Phone forwarding stops working the moment you turn it off in your phone's settings

Phone forwarding is a feature that sends incoming calls to a different phone number instead of ringing on your device. When you turn it off, calls come back to your phone normally. The steps depend on whether you have an iPhone, Android phone, or a landline — each one has its own menu to access.

You do not need to contact your phone company to disable call forwarding on most devices. The setting lives in your phone itself, not on your carrier's network. Once you switch it off, the change takes effect when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • Call forwarding turns off in your phone's settings menu, not through your carrier, and the change is when ready.
  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding and toggle it off; on Android, the path varies by manufacturer but usually lives under Settings > Call Settings or Advanced Calling.
  • If you set up call forwarding through your carrier (like Verizon Call Forwarding or AT&T Call Forwarding), you may need to contact them to disable it, though most phones let you override it locally.
  • Turning off call forwarding does not affect voicemail, Do Not Disturb, or call blocking — those are separate features.

How to turn off call forwarding on iPhone

Open the Settings app and tap Phone. Scroll down and tap Call Forwarding. Toggle the switch to off (it will turn from green to gray). Your iPhone will disconnect from the forwarding number within seconds.

If you do not see Call Forwarding in the Phone settings, your carrier may not support it on your plan, or it may be listed under a different name. Some carriers call it "Forward Calls" or "Call Forward." Check your carrier's support page if the option does not appear.

How to turn off call forwarding on Android

The exact path depends on your phone's manufacturer. On most Android phones, open Settings and look for Phone, Call Settings, or Advanced Calling. Tap Call Forwarding or Call Forward. Select the type of forwarding you want to turn off (usually "Always Forward" or "Forward All Calls"), then choose the option to disable it or clear the forwarding number.

Samsung phones often keep call forwarding under Settings > Apps > Phone > More Options > Settings > Call Forwarding. Google Pixel phones use Settings > Apps & Notifications > Phone > Advanced > Call Forwarding. If you cannot find it, search "call forwarding" in your phone's Settings search bar — most Android phones have one at the top of the Settings app.

Disabling call forwarding set up through your carrier

If you set up call forwarding directly with your phone company (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or another carrier), you may have a carrier-level forwarding that works even if you turn off the phone's local setting. To disable it, contact your carrier's customer service or log into your account online.

Verizon customers can dial *73 to turn off call forwarding; AT&T customers can dial *73 as well. T-Mobile uses #21# to check forwarding status and *21# to turn it off. These codes work on most networks, though some carriers have phased them out. If the code does not work, call your carrier directly — they can disable it in seconds.

How to turn off call forwarding on a landline

Landline call forwarding is almost always set up through your phone company, not on the phone itself. Contact your provider (usually the company that sends your phone bill) and ask them to remove call forwarding from your account. They will need to confirm your account information and may ask which number the calls were being forwarded to before they remove it.

Some landline providers let you manage call forwarding through their online account portal. Log in, look for Call Management, Call Settings, or Call Features, and toggle off any active forwarding. If you cannot find it online, a phone call to customer service is the fastest route.

What happens when you turn off call forwarding

Calls will ring on your phone again instead of going to the other number. If the other number was a work phone or another device, calls will no longer reach it. Anyone who was relying on reaching you at that forwarded number will need to call your main number instead.

Turning off call forwarding does not affect voicemail, Do Not Disturb mode, or call blocking. If you have Do Not Disturb turned on, calls will still go to voicemail even after you disable forwarding. Those features work independently.

Turning call forwarding back on if you need it later

You can turn call forwarding back on anytime by going to the same menu where you turned it off. On iPhone, go back to Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding and toggle it on, then enter the number you want calls forwarded to. On Android, follow the same path you used to turn it off and re-enter the forwarding number.

If you set it up through your carrier, call them again or use their online portal to reactivate it. The process is the same whether you are turning it on for the first time or turning it back on after disabling it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my voicemail still work if I turn off call forwarding?

Yes. Call forwarding and voicemail are separate features. Turning off call forwarding does not change where voicemail messages go or how voicemail works. If someone calls and you do not answer, the call will go to voicemail as usual.

Can I turn off call forwarding for just one contact?

No. Call forwarding forwards all incoming calls to the same number. If you want to send calls from specific people to a different number, use call routing or conditional forwarding if your phone supports it, or set up a separate rule in your phone's call settings. Most phones do not have per-contact forwarding built in.

What if I turned off call forwarding but calls are still going to the other number?

Check whether your carrier has call forwarding set up on their end. Dial *73 (or *21# on T-Mobile) to disable carrier-level forwarding, or contact your phone company directly. You may also have Do Not Disturb or call blocking rules that are routing calls elsewhere — check those settings too.

Does turning off call forwarding cost anything?

No. Turning off call forwarding is free. Some carriers charge a monthly fee to have call forwarding available on your account, but disabling the feature itself costs nothing. If you want to remove the monthly charge, ask your carrier whether they can remove call forwarding from your plan entirely.