How to Turn Off Call Forwarding

Call forwarding is turned off in one of two places: your phone's own call settings, or your mobile carrier's network. Which one applies depends on how the forwarding was switched on in the first place, and that is why the setting sometimes looks off on the phone while calls still go elsewhere.

Start with the phone. If the phone shows forwarding as off and calls still divert, the forwarding lives on the carrier's side and has to be cancelled there.

How do I turn off call forwarding on an iPhone?

1. Open Settings.
2. Find the Phone settings. On recent versions of iOS these sit under a list of apps rather than in the main settings list.
3. Tap Call Forwarding.
4. Switch the toggle off.
5. Go back one screen and return, to confirm the toggle stayed off rather than springing back.

If the Call Forwarding entry is missing entirely, your carrier does not expose the setting to the handset on that line. That is normal on some plans and on some eSIM lines, and it means the carrier route below is the one you need.

The phone must have mobile signal while you do this. The change is sent to the network, not stored locally, so switching the toggle in airplane mode or with no service does nothing.

How do I turn off call forwarding on an Android phone?

Android manufacturers arrange this differently, but the setting is always inside the phone app rather than in the main system settings.

1. Open the phone app, the one you dial from.
2. Open its menu, usually a three-dot icon or a gear, and choose Settings.
3. Look for Calls, Calling accounts, or Supplementary services.
4. Open Call forwarding. On a dual-SIM phone, choose the SIM you mean first.
5. Open each forwarding type listed and turn it off. There is usually more than one.
6. Wait for the phone to confirm with the network before leaving the screen.

That fifth step is where most attempts fail. Android lists forwarding types separately, and switching off only the first one leaves the others running.

What is conditional call forwarding and why do my calls still divert?

Unconditional forwarding sends every call somewhere else immediately. Your phone never rings. This is the one people usually mean.

Conditional forwarding sends calls elsewhere only in specific situations: when the line is busy, when nobody answers, or when the phone is unreachable. Your phone rings normally the rest of the time, which is exactly why this kind hides so well.

If missed calls are vanishing but normal calls come through, conditional forwarding is the likely cause. Check every forwarding type in the list, not just the main one.

There is a catch worth knowing before you switch everything off. Voicemail itself is usually delivered through conditional forwarding: an unanswered call is forwarded to the mailbox. Turn all conditional forwarding off and callers may hear endless ringing instead of your voicemail greeting. If your voicemail disappears after you turn forwarding off, that is what happened, and your carrier can restore the voicemail path.

What are carrier star codes for call forwarding?

A star code is a short dialing shortcut that starts with the star key and tells the carrier's network to do something. Carriers use them to switch call forwarding on and off from any phone, including one whose settings menu does not show the option.

The codes are not the same across carriers, and cancelling unconditional forwarding uses a different code than cancelling the conditional kinds. Get the exact codes for your line from your own carrier, either from their support pages at the company’s official website or from their app, rather than from a general list.

Dial the cancellation code and wait. The network answers with a short confirmation message or a brief tone. If you get an error or a recorded rejection, the code is wrong for your carrier or the feature is not active on your line.

Why does call forwarding keep turning itself back on?

It usually is not turning itself back on. Something is setting it again. Check these causes.

• An answering, receptionist, or virtual-number service you subscribed to may re-apply forwarding as part of its own setup.
• A work phone system may push forwarding rules to the line.
• Restoring a phone from a backup can reapply an old configuration.
• On a dual-SIM phone, you may be turning it off for one line while it stays on for the other.
• Some carriers reapply a default forwarding target after a plan change or a SIM swap.

If you cancelled forwarding and it returned within minutes without you doing anything, it is set on the carrier's side and the carrier has to clear it. The handset cannot override a rule the network keeps reapplying.

How do I confirm that call forwarding is really off?

1. Ask someone to call you and let it ring. Your phone should ring.
2. Ask them to call again and do not answer. The call should reach your voicemail, not another number.
3. Turn your phone off and have them call once more. That tests the unreachable condition.
4. Put your phone on a call and have them try again. That tests the busy condition.

Four tests sounds like a lot, but each one checks a different forwarding type, and they are the only way to prove that all of them are clear.

When should I contact my carrier about call forwarding?

Contact the carrier when the setting is missing from your phone, when forwarding returns after you cancel it, when the cancellation code is rejected, or when calls still divert to a number you do not recognize.

A number you do not recognize deserves attention rather than repeated attempts. Ask the carrier when the forwarding was set, from where, and whether anything else changed on the account at the same time. Ask them to clear all forwarding types on the line, then run the tests above again.