T-Mobile's short-code list covers four kinds of call forwarding, each with an on code and an off code. The on codes are two stars, a two-digit number and a star, then a 1 and the number you're forwarding to, then #. The off codes are two pound signs, the same two digits and #.
T-Mobile's forwarding codes
| What it does | Dial |
|---|---|
| Forward every call. Calls stop reaching your phone. | **21*1NUMBER# |
| Stop forwarding every call. | ##21# |
| Forward the calls you don't answer. | **61*1NUMBER# |
| Stop no-answer forwarding. | ##61# |
| Forward calls that come in while your line is busy. | **67*1NUMBER# |
| Stop busy forwarding. | ##67# |
| Forward calls when your phone is off or out of signal range. | **62*1NUMBER# |
| Stop unreachable forwarding. | ##62# |
| Reset the no-answer, busy and unreachable kinds to T-Mobile's default. If forward-all is on, it stays on until you dial ##21#. | ##004# |
NUMBER is the 10-digit number you're forwarding to, so a full code reads **61*1, then ten digits, then #. T-Mobile forwards only to 10- or 11-digit numbers, and not to international ones.
Setting the ring time before no-answer forwarding
T-Mobile lets you choose how long your phone rings before an unanswered call moves on: 5, 10, 15, up to 30 seconds. Add two stars and the number of seconds before the final # of the no-answer code, so **61*1NUMBER**15# gives you 15 seconds to pick up.
On an iPhone: the Settings switch
T-Mobile's iPhone tutorial skips the keypad. Go to Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Forwarding, turn Call Forwarding on, tap Forward To, enter the number and tap Back. From then on, every call to the iPhone goes to that number. Apple adds three details: you need to be in range of the cellular network while you set it, a forwarding icon shows in the status bar while it's on, and a Dual SIM iPhone asks you to pick the line first.
That switch forwards every call and nothing else. For the no-answer, busy or unreachable kinds on an iPhone, dial the codes from the table on the Phone app's keypad; Apple sends people to their carrier for conditional forwarding.
If a text or a website offers a link that turns forwarding on for you, skip it. iPhone blocks those links on purpose, because scammers use them.
On Samsung and other Android phones
Galaxy phones keep all four kinds on one screen: Phone app › More options › Settings › Supplementary services › Call forwarding. Pick Always forward, Forward when busy, Forward when unanswered or Forward when unreachable, type the number and tap Enable. Samsung notes that what you see there depends on your carrier and your model.
On a Pixel or any other Android phone, open the Phone app's keypad and dial the code from the table. Google's Phone app help leaves ring timing to your carrier, which is why the **61* delay code above is the way to change it.
Metro, Mint and Google Fi
Our setup page gives Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile customers the same forward-all code, **21*NUMBER#. Google Fi works differently. Google says Fi forwarding has to be set on fi.google.com or in the Google Fi app, not in your phone's settings: open the Home tab, then Phone settings, then Call forwarding, and choose Don't forward, Ring all numbers or Always forward.
Turning T-Mobile forwarding off
Use the off code that matches what you turned on: ##21# for forward-all, and ##61#, ##67# or ##62# for the other three. If you've lost track of what's set, dial both ##21# and ##004#: T-Mobile's troubleshooting page says ##21# clears forward-all and ##004# resets the no-answer, busy and unreachable kinds. Used the iPhone switch? Go back to Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Forwarding and turn it off there.
If it doesn't take
- Check the number. It has to be 10 or 11 digits, and T-Mobile won't forward to an international number.
- You're abroad. Forwarding while roaming depends on the host country's network.
- The iPhone switch won't save. Apple says you need cellular signal while you set it. Dialing
**21*1NUMBER#from the keypad is the other route. - Your Galaxy has no Call forwarding screen. That depends on carrier and model, so dial the codes from the keypad instead.
- Still stuck. T-Mobile's Devices pages have a forwarding tutorial for each phone, under Calling & Contacts.
Forwarding a T-Mobile line to VettedCalls
Setup Step 4 gives T-Mobile customers **21*NUMBER#, where NUMBER is your VettedCalls number, dialed from the phone's regular keypad, and ##21# to turn it off later. It's the forward-all code from the table, written without the 1 in front, which T-Mobile allows because it forwards to 10-digit numbers. Once it's on, every call reaches us first and your cell stays quiet. The calls that get past screening ring you in the Cloud Softphone app. See the setup steps.