Three ways to forward
- All calls (unconditional forwarding): every call goes straight to the assistant. Best if you want it to be your front desk.
- Calls you don't answer (forward on no answer, busy or unreachable): your phone rings first, and the assistant picks up when you don't. Best if you want to keep answering yourself when you can.
- After hours only: calls go to the assistant outside opening hours. Most business phone systems and VoIP providers can switch forwarding on a schedule; on a mobile phone you turn unconditional forwarding on and off yourself.
Before you start
- Set up and test your assistant in RingLily first, so callers never reach an empty line.
- Note your assistant's phone number from the Numbers page. In the USA and Canada you get one in minutes; numbers in Australia and the EU are set up on request with company documents.
- Check with your carrier whether forwarding costs extra. Forwarded calls are often billed like an outgoing call from your line to the forwarding number.
Mobile phones: the standard codes
Most mobile networks in Europe and Australia, and AT&T and T-Mobile in the USA, use the standard GSM codes below. Type the code with your assistant's number in full international format (for example +14155550123), then press call. Your phone shows a confirmation.
- All calls: **21*number# (turn off with ##21#)
- When you don't answer: **61*number# (turn off with ##61#). Some networks let you set the number of seconds: **61*number**20# rings for 20 seconds first.
- When you're busy: **67*number# (turn off with ##67#)
- When your phone is off or has no signal: **62*number# (turn off with ##62#)
- All conditional forwarding at once (no answer, busy, unreachable): **004*number# (turn off with ##004#)
Verizon and other networks with their own codes
Some carriers use different codes. Verizon in the USA, for example, uses *72 followed by the number to forward all calls, *71 followed by the number to forward calls you don't answer or when you're busy, and *73 to turn forwarding off. Codes and availability change, so check your carrier's help pages if a code doesn't work.
On iPhone you'll also find call forwarding in Settings > Phone; on Android, in the Phone app's settings under Calls or Supplementary services. These menus usually offer unconditional forwarding only; use the codes for the conditional types.
Landlines and VoIP phone systems
On a traditional landline, forwarding is a service from your provider; many use *21* or *72 style codes, others need you to call them to set it up. Business VoIP systems and cloud phone providers (the kind that run on an app or desk phones with internet) have forwarding in their web portal, usually with schedules: "forward to this number outside business hours" and "forward when nobody answers after 20 seconds". That's the easiest way to send only after-hours calls to your assistant.
Test it
- Call your business number from another phone, for example a colleague's mobile.
- Check that the assistant answers with your greeting, including that it's an AI assistant and that the call is transcribed.
- Ask a question and leave a test message.
- Check that the message arrives by email and the call appears in your RingLily dashboard.
Common problems
- The code is rejected: the number must be in full format with the country code; some networks need the number without the + and with 00 instead.
- Callers still reach voicemail: turn off your carrier's voicemail, or set the no-answer delay shorter than the voicemail's, so forwarding happens first.
- Forwarding works on mobile but not from the desk phone: the office line has its own forwarding settings; set them in the phone system too.