Verizon Call Forwarding: How to Set It Up

Verizon call forwarding sends incoming calls from your Verizon line to a different phone number that you pick, so the call rings somewhere else instead of on your handset. You can turn Verizon call forwarding on in three ways: from your online account, from the call settings on the phone itself, or by dialing a short feature code that begins with a star symbol.

Decide the destination number first, turn forwarding on, then make one test call from another phone. That test is the only proof forwarding is really active.

What do you need before you set up Verizon call forwarding?

Call forwarding is a network feature: the network redirects the call before it ever reaches your phone. That is different from voicemail, which answers on your own line, and different from an app that rings on several devices. Because the change happens on the network, it keeps working even if your phone is off or has no signal, depending on which type of forwarding you choose.

• The full destination number, with the area code, written down and checked digit by digit.
• Sign-in details for the Verizon account, if you plan to use the account or the app. The account owner or an account manager can change line features; a plain account member often cannot.
• Knowledge of which kind of line you are changing: a mobile line, a home digital voice line, or a business line. The settings live in different places for each.
• The phone in your hand, if you plan to use the device settings or a feature code.

Two kinds of forwarding exist, and they are set separately. Unconditional forwarding sends every call away immediately, and your phone never rings. Conditional forwarding sends the call away only when the line is busy, when nobody answers, or when the phone is unreachable. Many people set unconditional forwarding, forget the conditional rules from an earlier setup, and then cannot explain the behavior they see.

How do you turn on Verizon call forwarding from your account?

The account route is the most reliable one, because it shows you the current setting rather than leaving you to guess.

1. Sign in to your Verizon account at the company’s official website or open the My Verizon app with the same credentials.
2. Open the section that lists the lines on the account and select the line you want to forward.
3. Find the feature or service controls for that line and look for call forwarding.
4. Choose the type: forward all calls, or forward only when busy or unanswered.
5. Enter the destination number and save the change.
6. Wait a minute, then call the Verizon line from another phone and confirm that the destination rings.

If the option is missing, the line type may not support it, or you may lack permission to change features. Ask the account owner.

How do you forward Verizon calls from an iPhone or an Android phone?

Both phone systems expose call forwarding in their own settings, and the switch talks to the network behind the scenes.

1. On an iPhone, open Settings, tap Phone, then tap Call Forwarding. Turn the switch on, tap Forward To, and type the destination number.
2. On most Android phones, open the Phone app, open its menu, then Settings, then Calling accounts or Supplementary services, then Call forwarding. Pick Always forward, or one of the conditional options, and enter the number.
3. Leave the settings screen and place the test call.

On a phone with two lines or an eSIM, check the header of the settings screen: it must name the Verizon line, not the other one. Forwarding set on the wrong line is a very common wasted afternoon.

How do you use a feature code for Verizon call forwarding?

A feature code is a short sequence starting with a star that you dial like a phone number. Verizon publishes the exact codes for its lines; do not copy a code from a forum, because codes differ between carriers and between mobile and home service.

1. Open the dialer on the Verizon phone.
2. Dial the forwarding code published by Verizon, followed immediately by the destination number, with no spaces.
3. Press call and listen. A confirmation tone or a short announcement means the network accepted it.
4. Hang up and place the test call.

Conditional forwarding uses different codes, and each one is cancelled by its own matching code. Write down which code you used.

How do you turn off Verizon call forwarding?

Turning forwarding off is the same journey in reverse, and it must be done in the same place you set it. A setting made with a feature code may still show as off in the app, and the app switch may not clear a code-based rule.

1. Return to the account, the app, or the phone setting you used, and switch forwarding off.
2. If you used a feature code, dial the matching cancellation code Verizon publishes and listen for the confirmation tone.
3. Call the line from another phone and confirm that your own handset rings.
4. If it still forwards, check the conditional rules separately, then clear those too.

Why is Verizon call forwarding not working?

These are the failures people hit most often, and what each one usually means.

• The switch turns itself back off. The network rejected the request. Restart the phone, confirm the line has signal, and try again from the account instead of the device.
• Calls still go to your voicemail. Only conditional forwarding is set, and voicemail is answering first. Set unconditional forwarding, or shorten nothing and instead forward on no answer.
• The destination sends the call back. The destination number has its own forwarding pointed at your line, and the call loops. Clear forwarding on the destination phone first.
• The destination is unusual. International numbers, some voice-over-internet numbers, and some toll-free numbers are refused. Try a plain domestic mobile number to prove the feature works.
• Nothing appears in the account. Prepaid lines and lines inside a business account are managed differently from consumer postpaid lines.
• It worked yesterday. A SIM swap, an eSIM transfer, or a plan change can reset line features.

How do you check whether Verizon call forwarding is currently on?

Do not trust memory. Open the line's feature settings in your Verizon account, read the current state, then place one call from another phone and watch where it rings. Check before you travel, because a phone with no signal cannot change the setting afterwards. Verizon support can also read the state of the line and clear a stuck rule; have the account holder present, because feature changes need account authorization.