Glossary

Call forwarding

Call forwarding is a mobile network service that transfers calls meant for your number to another number. It can be permanent or apply only in certain cases: no answer, phone unreachable or line busy.

Unconditional and conditional forwarding

Unconditional forwarding sends every call elsewhere, and your phone does not ring at all. It is handy when a colleague covers your line while you are on holiday. Conditional forwarding only kicks in in a specific situation: you do not answer, your phone is off or out of coverage, or you are already on a call. This second type is the one most often used to route unanswered calls to a voicemail service.

The most common GSM codes

On most networks you switch forwarding on by dialling a code, then the destination number, then #. **21*number# forwards all calls. **61*number# forwards when there is no answer. **62*number# forwards when the phone is unreachable. **67*number# forwards when the line is busy. ##002# cancels every forward. These codes are standard, but some carriers adapt or block them, so check with yours.

Before you switch forwarding on

An active forward is easy to forget. Write down what you set up and test it by calling yourself from another phone. Depending on your plan, a call forwarded to an outside number may be charged, so read your carrier's terms. Finally, unconditional forwarding stops your phone from ringing; if you still want to take calls when you are free, use the conditional codes instead.

Call forwarding and CallReply

CallReply is gradually rolling out a voicemail service based on conditional forwarding, only where it is available: the app shows whether it is offered for your country and carrier. The idea: unanswered calls are forwarded to a CallReply number, the caller hears a greeting and can leave a message, you find it in the app, and the caller gets a text. This service is not available everywhere yet.

Works with