What call forwarding is and how to turn it off

Call forwarding is a phone feature that sends incoming calls to a different number instead of ringing your phone. You might have set it up to redirect calls to your mobile while you're away from your desk, or to send work calls to your home phone after hours. 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.

The reason call forwarding stops working is straightforward: once you disable it, calls come back to your original number instead of being sent elsewhere. This happens when ready on most phones. If you're using a landline or a service like Google Voice, the process is slightly different but follows the same idea — find the setting and switch it off.

Key Takeaways

  • Call forwarding sends your incoming calls to a different phone number, and you turn it off through your phone's settings or your carrier's website.
  • On an iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding and toggle it off; on Android, the path varies by manufacturer but is usually in Settings > Call Settings > Call Forwarding.
  • If you use a landline, contact your phone company directly or log into your account online to disable forwarding.
  • Google Voice and other third-party services have their own forwarding settings separate from your phone's built-in feature.
  • Call forwarding turns off when ready once you disable it, so calls will ring your original phone right away.

Turning off call forwarding on an iPhone

On an iPhone, call forwarding lives in the Phone app settings. Open Settings, tap Phone, then 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, and forwarding stops when ready.

If you don't see Call Forwarding in the Phone settings, it may be disabled at the carrier level (your phone company controls it), or your phone plan doesn't support it. In that case, contact your carrier directly. You can also check whether forwarding is active by dialing *#21# on your iPhone keypad — if forwarding is on, you'll see a message telling you where calls are being sent.

Turning off call forwarding on Android

Android phones vary by manufacturer, so the exact path depends on whether you have a Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, or another brand. The most common route is: open Settings, look for Phone or Call Settings, then find Call Forwarding or Call Diverting. Tap it and look for an option like "Always Forward" or "Forward All Calls" — tap that option and select "Disable" or "Off".

If you can't find Call Forwarding in Settings, try opening the Phone app itself, tapping the three-dot menu, and looking for Settings or Call Settings from there. On some Android phones, you can also dial *#21# to check whether forwarding is active and where calls are being sent. If you're still stuck, search your phone's help section for "call forwarding" — it will show you the exact steps for your specific model.

Disabling call forwarding on a landline

Landline call forwarding is controlled by your phone company, not by your phone itself. To turn it off, log into your account on your carrier's website (Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, or whoever provides your service) and look for a Phone Settings or Call Features section. You should see an option for Call Forwarding or Call Forwarding set up — click it and select Disable or Turn Off.

If you can't find it online, call your phone company's customer service number (it's on your bill) and tell them you want to disable call forwarding. They can turn it off in seconds over the phone. You can also dial *73 on your landline phone itself — this is a universal code that disables call forwarding on most landlines, though not all carriers support it. Try it and listen for a confirmation tone or message.

Stopping call forwarding in Google Voice

Google Voice is a separate service from your phone's built-in call forwarding, so it has its own settings. Go to voice.google.com, click the Settings gear icon, then click Calls. Under "Call Forwarding," you'll see a list of phone numbers where calls are being sent. Uncheck the boxes next to any numbers you don't want to receive forwarded calls, or uncheck all of them to stop forwarding entirely. Click Save when you're done.

If you want to turn off Google Voice completely rather than just stop forwarding, you can delete your Google Voice number from the same Settings page. This is permanent — you won't be able to use that number again. If you just want to pause forwarding temporarily, unchecking the numbers is the better choice because you can turn it back on later without losing your number.

What to do if call forwarding won't turn off

If you've disabled call forwarding in your settings but calls are still going to the other number, the forwarding may be set up at your carrier's level rather than on your phone. This happens sometimes when you set up forwarding through your phone company's website or customer service line instead of through your phone itself. Contact your carrier and tell them you want to disable call forwarding — they can check their system and turn it off on their end.

Another possibility is that you're looking at the wrong forwarding setting. Some phones have multiple types of forwarding: "Always Forward" (sends all calls), "Forward When Busy" (sends calls only when you're on another call), and "Forward When Unanswered" (sends calls after a few rings with no answer). Make sure you're disabling the one that's actually active. If you dialed *#21# and saw a message, it told you which type is on — disable that specific one.

Understanding the different types of call forwarding

Most phones offer more than one forwarding option, and you may have turned on one without realizing there are others. Always Forward sends every call to another number when ready. Forward When Busy only sends calls when you're already on a phone call. Forward When Unanswered sends calls to another number if you don't pick up within a set number of rings (usually 15 to 20 seconds). You might have one of these on and not realize it.

If you want to stop all forwarding, you need to turn off whichever type is active. The easiest way to check is to dial *#21# on your phone — it will tell you whether forwarding is on and which type it is. Then go into your settings and disable that specific option. You can also turn off each type individually if you want to keep some forwarding active but stop others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my contacts know I turned off call forwarding?

No. Call forwarding is invisible to the people calling you — they just dial your number as usual. When you turn it off, they won't notice any difference. Calls will straightforward ring your original phone instead of being sent elsewhere.

Can I turn off call forwarding for just one contact?

Not with standard call forwarding. The feature forwards all incoming calls or none. If you want to handle calls from specific people differently, you can use Do Not Disturb settings or contact-specific notifications instead, which let you silence or redirect individual contacts without affecting everyone else.

What does it mean if I dial *#21# and nothing happens?

It usually means call forwarding is not currently active on your phone. Some carriers don't support this code, so if nothing happens, check your phone's settings directly or contact your carrier to confirm whether forwarding is on.

If I turn off call forwarding, will I lose any messages?

No. Turning off call forwarding only stops new calls from being sent to the other number — it doesn't affect voicemail, text messages, or anything you've already received. All your existing messages stay on your phone.

Do I need to turn off call forwarding before switching phones?

It's a good idea to disable it before you switch, especially if you were forwarding to a number you won't have access to anymore. If you don't, calls to your old number might still go to that forwarded number. You can always turn it off on your old phone before you stop using it, or contact your carrier to disable it remotely.