How to Forward a Call on iPhone
How do you turn on call forwarding on an iPhone?
Call forwarding on an iPhone is switched on in the Settings app rather than in the Phone app. Open Settings, select Phone, choose Call Forwarding, turn it on, and enter the number that should receive your calls.
Enter that number in full, with the area code, exactly as you would dial it. Once the switch is on, incoming calls to your iPhone are sent to the other number instead of ringing on your handset.
Where exactly is the call forwarding setting on an iPhone?
- Open the Settings app, the grey icon with gears, not the Phone app.
- Scroll down and select Phone.
- Select Call Forwarding.
- Turn the switch on. A field for the forwarding number appears underneath.
- Select Forward To and type the destination number with its area code.
- Go back one screen so the number is saved, and confirm the destination now appears under Call Forwarding.
Give it a minute before testing, because the setting is sent to your carrier's network rather than stored only on the phone.
Why is Call Forwarding missing from iPhone settings?
The Call Forwarding entry is supplied by your carrier, not by the phone, so it does not appear on every account. When the option is absent under Settings and Phone, the usual reasons are that your carrier handles forwarding through dialled codes instead, that your plan does not include forwarding, or that the phone is using a line where the carrier has not enabled it.
If your iPhone holds two lines, check that the correct line is selected first, since the setting applies to one line at a time. If the option is still missing, forwarding has to be arranged through your carrier rather than through the phone.
How do you forward calls only when you do not answer?
The switch in Settings forwards every incoming call immediately. Forwarding only when you are busy, unavailable or not answering is a separate feature known as conditional call forwarding, and the iPhone does not offer it as a switch.
Conditional forwarding is set by dialling a short code supplied by your carrier from the Phone app. The codes differ between carriers, so ask yours for the exact ones rather than copying codes from a forum, since a wrong code can leave calls forwarded in a way you cannot easily see.
How do you tell whether call forwarding is switched on?
Open Settings, then Phone, then Call Forwarding, and look at the switch and the destination number underneath it. Some carriers also display a small handset or arrow indicator in the status bar at the top of the screen while forwarding is active.
The practical test is better: call your own number from another phone and see which handset rings. Do this after any change, because a forwarding rule you have forgotten is the single most common reason people believe their phone has stopped receiving calls.
How do you turn off call forwarding on an iPhone?
Open Settings, select Phone, select Call Forwarding, and switch it off. The destination number can stay saved; the switch is what matters.
If forwarding was set up by dialling a carrier code rather than through Settings, the switch in Settings may show nothing to turn off. In that case you cancel it with the carrier's cancellation code, or by asking the carrier to clear it. Test with a call from another phone afterwards.
Why do forwarded calls go straight to voicemail?
Usually because calls are reaching the destination phone and that phone is not picking up: it is off, silenced, out of service, or its own voicemail answers quickly. The forwarding is working, and the second phone is the problem.
The other common cause is a forwarding loop, where two phones are set to forward to each other and the call ends up in a voicemail box. Turn forwarding off on both, then set it up on one only.
Does iPhone call forwarding work when the phone is off?
Unconditional forwarding is applied by the carrier's network before the call reaches your handset, so it generally continues to work when the iPhone is switched off, has no signal or is in aeroplane mode.
Conditional forwarding can behave differently, and the details depend on the carrier. If you are relying on forwarding while travelling or while your phone is being repaired, test it in advance from another phone rather than assuming.
What should you check with your carrier before relying on call forwarding?
Ask three things. Whether forwarding is included on your plan or has to be added. Whether forwarding to the destination number you have chosen is supported, since numbers abroad are often treated differently. And which codes cancel forwarding, so you are not stuck if the setting disappears from the phone.
Ask the same questions if your line runs on an eSIM or a second line, because forwarding is configured per line and one line being set up says nothing about the other.