How to forward calls when you're busy or can't answer

Conditional call forwarding sends a call somewhere else only when you don't pick up, your line is busy, or your phone is off. Your phone still rings first. It's how most small businesses connect an answering service or an AI receptionist without changing their number. Here's how to set it up with the most common US carriers and business phone systems, with a link to each provider's own instructions.

Before you start

• Know which forwarding you want. Forward all calls (unconditional) sends every call away and your phone stops ringing. Conditional forwarding (no answer, busy, unreachable) lets your phone ring first. For a backup answering service, you almost always want conditional.
• Have the destination number ready, with the area code. Carriers require a 10-digit US number, and international forwarding isn't supported.
• Dial the codes from the phone whose calls you're forwarding, using the regular phone keypad. AT&T, for example, only lets you change wireless forwarding from the phone itself.
• Check your plan. Some carriers bill forwarded calls as regular minutes or long distance. Read your carrier's page linked below.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon combines busy and no-answer forwarding into one feature called No Answer/Busy Transfer.

1. Dial *71 followed by the 10-digit number, for example *71 555 555 1234, and press Call.
2. Listen for the confirmation tones and wait for the call to end.
3. To turn it off, dial *73 and press Call.

For comparison, *72 plus a number forwards all calls, which you usually don't want for a backup line. Source: Verizon: Turn call forwarding on from device.

AT&T Wireless

AT&T uses separate codes for each condition. Enter each one on its own, press Call, wait for the confirmation, hang up, then enter the next. Replace 5555551234 with your destination number.

1. Forward if unanswered: *61*5555551234#
2. Forward if busy: *67*5555551234#
3. Forward if unreachable (phone off or no signal): *62*5555551234#

To turn them off, dial ##61#, ##67# and ##62#. AT&T notes that forwarding overrides your voicemail and can only be changed from the phone. Sources: AT&T: Use call forwarding and Google Voice Help, which lists the AT&T codes.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile also uses one code per condition. Include the 1 before the area code.

1. Forward if no reply: **61*1 + number + #
2. Forward if busy: **67*1 + number + #
3. Forward if not reachable: **62*1 + number + #

Turn each off with ##61#, ##67# or ##62#, or reset all forwarding with ##004#. T-Mobile also lets you change how long the phone rings before a no-reply forward, from 5 to 30 seconds. Source: T-Mobile: Self-service & short codes.

RingCentral

RingCentral doesn't use star codes for this. You change what happens to missed calls in call handling.

1. In the RingCentral app, go to Settings > Phone > Call handling and click Edit. Admins can do the same for any user in the Admin Portal under Users > Users with Extensions.
2. Pick Work hours or After hours.
3. Set how long your devices ring before a call counts as missed.
4. Under Missed calls, choose Forward to external number and enter the destination.
5. Click Save.

Avoid Forward all calls unless you want every call to skip your phones. Sources: RingCentral: Setting up user call forwarding and RingCentral: Incoming call handling settings.

Google Voice for Google Workspace

For a business number on a Google Voice ring group, an admin can forward unanswered calls.

1. In the Google Admin console, go to Apps > Google Workspace > Google Voice > Ring groups.
2. Open the ring group for your business number, then its configuration.
3. Under Unanswered calls, choose to forward the caller to a phone number and enter the destination.
4. Save.

Source: Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up Google Voice ring groups. Menu names can change, so follow Google's page if yours looks different.

Spectrum Business Voice and other landlines

Spectrum Business Voice manages busy and no-answer forwarding in its online Voice Manager portal: sign in, pick the line, turn on the forwarding feature you want, enter the number and save. See the Spectrum Business Voice user guide.

For other landline and VoIP providers, search your provider's help center for "call forward busy" and "call forward no answer." Many traditional lines use star codes, but they vary by provider, so use the provider's own instructions rather than a generic list.

Test it before you rely on it

1. Call your business number from a different phone and let it ring out. It should forward after the ring delay.
2. Call while you're already on another call to test busy forwarding.
3. Turn your phone off or on airplane mode and call again to test unreachable forwarding.
4. If callers hear a busy signal, re-enter the code. A mistyped digit is the most common cause.

If you use RaheemAI, we give you the number to forward to during setup and test it with you before your trial starts.

Sources

• Verizon: Turn call forwarding on from device
• AT&T: Use call forwarding
• Google Voice Help: Send your mobile phone calls to Google Voice voicemail
• T-Mobile: Self-service & short codes
• RingCentral: Setting up user call forwarding
• RingCentral: Incoming call handling settings
• Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up Google Voice ring groups
• Spectrum Business Voice user guide (PDF)

Carrier menus and codes change. If a step doesn't match what you see, follow your provider's current help page linked above. This guide is general information, not legal or technical advice for your specific setup.