want every call to my number forwarded to (the number you are forwarding to)."

If your office runs a phone system with desk phones and extensions, whoever looks after it can set this up. Read them the same words.

How do you test call forwarding?

1. Ring your own number from another phone. Use a phone your line does not know, and let it ring out. You should reach the number you forwarded to, not your voicemail.
2. Test it while you are on a call. If you set busy forwarding too, call yourself from a second phone while the first call is still going.
3. Write down the turn-off code. On Verizon, Visible, Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile it is *73. On T-Mobile and Mint each kind has its own ## code, listed in the table. Keep it in the truck if you switch forwarding on and off.

Why is call forwarding not working?

When forwarding does not take, the carriers' own pages point to a short list of causes.

• The wrong code for your line. Visible's *71 covers busy only. Spectrum's home phone pages disagree with each other. Windstream says its codes vary by area. Check your carrier above.
• Set from the wrong place. Xfinity says call forwarding can only be turned on from the Xfinity Mobile phone itself, and that while it is on, unanswered calls do not go to your mobile voicemail. Spectrum says only the account holder can change call forwarding, and that while it is on, unanswered calls do not go to your mobile voicemail.
• A hunt group on a business line. Comcast says busy and no-answer forwarding do not work on a line that is part of a hunt group.
• An older line. On some older Frontier lines forwarding cannot be switched from the phone. If *72 does not work, ask Frontier.
• The number you forward to. AT&T's page says you can't forward calls to an international number. Google says: "Forwarding calls from your Google Voice number to an automated system is unsupported."
• Voicemail answers first. If your voicemail picks up before forwarding moves the call, the call stays put. Verizon says it forwards after three or four rings. On T-Mobile you can set the ring time as shown above.

Where should forwarded calls go?

The code is the easy part. The real question is who answers when the call lands.

• Your own second phone, or a partner's. Free, but that phone is often in the same crawlspace you are.
• A person in the office or on call. Good judgment on the line, as long as someone is on shift.
• A human answering service. People reading your script, billed by the minute or the call. We explain how they bill in how much an answering service costs.
• An AI agent. Ours answers on a new number or on your main line forwarded when you are busy or closed. It takes the caller's name, number and the job, notes appointment requests your team confirms, and can put an urgent caller through to your cell. It is an AI and says so if asked, and the calls it answers are recorded.
• Voicemail, done well. If calls are going to voicemail anyway, make the greeting work harder. We wrote after-hours voicemail greetings for trades you can read as they are.

If you set up Forge Voice at forgedev.studio/start, you can keep your number and forward it, and once your line is built the setup shows the steps for your carrier from this same table. Plans start at $297 a month, and the pricing page lists each plan's minutes. More on how the agent works is on the Forge Voice page, with trade pages for HVAC and plumbing. If you would rather text people back after a missed call, we compare that with an agent that answers on missed-call text back.

Questions owners ask about call forwarding

What is the code for conditional call forwarding?

It depends on the carrier. On Verizon, Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile, dial *71 and then the 10-digit number to forward calls you do not answer. On T-Mobile and Mint, dial **61*1, the number, then #. AT&T sets it in the phone's settings rather than with a code.

Will my phone still ring with no-answer forwarding on?

Yes. Your phone rings as normal, and only the calls you do not pick up go to the other number. Always forwarding is different: your phone does not ring at all until you turn it off.

Does call forwarding cost extra?

Check your plan. Verizon says that without unlimited minutes, forwarded calls are billed according to your plan. AT&T says forwarded calls are billed for the length of the call, and long distance charges can apply.

How do I turn call forwarding off?

On Verizon, Visible, Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile, dial *73. On T-Mobile and Mint, each kind has its own code: ##61# for no answer, ##67# for busy and ##21# for always. T-Mobile also lists ##004# to reset all forwarding at once.

Can I forward calls only after business hours?

Not with the cell carrier codes above: each one switches forwarding on or off, with no time setting. Some business phone systems, such as Nextiva, Quo and Vonage, have a business hours rule in their own settings. Otherwise, use no-answer forwarding. After hours nobody picks up, so the calls go to the other number.