What call forwarding does and why you might use it

Call forwarding sends incoming calls from your iPhone to a different phone number automatically. When someone calls your iPhone number, their call rings on whichever phone you've chosen instead — or in addition to — your iPhone. You don't answer on your iPhone at all; the call goes straight to the forwarded number.

This is useful if you're switching phones temporarily, traveling without your main phone, or want calls to reach you on a work phone instead. It's also practical if you're troubleshooting a phone that isn't receiving calls properly, or if you need calls to reach a family member or colleague while you're unavailable.

Call forwarding is different from Do Not Disturb or silent mode — those just stop your phone from ringing. Call forwarding actually redirects the call somewhere else entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • Call forwarding on iPhone requires you to dial *21* followed by the phone number you want calls sent to, then press call.
  • You can turn off call forwarding by dialing #21# and pressing call, which stops all forwarding when ready.
  • Call forwarding works through your carrier's network, not through an app, so it works even if your iPhone is off or has no data.
  • The person whose number receives your forwarded calls will see your iPhone number on their screen, not their own number.
  • Some carriers charge a small monthly fee for call forwarding, though many include it free with standard plans.

How to turn on call forwarding

Open the Phone app on your iPhone and go to the Keypad tab at the bottom. Dial *21* followed when ready by the 10-digit phone number where you want calls sent (include the area code). For example, if you want calls forwarded to 555-123-4567, you would dial *21*5551234567. Then press the green call button.

Your iPhone will briefly show "Forwarding activated" or a similar message. You've now turned on call forwarding. Any call that comes to your iPhone number will ring on that other phone instead. Your iPhone itself will not ring.

If you make a mistake while typing the number, press the delete button (the arrow pointing left) to erase digits one at a time, just like texting.

How to turn off call forwarding

Open the Phone app and go to the Keypad tab. Dial #21# and press the green call button. Your iPhone will show a confirmation message that forwarding is now off. Calls will return to ringing on your iPhone normally.

You only need to do this once. After you turn off forwarding, it stays off until you turn it back on again.

What happens when call forwarding is active

When call forwarding is on, your iPhone will not ring when someone calls you. The call goes directly to the phone number you set up. The person calling sees your iPhone number on their screen, not the number the call was forwarded to — so they don't know the call was redirected.

If the forwarded number doesn't answer, the call typically goes to voicemail on that phone, not to your iPhone's voicemail. This means callers may leave messages on a different voicemail box than usual. You can check that voicemail by calling the forwarded number's voicemail directly.

Text messages still come to your iPhone normally. Call forwarding only affects phone calls, not SMS or iMessage.

When call forwarding doesn't work or stops working

Call forwarding requires an active cellular plan with your carrier. If you're on Wi-Fi only, have no service, or your plan is suspended, call forwarding won't set up. You'll see an error message when you try to dial *21*.

Some carriers don't support call forwarding, or they may have disabled it on your account. If you dial *21* and get an error, contact your carrier's customer service to ask whether call forwarding is available on your plan. They can also tell you if there's a monthly fee.

If you turned on call forwarding but calls still ring on your iPhone, check that you dialed the number correctly. Dial #21# to turn it off, then try again with the correct number. Make sure you included the area code.

The difference between call forwarding and other call features

Call forwarding is a carrier feature that redirects calls before they reach your phone. Do Not Disturb, by contrast, is a setting on your iPhone itself that silences incoming calls but doesn't send them anywhere — they still go to your voicemail. Call Waiting lets you see when a second call comes in while you're on the first call, but doesn't forward anything.

If you want calls to reach you on a second iPhone or device, you might also consider using iCloud's Continuity feature, which lets calls ring on multiple Apple devices at once. That's different from forwarding because all your devices ring together, rather than calls going to a completely different phone number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person I'm forwarding calls to know it's a forwarded call?

No. They'll see your iPhone number on their screen, just as if you had called them yourself. There's no indication that the call was forwarded from somewhere else.

Can I forward calls to an international number?

Yes, but dial it the same way: *21* followed by the full number including the country code. For example, *21*+441234567890 for a UK number. Your carrier may charge international rates for forwarded calls, so check with them first.

What if I forget I turned on call forwarding and wonder why my iPhone isn't ringing?

Dial #21# to check your forwarding status. If it's on, you'll see the number it's forwarding to. If it's off, you'll see a confirmation message. This is the quickest way to troubleshoot if you're not sure.

Does call forwarding work if my iPhone is turned off?

Yes. Call forwarding happens at your carrier's network level, not on your phone itself. Even if your iPhone is powered off completely, calls will still forward to the number you set up.

Can I forward calls to multiple numbers at once?

No. Call forwarding sends all calls to a single number. If you want calls to ring on multiple phones simultaneously, use iCloud Continuity instead, which works across your Apple devices.