iPhone is considered as a revolutionary mobile phone. May be it’s too revolutionary that it lacks some very basic features. Some iPhone users (including my wife) complain about the absence of conditional call forwarding feature (which can be found in most mobile phones):
- Call forward if busy – Forward incoming call to another number if you’re on call
- Call forward if not answered – Forward the incoming call to another number if it is not answered for a predefined period of time
- Call forward if not reachable – Forward incoming call to another number if the phone is off or without signal
iPhone allows you to setup basic call forwarding to direct all calls to another phone number. However, it doesn’t provide any interface to setup “Call forward if busy” and other conditional call forwarding.
Despite the lack of user interface on iPhone to activate conditional forwarding, you can use the so-called “Call Forwarding Code” to activate it. Here are the tricks:
Activate Call Forwarding
To setup “Call forward if busy”, simply dial *67*[another phone number]# and tap “Call”
To setup “Call forward if not answered”, simply dial *61*[another phone number]# and tap “Call”
To setup “Call forward if unreachable”, simply dial *62*[another phone number]# and tap “Call”
Deactivate Call Forwarding
To deactivate “Call forward if busy”, simply dial #67# and tap “Call”
To deactivate “Call forward if not answered”, simply dial #61# and tap “Call”
To deactivate “Call forward if not reachable”, simply dial #62# and tap “Call”
You do not need to remember all these codes. Say, you usually use “Call Forward if busy”, save the number as a new contact. Next time, when you need to activate call forwarding, just look up that contact and dial the number.
Note: The above codes should work with most GSM networks. If it doesn’t work, please further check with your carrier. For AT&T user, you can also check out the details here.
Hi Simon,
Noticed you did just changed the codes for deactivation. You haven’t changed the options. =)
To deactivate “Call forward if busy”, simply dial #67# and tap “Call”
To deactivate “Call forward if busy”, simply dial #61# and tap “Call”
To deactivate “Call forward if busy”, simply dial #62# and tap “Call”
Thanks! It is now fixed.
When I go to settings-phone-show my caller id, the button is restricted…you can’t turn it on or off. Also, I can’t dial *67 to manually block caller id. Help how to i fix this??
Thanks! One question: if the phone keypad is locked then I can’t manually decline a call to forward it to another number. Do u know ways to do that?
@Kerry, when there is an incoming call, you can tap the Sleep/Power button once to ignore the call. Tap the same button again to forward it to another number (presume you have already configured the call forwarding).
This still doesn’t seem to be forwarding the call
Helpful to me. Thx!!
http://game4mob.com/index.php/callforwardiphone
You can use “Call forward” app from appstore. Yes, fake contacts, but you can pick from contact list and set up separate forwarding for no reply, busy, out of reach sitution.
With this call forwarding option, you’ll surely never miss important calls.
Is the format *nn* or #nn# ? I see both used in the original article.
Also, I picked this up from another article a couple of years ago:
#61# -Displays ‘call forwarding to voicemail’ state (enabled or disabled) [and number forwarded to] of voice call, data, fax, SMS, sync data, Async data, packet access, and pad access forwarding for outgoing calls.
To change the number of seconds before the call forwards to voicemail, retrieve your eleven digit number from *#61# then carefully type *61*numberRetrieved*11*30# -those last two digits are the seconds to ring (Default is 20; Max = 30)
I haven’t tried any of these options myself. –Mike
On the time delay for forwarding when no answer condition, the time can be controlled in five-second increments up TO a maximum of :30. Simply set the number you want: 05,10,15,20,25, or 30. The code 11 tells the system you are setting a time-control parameter, so it must be there or this doesn’t work.
That delay can also be applied to any number used, not just voicemail, but ONLY for this specific condition of forward when no answer. The time-delay parameter does not work with call forward busy and call forward unreachable.
ALSO: want to thank the author for having this all in one spot. Unfortunately, this was not a link I came across three weeks back when I was cursing the new iPhone purchaser after AT&T reps assured me that it DID have call forward conditional. Sure, my calling PLAN has it, but they hadn’t a clue that AT&T, purportedly, does not WANT people to have this feature at all, according to other reports and blog comments I have seen on the web.
BOTTOM LINE: Your article has been a great one-stop double-check for me.
NEW QUESTION: Is there a way to forward a LIVE call received on an iPhone to aother person, and then be able to leave that conversation but leave the other two parties talking without them losing contact to each other when I hang up??
Steve,
The 11 tells the system to only forward voice calls.
Service Code: 11 for voice, 25 for data, 13 for fax
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_forwarding
Same question as Steve ~ I have horrible cell reception at my house and I desperately need a way to transfer an incoming call on my iPhone over to my land line once I’ve already answered the call on my iPhone. I need to be able to disconnect the iPhone call (before it drops itself anyway) and continue the conversation on my land line. I’ve tried third-party calling from the iPhone (adding my land line to the call) but once the iPhone hangs up the entire call is dropped.
Realize I can set up call forwarding in advance, but that only works if I’ve remembered to do that before a call comes in
(
I used the suggested 3 codes to deactivate the call forward and I get a few options with a message at the bottom, after I hit call, saying “Dismiss”. I have either to press Dismiss or switch the phone off in both cases with the same result, no deactivation. Any suggestions?
You should really check with your service provider ie search online for “Call forward [name of network]” as this site is international. In Hong Kong under smartone vodafone network, there is an extra * for example:
CF when Busy is **67*[number]# “call”.
I have set the conditional call forwarding function (Call forward if busy)
and it is succeed to forward a call when I press “cancel” when phone ring
but the problem is, when the phone is in sleep mode(no screen) and it rings, there is only a bar for pick up the phone, but no “cancel” button, how can I solve the problem??
@JoJo, you can press the Sleep/Power button twice and your call will be forwarded.
You can cancel the call by twice pressing the power button
thanks!!!!!!!
How do you configure the no.of seconds required in case of call transfer if not answered. my phone rings for a long time and then gets transfered but by the time the call gets transfered the caller disconnects.
hy simon
i tried to do call forwarding when not answered and unreachable to my iPhone 3gs version 4.3.1 but its display “setting actiavation failed”
can u help me
I work in a building that has no cell signal whatsoever. Can I forward my AT&T I-Phone calls to a private non-AT&T number during the workday? I have the I-Phone 4..Thanks
@JD, your service plan comes with call forwarding feature. You should be able to forward any incoming calls to other phone number.
Question regarding callforwarding in iphones.
I have a signal problem in my appartment and was thing of using my google voice account to receive calls through the internet(on the same phone) while the network signal is low.
But I noticed that *62*# is forwarding the datacalls too due to which I am not able to recieve the calls on the same phone(iphone).
Is there a call forwarding code that I could use, which forward only the voice calls and not the data calls ? Anybody ??
@Ram
If you add a *11 at the end of the phone number, it will only forward the voice calls.
**62**11#
Service Code: 11 for voice, 25 for data, 13 for fax
Hi!
I activated call forward when busy but during a conversation my iphone did not worn me that I have another icoming call so I deactiveted it and then I enabled *61*….. same story, no woarning that someone tryes to call me…. so I deactivated by using #61# , gotthe confirmation that the option is deactivated but I still get no woarning when I’m in a conversation and someone else tryes to call. pls tell me how to get to the original mode
Thank you for that amazing tip! i was so frustrated with the iphone! and then viola! there is always a solution!
There is one number that I want forwarded whether I am available or not. I want to forward just that number and no others. Is that possible? Iphone 4s. What do i do to do that?
Is it possible to have a call forwarded when I press “reject call”? So if somebody calls and I use the rejecting option it forwards to a number I specify? Please help!
Thank you!
I am trying to forward when unanswered but it goes to my visual voicemail. How do I stop it from doing this?