Call forwarding stops working the moment you disable it in your phone settings
Call forwarding is a feature that sends incoming calls to a different phone number instead of ringing on your device. To stop it, you go into your phone's settings, find the call forwarding option, and turn it off. The exact steps depend on whether you have an iPhone, Android phone, or a landline — and whether your phone company set it up or you did.
Most people turn off call forwarding because they set it up temporarily (to forward calls while traveling, for example) and forgot about it, or because they're getting calls meant for someone else. Once you disable it, calls ring on your phone again instead of going elsewhere.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, open Settings, tap Phone, then Call Forwarding, and toggle it off.
- On Android, the path varies by manufacturer, but usually lives in Settings > Advanced Calling or Settings > Call Settings > Call Forwarding.
- If your phone company set up call forwarding (not your phone's built-in feature), you may need to call them or use their online account to disable it.
- Disabling call forwarding takes effect when ready — no restart or confirmation needed.
How to turn off call forwarding on iPhone
Open the Settings app and tap Phone. Scroll down and tap Call Forwarding. You'll see a toggle switch next to "Call Forwarding" — if it's green and switched to the right, forwarding is on. Tap the toggle to turn it off. The switch will turn gray and move to the left.
That's the entire process. Once the toggle is off, calls will ring on your iPhone instead of forwarding to whatever number was set. If you want to know which number calls were being sent to, you can tap into Call Forwarding before turning it off — the number appears on that screen.
How to turn off call forwarding on Android
The steps vary depending on your phone's manufacturer and Android version, but the general path is: open Settings, find Call Settings or Advanced Calling, then look for Call Forwarding. On Samsung phones, go to Settings > Phone > Call Settings > Additional Settings > Call Forwarding. On Google Pixel phones, open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu, go to Settings > Calls > Call Forwarding, then tap the option you want to disable.
If you can't find it in those locations, search your Settings app for "call forwarding" — most Android phones have a search function at the top of Settings that will take you directly to the right screen. Once you find it, you'll see options for different types of forwarding (when busy, when unanswered, when unreachable). Turn off whichever ones are enabled.
When your phone company set up call forwarding, not your phone
Some people have call forwarding set up through their phone carrier (like Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile) rather than through their phone's built-in feature. This happens when you call customer service and ask them to forward your calls, or when you use their online account portal. In this case, turning off the feature in your phone's settings won't work — the carrier's system is still forwarding the calls.
To disable carrier-level call forwarding, log into your account on your phone company's website or app, find the call forwarding setting, and turn it off there. If you can't find it online, call your carrier's customer service number (usually on the back of your bill or on their website) and ask them to disable call forwarding on your account. They can do it in seconds.
Call forwarding on landlines
If you have a home phone or office landline, call forwarding is almost always managed by your phone company, not by a device. To turn it off, you either log into your account online or call the company directly. Some landline providers also let you disable it by dialing a code from the phone itself — for example, dialing *73 disables call forwarding on some systems, though this varies by provider.
Check your phone bill or your provider's website to see which method they support. If you're unsure, calling customer service is the fastest way — they can confirm whether forwarding is active and disable it when ready.
Why call forwarding might still be on even after you turn it off
If you disabled call forwarding in your phone settings but calls are still going somewhere else, the forwarding is probably set up at the carrier level instead. Check your phone company's website or call them to confirm. Another possibility is that you turned off one type of forwarding (like "when busy") but left another type on — some phones let you set different forwarding numbers for different situations, and you have to turn each one off separately.
A less common issue: if you recently switched phones, the old phone might still have forwarding active. In that case, you need to access the old phone's settings or contact your carrier to clear it from their system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off call forwarding delete the number I was forwarding to?
No. If you turn call forwarding off and then turn it back on later, you can usually see the old forwarding number and re-enable it without re-entering the number. However, if you want to erase it completely, some phones let you delete it from the call forwarding settings screen.
Can I turn off call forwarding for just one contact?
No. Call forwarding forwards all incoming calls to the same number. If you want calls from one person to go somewhere different, you'd need to use a different feature like Do Not Disturb or a custom ringtone, depending on what you're trying to do.
What happens to calls while I'm turning off call forwarding?
The change takes effect when ready. If someone calls while you're in the settings menu, the call will still be forwarded. Once you toggle it off and exit the settings, the next call will ring on your phone normally.
If my carrier set up call forwarding, will I be charged to turn it off?
No. Disabling a feature you already have is free. Some carriers charge a monthly fee to keep call forwarding active, so turning it off might actually lower your bill.