What call divert does and how to stop it

Call divert (also called call forwarding) redirects incoming calls from your phone number to another number you've set up — a different phone, a voicemail service, or another person's line. When you turn it off, calls come back to your phone instead of going elsewhere. The steps to cancel it depend on which phone type you use and which carrier provides your service.

Most people turn off call divert when they no longer need calls sent somewhere else, when they're returning to a primary phone, or when they realize it's active and they didn't set it up. The process takes less than a minute on most phones, though some carriers require a phone call or online account access instead.

Key Takeaways

  • On most phones, you can turn off call divert by dialing a code like *73 or #21# and pressing call, or through your phone's settings menu.
  • iPhone users should check Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding, while Android users look in Phone app settings under Call settings or Call forwarding.
  • If you can't find the setting on your phone, your carrier's customer service line can turn it off for you in one call.
  • Some carriers charge a monthly fee for call divert, so turning it off may lower your bill.

Canceling call divert on iPhone

Open the Phone app and tap Settings at the bottom right. Scroll down and tap Call Forwarding. If the toggle next to Call Forwarding is green (on), tap it to turn it off. The toggle will turn gray, and your call divert is now canceled.

If you don't see a Call Forwarding option in the Phone settings, your carrier may control this feature through their network rather than your phone. In that case, move to the carrier method below. Some older iPhone models also hide this setting under Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding instead of in the Phone app itself, so check both places if the first location doesn't show the option.

Canceling call divert on Android

Open the Phone app and tap the three-line menu (hamburger icon) at the top left or top right, depending on your phone model. Tap Settings. Look for Call settings, Call forwarding, or Forwarding — the exact name varies by manufacturer and carrier. Tap it, then tap Call Forwarding or Voice Call Forwarding. You should see a toggle or radio button next to "Always Forward" or "Forward All Calls." Tap it to turn off call divert.

If the setting shows a phone number in the forwarding field, you can also tap that field and delete the number, then save. Some Android phones require you to tap Disable or Off instead of toggling a switch. If you reach a screen asking which type of calls to forward (voice, video, etc.), make sure you're turning off the type you actually set up — usually voice calls.

Using a code to cancel call divert

Many carriers let you turn off call divert by dialing a short code. Open your phone's dialer and type *73 (for most US carriers) or #21# (for some international carriers and older systems). Press the call button. You should see a message saying "Call Forwarding Disabled" or similar. Hang up — the code has taken effect when ready.

If *73 doesn't work, try ##21# or *21# depending on your carrier and phone type. These codes work on most phones without needing to access settings, which makes them useful if your phone's settings menu is hard to navigate or if you're borrowing someone else's phone temporarily. The code method works whether you're on iPhone, Android, or a basic phone.

Turning off call divert through your carrier

If you can't find the setting on your phone or the codes don't work, call your carrier's customer service number. This number is usually on your bill, on the carrier's website, or in your phone's contacts under "Customer Service." Tell the representative you want to turn off call divert on your account. They'll ask for your phone number and may ask for the last four digits of your Social Security number or your account PIN to verify you.

The representative can turn off call divert in seconds from their system. This method also works if you've forgotten which number your calls were being forwarded to, or if you need to turn off call divert on someone else's line (with their permission). Some carriers charge a small fee to set up call divert, so ask the representative whether turning it off will change your monthly bill.

Checking whether call divert is actually on

If you're not sure whether call divert is active on your phone, look for a small arrow or forwarding icon in your phone's status bar at the top of the screen. On iPhone, this appears as a small arrow next to the signal bars. On Android, it may show as an arrow or a phone-with-arrow symbol. If you see this icon, call divert is on.

You can also test it by calling your own number from another phone. If your call goes to a different voicemail greeting or a different person answers, call divert is active. Once you've confirmed it's on, use one of the methods above to turn it off. After you turn it off, test again by calling your number — this time it should ring your phone normally or go to your regular voicemail.

What to do if call divert won't turn off

If you've tried the settings menu and the codes but call divert is still active, restart your phone completely. Power it off, wait 10 seconds, and power it back on. Then try the code or settings method again. A restart clears temporary glitches that sometimes prevent settings from taking effect.

If restarting doesn't work, contact your carrier's customer service. Explain that you've tried to turn off call divert through your phone's settings and through the code method, but it's still active. They can check whether call divert is set up at the network level (on their servers) rather than on your phone itself. Network-level call divert can only be turned off by the carrier, and it's the most common reason the phone-based methods don't work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off call divert cost anything?

Turning off call divert itself is free. However, some carriers charge a monthly fee to have call divert available on your account. If you turn off the feature, you may be able to remove that fee by calling customer service and asking them to remove the call divert service from your plan.

Will my voicemail still work after I turn off call divert?

Yes. Call divert and voicemail are separate features. Turning off call divert means calls won't be sent to another number, but unanswered calls will still go to your voicemail as normal. Your voicemail settings don't change.

Can I turn off call divert for only certain callers?

Most phones let you set up selective call forwarding, which forwards only calls from specific numbers. Check your phone's call forwarding settings for an option like "Forward When Busy" or "Selective Call Forwarding." If you see these options, you can turn off just the ones you don't need instead of turning off all call divert.

What if I need to turn call divert back on later?

You can turn it back on using the same methods: through your phone's settings, by dialing a code like *72 followed by the number you want to forward to, or by calling your carrier. Keep in mind that if you set up call divert through your carrier's network, you'll need to call them to turn it back on.

Why is call divert still on after I turned it off?

The most common reason is that call divert is set up at your carrier's network level rather than on your phone. Restart your phone first, then call your carrier to confirm whether they have call divert active on your account. They can turn it off on their end if the phone-based methods don't work.