Verizon handles call forwarding with star codes you dial from the phone itself. There are three of them. *72 sends every call to another number, *71 sends only the calls you miss or can't take, and *73 turns either one off. You dial them like a phone number, with no # at the end.
Verizon says Call Forwarding comes with every plan, with no monthly fee on most of them (a fee may apply on certain older plans). If your plan doesn't include unlimited minutes, forwarded calls are billed just as if you'd answered them on your phone.
The three Verizon codes
| What it does | Dial |
|---|---|
| Forward every call. Your phone won't ring; calls go straight to the other number. | *72NUMBER |
| Forward only the calls you don't answer, or that come in while you're on the phone. Your phone rings 3 to 6 times first. | *71NUMBER |
| Turn forwarding off, whether you set it with *72 or *71. | *73 |
Swap NUMBER for the 10-digit number you're forwarding to, area code included even when it's a local number. Verizon forwards only to active US lines that take voice calls, and never to an international number.
How to forward calls on iPhone with Verizon
Open the Phone app, tap Keypad, and dial *72 followed by the 10-digit number, the same way you'd call someone. Tap the green call button. Verizon says you'll hear a series of beeps and then the call ends by itself. That's the confirmation.
You may have read about a Call Forwarding switch in the iPhone's Settings app. Apple documents it at Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Forwarding for service on a GSM network, and tells customers on other networks to ask their carrier. Verizon's own instructions are the codes above, so on a Verizon iPhone the keypad is the route we'd use.
Type the code in yourself instead of tapping a link to it. Apple says iPhone alerts you and blocks links in messages, emails, webpages and apps that ask you to turn on call forwarding, since scammers send them.
Verizon call forwarding on Android and Samsung phones
Android works the same way: open the Phone app's keypad, dial *72 and the number, and press call.
Samsung Galaxy phones also have a Call forwarding screen at Phone app › More options (the three dots) › Settings › Supplementary services › Call forwarding, with Always forward, Forward when busy, Forward when unanswered and Forward when unreachable. Samsung says what's available there varies by carrier and phone model. If the screen is missing on your Verizon line, or won't save, go back to the codes.
*71: forwarding only the calls you miss
Verizon calls this Conditional Call Forwarding, or No Answer / Busy Transfer. Your phone rings as usual. If you're already on a call, or you let it ring 3 to 6 times, the caller goes to the number you set instead of to your voicemail. One code covers both cases, where T-Mobile splits them into separate no-answer and busy codes. The conditional call forwarding guide lines the carriers up side by side.
While *71 is on, busy and unanswered calls skip your Verizon voicemail. Turn it off when you want voicemail back.
Turning Verizon call forwarding off
Dial *73 from the phone that has forwarding on. It clears *72 and *71 alike. You'll hear beeps, or a tone that can sound like a busy signal, and then the call ends. That means it worked.
There's no way to do this from a computer or another phone. Verizon says Call Forwarding can only be managed from the mobile phone itself, and points you to Customer Service when *73 won't work.
When a Verizon code doesn't work
- Callers hear a busy tone. Verizon's first suggestion is to check the forwarding number, since an extra key pressed by accident makes it unrecognizable. Dial
*72and the full 10-digit number again. - You're traveling. A star code may not work outside Verizon's coverage area, and you can't set up forwarding while traveling internationally. Set it before you go and it should keep working while you roam.
- The code does nothing at all. Verizon's instruction is to contact Customer Service to turn forwarding on or off for you.
- Calls still don't arrive after
*73. Check Do Not Disturb, blocking and Quiet Mode, and any app that restricts incoming calls, such as Verizon Family. - Texts. Forwarding moves calls only. Verizon doesn't forward your text messages.
Xfinity Mobile, Visible and other *72 carriers
Xfinity Mobile uses the same three codes: *72 for every call, *71 for unanswered calls and *73 to stop. Visible does too, with *71 covering calls that arrive while you're busy or on another line. Our setup page gives Spectrum Mobile and Total by Verizon customers the *72 code as well.
Forwarding your Verizon line to VettedCalls
VettedCalls setup uses *72NUMBER, the forward-every-call code, with NUMBER being your own VettedCalls number. In Step 4 you dial it from the phone's regular dialer, press call and wait for the short confirmation tone. From then on every call comes to us first and your cell itself shouldn't ring. The calls that pass screening ring you in the Cloud Softphone app instead, with the caller's number showing. To switch it off later, dial *73. Walk through setup.