Conditional call forwarding sends a call to another number only when something stops you from taking it: you don't answer, you're already on a call, or your phone is off or out of signal. Plain call forwarding, the unconditional kind, sends every call on and your phone doesn't ring at all.
Carriers set these up in different ways. T-Mobile publishes a separate code for each condition. Verizon has one code that covers a missed call and a busy line together. AT&T walks you through your phone's settings, and Google Fi only lets you do it in the Fi app or on its website. The table below puts what each carrier's own help pages say side by side, and each carrier page on our site has the full steps for iPhone and Android and how to turn forwarding off.
The four kinds of call forwarding
Samsung's call settings name all four, which makes a handy list: Always forward, Forward when busy, Forward when unanswered and Forward when unreachable.
- Always, or unconditional. Every call goes to the other number. T-Mobile's code list says it keeps calls from reaching your number, and Verizon says your phone won't ring.
- No answer. Your phone rings first, and the call moves on only if you don't pick up. Verizon lets it ring 3 to 6 times. On T-Mobile you choose the wait, from 5 up to 30 seconds.
- Busy. A second call arrives while you're already on one.
- Unreachable. Your phone is switched off or out of signal range.
The three conditional kinds usually take the place of your voicemail for the calls they catch. Verizon says its no-answer and busy forwarding sends the caller on instead of to voicemail, Xfinity Mobile says unanswered calls won't reach your mobile voicemail while forwarding is on, and AT&T says call forwarding overrides your wireless voicemail.
Call forwarding codes by carrier
NUMBER means the 10-digit number you're forwarding to, area code first. Dial the code from the phone's own keypad, as if it were a phone number, and wait for the confirmation.
| Carrier | Forward every call | Forward only when you can't answer | Turn it off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Verizon steps | *72NUMBER |
*71NUMBER covers no answer and busy |
*73 clears both |
| T-Mobile T-Mobile steps | **21*1NUMBER# |
No answer **61*1NUMBER#, busy **67*1NUMBER#, unreachable **62*1NUMBER# |
##21#, ##61#, ##67# or ##62#; ##004# resets forwarding to default |
| AT&T AT&T steps | iPhone: Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Forwarding. Our setup page's code: **21*NUMBER# |
Your phone's call settings (on a Galaxy, Supplementary services › Call forwarding) | #21#, then Call |
| Xfinity Mobile Xfinity Mobile steps | *72NUMBER |
*71NUMBER for unanswered calls |
*73 |
| Spectrum Mobile Spectrum Mobile steps | *72NUMBER, or All Incoming Calls in your Spectrum account |
*71NUMBER for unanswered calls; Busy Line & Missed Calls in the account |
*73, or OFF in the account |
| Visible Verizon steps | *72NUMBER |
*71NUMBER when you're busy or on another line |
*73 |
| Google Fi T-Mobile page | Fi app or fi.google.com: Always forward | The Fi choices are Don't forward, Ring all numbers and Always forward | Fi app: Don't forward |
| Boost Mobile Boost steps | Our setup page's code: **21*NUMBER# |
Your phone's call settings, where it offers them | Our setup page's code: ##21# |
We also keep pages for US Cellular and Consumer Cellular (which also covers Net10 and explains how Straight Talk and TracFone differ).
Setting it from the phone instead of dialing
iPhone. Apple puts a Call Forwarding switch at Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Forwarding for service on a GSM network. It forwards every call to the number you enter under Forward To. For the busy and not-in-service kinds, Apple says to ask your carrier. Apple also blocks links in messages, emails, webpages and apps that ask to turn call forwarding on, so type any code yourself.
Samsung Galaxy. Phone app › More options › Settings › Supplementary services › Call forwarding lets you pick any of the four kinds, enter the number and tap Enable. Samsung notes the options vary by carrier and phone model.
Pixel and other Android phones. Use the dial codes from the Phone app's keypad. Google's own Phone app help leaves the number of rings before voicemail to your carrier, and T-Mobile's delay code is one example of a carrier handling it.
Limits, costs and clearing it
The off codes in the table undo the code next to them. On Verizon, *73 turns off *72 and *71 alike. On T-Mobile, each kind has its own off code. Not sure which kinds are on? Dial ##21# to clear forward-all, then ##004# to reset the no-answer, busy and unreachable kinds.
Plan to be holding the phone when you make a change. Verizon and AT&T both say forwarding can only be managed from the mobile phone itself, not online, and Xfinity Mobile says the same. Google Fi runs the other way around: its forwarding is set in the Fi app or on fi.google.com, not in the phone's settings.
Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Xfinity Mobile all refuse international numbers. Verizon also wants an active US line that takes voice calls, and T-Mobile takes 10- or 11-digit numbers only. If the number you forward to is busy, AT&T says your callers hear a busy signal.
Forwarded calls aren't always free. Verizon bills them by your plan when it doesn't include unlimited minutes, and AT&T bills them for the length of the call, with possible long distance or roaming charges. Texts stay behind, too: Verizon and Xfinity Mobile forward calls only.
The kind our setup uses
VettedCalls setup has you forward every call, with the unconditional code for your carrier: *72NUMBER on Verizon and the carriers that run on it, **21*NUMBER# on most others, with NUMBER being your own VettedCalls number. None of the no-answer or busy codes are part of it.
That means every call reaches us first and your cell itself shouldn't ring. We answer in your business name, and the calls that pass screening ring you in the Cloud Softphone app, with the caller's number on the screen. Saved contacts, and callers who passed screening in the last 60 days, skip the questions, but they still come through us.
To stop, dial the off code setup gave you: ##21#, or *73 on Verizon. Some prepaid and MVNO plans can't forward calls at all; if yours can't, you get a full refund within your first 14 days. The setup walkthrough has the carrier picker, call screening explains what happens on each call, and pricing lists the plans.
Conditional call forwarding questions
What is the code for conditional call forwarding?
It depends on the carrier. On T-Mobile it is **61* for no answer, **67* for busy and **62* for unreachable, each followed by 1, the 10-digit number and #. On Verizon, Xfinity Mobile and Visible it is *71 followed by the 10-digit number.
How do I turn off conditional call forwarding?
Dial the off code from the phone that set it. On Verizon, Xfinity Mobile and Visible that is *73. On T-Mobile it is ##61#, ##67# or ##62# for each kind, or ##004# to reset forwarding to the default.
Does conditional call forwarding replace voicemail?
For the calls it catches, yes. Verizon sends busy and unanswered calls to your other number instead of voicemail, Xfinity Mobile says unanswered calls won't reach your mobile voicemail while forwarding is on, and AT&T says call forwarding overrides your wireless voicemail.
Can I set up call forwarding without my phone?
Not on Verizon, AT&T or Xfinity Mobile. Each one says forwarding changes have to be made from the phone itself. Google Fi is the exception: its forwarding is set in the Fi app or on fi.google.com.