Call Forwarding

Call forwarding lets consumers redirect calls coming in on their phone line to another phone line. Most telephone providers allow their clients to use *72 or *73 to set up call forwarding on their home or mobile phones. Some phone companies also allow users to set up this feature without using the phone line whose calls will be forwarded. Individuals who travel frequently or work at multiple locations throughout the day/week find this feature useful. The cost of the service depends on the individual's phone plan and service provider.

How to Forward Calls

Step 1 – Use the phone service provider's website or customer service line to find out their call forwarding options. Most phone companies recommend that their clients speak to a representative in order to set up long-term call forwarding.

Step 2 – Find out whether the phone service provider uses *73 or *72 for call forwarding. Most major phone companies use both.

Step 3 – Dial *72 and enter the phone number to automatically transfer calls to, then dial *73 to deactivate call forwarding on the same phone.

Step 4 – Dial *92 and the forwarding phone number to prevent calls from being answered after a set number of rings. Dial *93 to turn off this service.

Step 5 – Dial *68 and the forwarding phone number to reroute calls that get no answer or a busy signal to another number. To deactivate this service, dial *88.

Step 6 – Dial *90 and the forwarding number to reroute calls that get a busy signal (only) to another phone number. To deactivate this service, dial *91.

Step 7 – Be sure to verify the rates for the different call forwarding options with the phone service provider before using them.