What does conditional call forwarding mean?

It means the carrier only forwards an incoming call when your line is busy, unanswered, or unreachable — not on every call. Calls you pick up still come straight to you; only the ones you'd miss get routed away.

What is the *71 code?

*71 is the conditional forwarding star code used by most North-American carriers (Verizon, Bell, Telus, Spectrum, and many cable VoIP providers). Dial `*71 ` from the line you want to forward, then wait for the confirmation tone.

How long does the phone ring before conditional forwarding kicks in?

About 25 seconds on most carriers — roughly four rings. Some carriers let you adjust this in the web portal, but star-code-set forwarding uses the carrier default.

Can I have both conditional and unconditional forwarding active?

On most carriers, yes — they're separate settings. Unconditional always wins when both are set (every call routes immediately, so the conditional rule never gets a chance). Most owners pick one and stick with it.

Does conditional forwarding cost extra?

On most plans, no — forwarding is a free carrier feature. The forwarded leg is usually billed as a normal outbound call from your line to the destination, which is typically included on unlimited plans. Check your specific plan if unsure.

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What is conditional call forwarding?

Forward only the calls you actually miss — keep answering the rest yourself.

Conditional call forwarding is a carrier feature that only forwards an incoming call to another number when your line is busy or doesn't answer within a short window (typically about 25 seconds, or 4 rings). Unlike unconditional forwarding — which routes every call away regardless of whether you can pick up — conditional forwarding lets you keep the calls you can take and only hands off the ones you'd miss. For small businesses paired with an answering service or AI receptionist, it's the right default.

Conditional vs unconditional, plainly

Unconditional forwarding (*72 on Verizon, **21* on GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile) routes every incoming call to the destination, immediately. Your phone never rings.

Conditional forwarding (*71 on Verizon, **61* on AT&T / T-Mobile) only forwards when one of three conditions is met: - Your line is busy (you're on another call) - Your line doesn't answer within about 25 seconds - Your phone is unreachable (off, no signal — wireless only)

For small businesses, conditional forwarding is almost always the right setting. You stay in the loop for calls you can pick up; an answering service or AI receptionist catches the ones you'd otherwise drop.

Conditional forwarding codes by carrier

Carrier	Conditional forward	Cancel
Verizon	`*71<number>`	`*73`
AT&T (wireless)	`*61<number>#`	`##61#`
T-Mobile	`*61<number>#`	`##61#`
Spectrum / cable VoIP	`*71<number>`	`*73`
Bell, Telus (CA)	`*71<number>`	`*73`
Rogers, Freedom Mobile (CA)	`*61<number>#`	`##61#`
Google Voice	Web portal — voice.google.com → Settings → Calls	Same

The pattern: **North-American copper / cable lines use *71 / *73. GSM wireless carriers use the USSD format **61*<number># / ##61#**. Dial the code from the line you want to forward.

When to use conditional over unconditional

Use conditional if you: - Want to keep answering calls yourself when you're free - Use an answering service or AI receptionist as a safety net for after-hours, busy, or away-from-phone moments - Run a business where call quality matters and you'd rather take important calls personally

Use unconditional if you: - Will be entirely unreachable for a stretch (vacation, multi-hour deep work, off-duty handoff) - Want the answering service or AI receptionist to handle 100% of inbound, full stop - Are routing a published number to a different team member or queue

Many owners use both — conditional during the workday so they can answer the easy calls, then a separate routing rule (or just *72 on weekends) so off-hours calls are fully covered.

How conditional forwarding plays with an AI answering service

Pair conditional forwarding with an AI answering service like RingOwl and you get the best of both: customers reach you directly when you can pick up, and the AI handles every missed call, busy moment, and after-hours dial — booking appointments straight into your calendar and texting you a summary. No customer hits voicemail, and you don't burn the entire day on the phone yourself.

Try the carrier code generator

Pick your carrier and condition — get the exact code to dial, with a copy button.

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When should calls forward?

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FAQ

What does conditional call forwarding mean?: It means the carrier only forwards an incoming call when your line is busy, unanswered, or unreachable — not on every call. Calls you pick up still come straight to you; only the ones you'd miss get routed away.
What is the *71 code?: *71 is the conditional forwarding star code used by most North-American carriers (Verizon, Bell, Telus, Spectrum, and many cable VoIP providers). Dial *71<destination-number> from the line you want to forward, then wait for the confirmation tone.
How long does the phone ring before conditional forwarding kicks in?: About 25 seconds on most carriers — roughly four rings. Some carriers let you adjust this in the web portal, but star-code-set forwarding uses the carrier default.
Can I have both conditional and unconditional forwarding active?: On most carriers, yes — they're separate settings. Unconditional always wins when both are set (every call routes immediately, so the conditional rule never gets a chance). Most owners pick one and stick with it.
Does conditional forwarding cost extra?: On most plans, no — forwarding is a free carrier feature. The forwarded leg is usually billed as a normal outbound call from your line to the destination, which is typically included on unlimited plans. Check your specific plan if unsure.

Forward your line to an AI that books

RingOwl is a 24/7 AI answering service for small businesses. Forward your line with the codes above and the AI picks up every call, books appointments straight into your calendar, and texts you a summary. Free 7-day trial, no credit card.

Start your free trial →