You don't need a new phone or a new number for someone else to catch the calls you miss. You need one setting on the line you already have. This is a plain guide to the codes on the three big US carriers, what they do, and how to check they worked.
Before you start
- Have the number you're forwarding to. It should be a 10-digit US number. In the codes below,
[number]stands for it. - Decide what to forward. For most small businesses, forward only the calls you don't answer, and the calls that arrive while you're busy. That keeps your phone ringing first.
- Dial from the phone whose calls you want forwarded. The code changes that phone's settings.
- Have a second phone ready. You'll use it to test.
Forward only the calls you don't answer
This is the setting most owners want, and the one to test first. The codes differ by carrier.
AT&T
Dial each code from the phone whose calls you want forwarded, then press Call. Wait for the confirmation message before you hang up.
Calls you don't answer
**61*[number]#Calls that come in while you're on another call
**67*[number]#Calls when your phone is off or out of coverage
**62*[number]#
Every call (good for a first test)
**21*[number]#To turn it off
- Stop forwarding unanswered calls: ##61#
- Stop forwarding busy calls: ##67#
- Stop forwarding unreachable calls: ##62#
- Stop forwarding every call: ##21#
- Stop all three conditional types at once: ##004#
- These are the standard GSM codes. Some plans, business lines and resellers set forwarding in the account instead, so if a code is rejected, tell us and we'll walk through it.
- Use the 10-digit U.S. number. Forwarding to a number outside the U.S. usually isn't allowed.
Verizon
Dial the code from the phone whose calls you want forwarded, then press Call. You should hear a confirmation tone or message.
Calls you don't answer, and calls that come in while you're on another call
*71[number]Verizon describes this as forwarding after three or four rings.
Every call (good for a first test)
*72[number]To turn it off
- Turn call forwarding off: *73
- Use the 10-digit U.S. number, area code first. Verizon does not forward to numbers outside the U.S.
- Verizon says there is no monthly fee for call forwarding on most plans, and that a fee may apply on certain older plans.
T-Mobile
Dial each code from the phone whose calls you want forwarded, then press Call. Wait for the confirmation message before you hang up.
Calls you don't answer
**61*[number]#Calls that come in while you're on another call
**67*[number]#Calls when your phone is off or out of coverage
**62*[number]#
Every call (good for a first test)
**21*[number]#To turn it off
- Stop all three conditional types at once: ##004#
- Stop forwarding every call: ##21#
- These are the standard GSM codes. Some plans, business lines and resellers set forwarding in the account instead, so if a code is rejected, tell us and we'll walk through it.
- T-Mobile forwards to 10-digit or 11-digit U.S. numbers, not to numbers outside the U.S. Dial the number with or without the leading 1.
Landline, VoIP or another carrier
Every phone system calls this something slightly different. Look for the settings below in your provider's online account or admin panel, or ask their support.
Forward on no answer
Set it to your Wenly numberAlso called 'forward if unanswered' or 'no reply'.
Forward on busy
Set it to your Wenly numberAlso called 'call forwarding busy'.
To turn it off
- Turn the same settings off: Clear the forwarding number
- If you have a business phone system such as a hosted VoIP service, ask for 'conditional forwarding' or 'overflow' to an external number.
- Home-phone and cable lines often use *72 to forward and *73 to cancel, but codes differ by provider. Check with yours.
- Not sure what you have? Tell us the company on your phone bill and we'll find the right steps with you.
Test it before you rely on it
- From a different phone, call the number you forwarded.
- Let it ring and don't pick up. Wait for your carrier's forwarding delay. On Verizon it is described as three or four rings.
- The call should arrive at the number you set. If it goes to your normal voicemail instead, the setting didn't take.
- Call again while you're on another call, if you can, to test the busy setting.
If it doesn't work
- Check what you typed. A missed
*or#is the most common cause. Dial it again slowly. - Check the setting. On GSM carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile you can usually check a setting by dialling
*#followed by the code number and#, for example*#61#for no-answer forwarding. - Check your plan. Some plans, resold lines and employer-managed phones don't allow forwarding, or set it in an account instead of by code.
- Check the number. Carriers generally won't forward to a number outside the US, and some want 10 digits exactly.
- Ask us. If you're a Wenly customer, tell us what you dialled and what you heard, and we'll help.
Turning it off
Every carrier has a cancel code. Keep it somewhere you'll find it. On Verizon it's *73. On AT&T and T-Mobile, ##004# clears all three conditional types at once, and ##21# clears forward-all.
Landlines, VoIP and business phone systems
If your business number is a landline, a cable line or a hosted VoIP service, the codes above don't apply. Look for 'forward on no answer' and 'forward on busy' in your provider's online account or admin panel, and point both at your forwarding number. Hosted systems often call this overflow or conditional forwarding.
How we checked
Verizon's codes come from Verizon's own published call forwarding page, which we read on 30 September 2026. AT&T and T-Mobile both use the standard GSM codes, which we took from the published standard. Both carriers' own support pages refused automated access on the day we checked, so we couldn't re-read their wording. That is why the test call matters, and why the carriers' own pages are linked so you can compare.
Sources
- Verizon: call forwarding FAQs
- AT&T: call forwarding for wireless
- T-Mobile: calling services
- Call forwarding: the standard GSM codes (Wikipedia)
If you're a Wenly customer, we send the exact steps for your carrier when you start your trial, and we'll check your first test call with you.