Article · Call Forwarding · Setup
How to Forward Calls on iPhone for Your Business (Keep Your Number)
How to forward calls on iPhone: paste your carrier's code into the keypad, use the Settings switch as a backup, and send calls to an AI answering service.
TL;DR
- On the iPhone with your business number, type or paste your carrier's forwarding code into Phone › Keypad and tap call:
**21*or*21*, the number, then#on most carriers, or*72and the 10-digit number on Verizon. - Or turn on Settings → Apps → Phone → Call Forwarding and enter the number. Some US carriers, such as Verizon, don't show it.
- To stop, dial
##21#or#21#(*73on Verizon), or turn the switch off. - With an answering service you keep your number. Juney gives you your carrier's code with her number in it, ready to paste.
On this page 8 sections
Forwarding is how your business number reaches someone, or something, when you're on a roof or under a sink. On an iPhone it's one short code or one setting, and with an answering service you keep your number while someone picks up for you.
How do I forward calls on my iPhone?
You forward calls on an iPhone by dialing your carrier's forwarding code from the Phone app's keypad, or with the Call Forwarding switch in Settings. Both tell your carrier to send every call on. The code works with every mobile carrier Juney has codes for, including Verizon and the networks on its codes, where iPhones don't show the switch. The switch is the fallback when a code doesn't take.
With your carrier's code
- On the iPhone that has your business number, open Phone and tap Keypad.
- Type your carrier's code with the number you're forwarding to inside it. If you copied the code, touch and hold above the numbers and tap Paste.
- Tap call.
- Wait for the result before you hang up. With most carriers, iOS shows a confirmation screen. On Verizon and the networks on its codes, you hear a tone or a short message instead.
Most carriers use **21* or *21*, then the number, then #, and ##21# or #21# turns forwarding off. Verizon and the networks on its codes, such as Visible and Xfinity Mobile, use *72 followed by the 10-digit number, and *73 to turn it off. The help center's Countries, carriers and languages lists the exact code for every carrier Juney supports.
With the Settings switch
Apple's iPhone User Guide gives the other way, a switch in the Settings app. On iOS 18 and later, including iOS 26 and iOS 27, the steps are:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps, then tap Phone.
- Tap Call Forwarding and turn it on.
- If your iPhone has two lines (Dual SIM), choose the line you want to forward.
- Tap Forward To, enter the number you're forwarding to, then tap Back.
A small Call Forwarding icon appears in the status bar while forwarding is on. Apple notes that you need to be in range of the cellular network when you switch it on, or calls won't be forwarded.
On iOS 17 and earlier
The setting sits one level higher. In Apple's guide for iOS 17 it is Settings → Phone → Call Forwarding. iOS 18 moved app settings, including Phone, under Settings → Apps, which is why older instructions online don't match newer phones.
What the iPhone switch does and doesn't do
The Settings switch forwards every call to the number you enter. It doesn't forward only the calls you miss or only the calls that come in when you're busy. Apple says that kind of conditional forwarding has to be set up through your carrier. That is also why no-answer forwarding is a poor fit for an answering service: your carrier sets how long the iPhone rings, and Live Voicemail can pick up first. Verizon tells iPhone owners to turn Live Voicemail off when they use conditional forwarding. The full difference is in How to Forward Your Business Calls and Keep Your Number.
Why can't I see Call Forwarding on my iPhone?
Your carrier decides whether the setting appears. Apple's guide says the switch is for carriers on GSM networks, and that on other networks you contact your carrier to set up forwarding. In practice this affects some US carriers.
What to do: use your carrier's forwarding code instead: type or paste it into the Phone app's keypad and tap call. Or call or message your carrier and ask them to forward all calls on your business number to the number you give them. They can turn it off again the same way. If you're setting up Juney, she shows the code for your carrier with your Juney number already in it, so you copy it rather than type it. Follow the setup steps Juney shows you.
Apple's guide also says iPhone blocks links in messages, emails, web pages or apps that ask you to turn on call forwarding, because scammers use them. That's why no app, Juney included, can dial a forwarding code for you on an iPhone; a code you paste or type into the keypad yourself still works. Juney gives you the code to copy instead of a button that dials it. If a forwarding link turns up that you didn't expect, ignore it.
How does iPhone call forwarding work in the UK, Australia and Canada?
Juney works with numbers in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. The keypad steps are the same, but the code depends on your carrier, and the Settings switch is not available on every network. In Australia, Telstra's code ends *11# rather than #. In the UK, Vodafone UK and TalkTalk ask for the number in +44 form, without its first 0. Canadian carriers use *21*. Your plan also determines whether you can forward calls and what it costs. If neither the code nor the switch works, ask your carrier.
What number do I forward my business calls to?
You forward to the number your answering service gives you, not to a number you choose. An AI answering service (or AI receptionist) answers at its own number behind the scenes. Your carrier sends calls from your business number to it, so customers keep ringing the number on your van and your cards.
With Juney, the steps happen in the app on your phone, with no computer:
- In Juney, tap Switch my line on and choose your carrier.
- Tap Copy code. It's your carrier's code with your Juney number already in it.
- Open Phone › Keypad, touch and hold above the numbers, tap Paste, then tap call. Wait for the confirmation, or the tone on Verizon's network.
- Back in Juney, tap I've done it. Juney places a quick, silent test call to your business number and checks that it reaches her.
Show me how plays the paste steps for you. If the code doesn't take, Didn't work? offers a second code where your carrier has one, then your iPhone's Settings switch (not on Verizon's network), then your carrier. The help center has every screen, including what to do if the check fails. Nothing is ported and you don't change carrier.
You can finish setup in the Juney app.
Juney uses all-calls forwarding, the kind the code and the iPhone switch set up. She doesn't rely on your carrier's "forward when busy or unanswered" options. If your Answering schedule sends calls outside your business hours to voicemail, she answers those with your voicemail greeting and the caller leaves a message.
Live Voicemail is on by default on iPhone. Verizon tells owners to turn it off for conditional forwarding, and Apple's Call Screening answers unknown callers for you. With Juney's all-calls forwarding, your carrier sends the call on before the iPhone rings, so neither feature answers it first.
The trade-off is that personal calls to the same number are forwarded too. Add family and regular suppliers to Excluded contacts so Juney won't answer them. With Ring me first, the app rings you and then sends the call to voicemail; Straight to Juney sends it to voicemail. If your carrier charges for forwarding, the time your app rings may count because the forwarded call is already connected.
Will my iPhone still ring?
Your carrier forwards the call before your iPhone line rings. If you choose Ring me first, the Juney app rings you for about 15 seconds, and you can take the call in the app. If you decline or don't answer, Juney answers. Choose Straight to Juney to send calls to her without the app ringing you.
Keep the Juney app signed in, allow notifications and use a data connection. If the app cannot be reached, Juney answers without ringing you. Calls you answer yourself don't use your Juney minutes. The help center explains Ring your phone first.
How do I turn call forwarding off on my iPhone?
Dial your carrier's off code from the Phone keypad: ##21# or #21# with most carriers, *73 on Verizon. Or open Settings → Apps → Phone → Call Forwarding (Settings → Phone → Call Forwarding on iOS 17 and earlier) and turn it off, and wait for the switch to flip off before you leave Settings. Calls then ring your iPhone again.
What to do:
- If your carrier turned forwarding on for you, ask them to turn it off.
- If you're pausing Juney, go to Settings → Your line → Forwarding → Just need a break? in the app. It gives you your carrier's off code to copy and paste into the keypad, and when you come back it walks you through switching on again and runs a line check.
- Check it worked: call your business number from another phone. It should ring you, not the answering service.
Logging out of Juney doesn't switch forwarding off. Your carrier keeps forwarding calls until you turn it off.
Does call forwarding cost anything on an iPhone?
It depends on your carrier and plan, not on the iPhone. Some carriers include forwarding, some count forwarded calls against your minutes, and some prepaid plans can't forward at all. Examples from the carriers' own pages, checked October 2026:
- Verizon: no monthly fee for call forwarding on most plans, though a fee may apply on some older plans. Without unlimited minutes, forwarded calls are billed against your plan.
- Telstra: call forwarding is included in all plans with an unlimited call allowance.
Juney's number is a local number in your own country. Before you switch forwarding on, ask your carrier: "Does my plan charge for forwarding calls to a local mobile or landline number?"
Juney itself costs $49 a month, or $490 a year, with 150 minutes a month and top-ups of 100 minutes for $20, bought in the app, which don't expire, after a 7-day free trial with 50 minutes (as of October 2026). The current plans are on Juney's pricing.
When you compare services, include the carrier's forwarding charge, not just the monthly price.
What if my business number is on another phone or a landline?
Set up forwarding on the phone that has the business number. Carriers only accept forwarding changes from the line being forwarded, so switching it on from a different phone won't work.
- A second line on your iPhone (Dual SIM): dial the code from the business line, or choose that line in Call Forwarding before you tap Forward To.
- An Android work phone: use the Phone app's forwarding settings or your carrier's code on that phone.
- A landline: you switch forwarding on from the landline handset, not your iPhone. Your phone company can tell you how or do it for you.
- A VoIP service: set forwarding in the service's own dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to change my number to forward calls to an answering service?
No. Call forwarding sends calls from your existing number to the answering service's number. You keep your number and your carrier, and nothing is ported.
Can I forward only the calls I miss on my iPhone?
Not with the iPhone's Settings switch, which forwards every call. Set busy or no-answer forwarding through your carrier; Verizon recommends turning Live Voicemail off for conditional forwarding. Juney uses all-calls forwarding; in her app, choose Ring me first for about 15 seconds to answer before she does.
How do I know call forwarding is on?
Call your business number from another phone: it should reach the number you forwarded to. If you used the Settings switch, a Call Forwarding icon also shows in your iPhone's status bar. If you use Juney, Settings → Your line → Forwarding shows the status and has a Test again button.
Why did my iPhone block a call forwarding link?
iPhone blocks links in messages, emails, web pages and apps that ask you to turn on call forwarding, because scammers use them. Type or paste your carrier's code into the Phone keypad yourself, use the Settings switch, or ask your carrier to turn it on.
Will forwarding work if I move to a new iPhone?
Yes, if you move the same number and SIM. Forwarding belongs to your number and carrier, not the handset. If you change number or carrier, set forwarding up again.
Updated for October 2026: clarified the keypad-first flow and how Live Voicemail and Call Screening interact with forwarding.
Related Resources
Facts in this article are current as of October 2026.
