How to forward calls to another number (3 reliable ways)

You can forward calls to another phone number three reliable ways: dial your carrier’s star code, turn on Call Forwarding in iPhone/Android settings, or route through a hosted forwarding number. Follow the steps below and you’ll have it working in a few minutes, and keep caller ID intact with clear control over where voicemail lands.

How to forward calls to another number (three ways)

Pick the method that fits what you need today. If you just need tonight’s calls from the main line to ring a cell, start with the star code. If you want schedules, simultaneous ring, or an IVR, use a hosted forwarding number.

1. Carrier star codes (fastest)

• From the line you want to forward, dial *72 followed by the 10-digit destination number (area code required). Place the call. Wait for a confirmation tone or spoken announcement before hanging up.
• Test from a different phone by calling the original line. It should ring on the destination. To cancel, dial *73 from the original line and wait for confirmation.
• On GSM/UMTS/LTE networks that use “supplementary service” codes, dial *21<10-digit-number># to forward all calls. Cancel with ##21#. Variants for conditional forwarding include:
  • 61*# for no-answer (use 20, 25, or 30 seconds).
  • *67# for busy.
  • *62# for unreachable.
• North American conditional code families like *71, *90, or *92 handle busy/no-answer/unreachable on some providers. The exact map varies; check your plan’s call forwarding documentation if you need conditional behavior.
• Notes that prevent “call forwarding not working”: most networks require the full 10-digit destination, and GSM-style codes must end with #. If you don’t hear a confirmation or the test call still rings locally, the forward didn’t take. Try again and listen for the beep/announcement.

1. iPhone/Android settings (network-based, toggle from the handset)

• iPhone: Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding. Turn it on, then enter the destination number. If you use Dual SIM, pick the correct line first in Cellular > Cellular Plans.
• Android (naming may vary): open the Phone app > menu > Settings > Calling accounts or Supplementary services > Call forwarding. Choose “Always forward,” enter the number, and save. On dual-SIM phones, set it per SIM.
• These toggles usually set unconditional forwarding. For conditional no-answer/busy/unreachable, use the dial codes above. As with star codes, this programs the network, not an app, so it works even if the phone is off.

1. Hosted forwarding number (routing power and schedules)

• Provision a business number and set it to forward to one or more targets (cell, desk phone, SIP, or a browser agent). This adds routing rules: schedules/time windows, priority/weighted/round-robin, simultaneous ring, IVR menus, call queue with hold music, voicemail, whisper messages, caps, and per-target windows. You also get real-time logs, analytics, optional recording, and live call monitoring.
• Useful when a team shares on-call duty, when you want caller ID preserved and a brief whisper before connect, or when you need to route by caller state or cap calls per buyer in a lead-gen workflow.
• CallFlow does this with a prepaid wallet and instant US local/toll-free numbers, forwarding to any phone, SIP endpoint or browser agent with the rules above. You pay only for what you use.

To confirm any method right now, call your main number from a third phone. Watch which device rings and which voicemail answers. Leave a short message so you can verify who owns the recording.

A running example for context: your dental office closes at 5 pm and you want 5–9 pm calls to reach the owner’s cell tonight. The fastest setup is Method 1 (star code). If this will be an ongoing pattern with specific windows, move to Method 3 so it happens on a schedule and no one has to remember to turn it off.

What each method does and doesn’t do

With carrier-based forwarding (star codes or the iPhone/Android toggles), the network diverts the call before it reaches your handset. Caller ID usually stays as the original caller’s number. With hosted routing, you can preserve the original caller ID. If you need agents to know which line was called, play a short whisper message before connect.

Voicemail ownership follows the path you choose. Unconditional forwarding sends callers to the destination’s voicemail if the call isn’t answered. Conditional no-answer forwarding can still land in the original line’s voicemail if its ring timeout is shorter than the forward timer. Hosted routing lets you choose where voicemail lives and can play a whisper message before connect so your staff knows the call type.

Star codes and phone settings forward to a single destination with no built-in schedule. Hosted routing can ring multiple destinations at once, stagger them by priority, rotate them round-robin, and honor per-target schedules. It can also present an IVR (“Press 1 for new patients”), hold callers in a simple queue with music, and cap calls per target per day.

Control and visibility differ too. Star codes don’t provide analytics. A hosted platform shows real-time logs, recordings if enabled, caps, and live monitoring, plus scheduled email reports if you want daily summaries.

Here’s a compact view:

If the star code does nothing, try this

Confirm you actually placed a call, not just typed the code. Star codes must be dialed and sent as a call, and you should wait for a confirmation tone or a spoken message before hanging up.

Include the full 10-digit destination. Some lines won’t accept 7-digit numbers. On GSM-style codes, end with #, for example *212125550199#.

Make a quick test from a different phone. If the forwarded line still rings locally, the network didn’t accept the change. Re-enter the code and listen for confirmation.

On dual-SIM phones, set forwarding on the correct SIM or line. iPhone’s Call Forwarding is per line when Dual SIM is active, and Android typically shows separate forwarding menus per SIM.

If you use a PBX or VoIP desk phone at the office, the handset or PBX may intercept star codes. Set forwarding in the PBX/UC portal, or ask your voice provider where to configure it.

Some plans restrict call forwarding, or block forwarding to toll-free or international numbers. Check your account portal for a Call Forwarding toggle; if codes are disabled on your plan, that’s where you’ll enable it.

Wi-Fi Calling or certain VoLTE modes can interfere with programming the feature. Temporarily turn off Wi-Fi Calling, dial the code again so it programs on the network, then re-enable Wi-Fi Calling if you use it.

If forwarding is already active and won’t change, cancel first, then re-enable. Use *73 (or ##21# on GSM) to clear it, wait for confirmation, place a quick test call, then set the new destination.

When time is critical and nothing sticks, use a hosted forwarding number as a workaround. Point it at the destination you need right now and update your business listing or auto-attendant to use that number until your carrier line cooperates.

Forward after-hours from the office line to a cell, cleanly

Your office closes at 5 pm, and you want calls from 5–9 pm on weekdays to reach a cell without losing caller ID.

1. 0:00 – 9:00Hosted voicemail
2. 9:00 – 17:00Office line rings
3. 17:00Office closes
4. 17:00 – 21:00Forwarded to the cell
5. 21:00Forwarding ends
6. 21:00 – 24:00Hosted voicemail

Option A (quick tonight): at 5 pm, from the office line, dial *72 plus the cell number, or *21# if your network uses GSM/UMTS codes. Make a one-minute test from another phone. At 9 pm, dial *73 (or ##21#) to cancel. The downside is human memory. Someone must remember to turn it off.

Option B (smoother ongoing): use a hosted forwarding number and set a 5–9 pm Monday–Friday schedule that forwards to the cell. Outside those hours, send to hosted voicemail with a brief greeting the team can check in the portal. Add a whisper like “After-hours lead” so the on-call person knows what they’re answering. You can also set simultaneous ring to a backup during peak minutes or route new-patient callers to a short IVR menu before the forward.

Aim for about 20–25 seconds before voicemail so the cell has time to catch. If you need to extend the no-answer timer on GSM networks, use *61**25# or *61**30# to try 25 or 30 seconds.

How to confirm it worked and avoid voicemail traps

Call your main number from a third phone, not from the destination device. Watch what rings, count how long it rings, and note which voicemail answers. Leave a short message so you can check whose mailbox captured it and how quickly it arrived.

Check caller ID on the destination phone. With carrier forwarding and most hosted routing, you should see the original caller’s number. If you see your own main number instead, the call may be hairpinned through a PBX’s call-through feature; adjust PBX settings or use a hosted route that preserves the original caller ID (and add a brief whisper if you need an internal label).

If your original line’s voicemail still grabs the call on conditional forwarding, extend the no-answer timer with the GSM code (61*#) or switch to unconditional forwarding during the window you need. Then retest.

Make a second test while the destination is busy or unreachable. Confirm how those cases behave: on GSM codes, *67 handles busy and *62 handles unreachable. In a hosted setup, choose whether unanswered calls go to an IVR, a queue with hold music, or voicemail.

Document the cancel path so no one forgets. That can be the *73 or ##21# code, the handset toggle, or the hosted schedule. Put it on a one-line cheat sheet at the front desk.

For deeper patterns like failover between lines or office-to-call-center overflow, see failover call routing options and our business call forwarding guide.

When a hosted forwarding number is the better answer

Pick a hosted forwarding or call-routing number when you need any of the following:

• Multiple destinations with priority, weighted, round-robin, or simultaneous ring.
• Per-target schedules, geographic or caller-state routing, or daily/concurrent caps.
• An IVR menu, a simple call queue with hold music, and voicemail you control.
• Recording, live call monitoring, real-time logs, analytics, and scheduled email reports.

It keeps personal phones out of reprogramming cycles, reduces the risk of someone forgetting to dial *73, and gives you visibility into every call. If a buyer or team needs their own portal and caps, or you run pay-per-call campaigns, hosted routing is the practical way to manage it.

If that fits your use case, review our call forwarding software guide and how to set up schedule-based routing. Put this in production today: pick your method, set one test forward, confirm caller ID and voicemail with two quick calls, then document the toggle or schedule. If you want to try hosted routing, you can create an account and provision a number in minutes, or talk to an engineer.