How to forward calls on Verizon

Verizon (along with most North-American carriers) uses three primary star codes for call forwarding: **\*72 for unconditional forwarding, \*71 for conditional forwarding, and \*73** to cancel.

Unconditional (*72) means every incoming call goes to the destination number immediately — your phone doesn't ring at all. Conditional (*71) only forwards when your line is busy or doesn't answer in about four rings — you keep the option of answering directly when you're free. Cancel (*73) turns off whichever forwarding is active.

Most small businesses want *71, not *72. It gives you the safety net of an answering service for missed and busy calls, without losing the option to pick up directly when you're at your desk.

1. Pick up the phone whose number you want to forward (this matters — codes only affect the line you dial from).
2. Dial the star code followed by the destination number, no spaces or dashes. For example: *7218005551234 forwards every call to 1 (800) 555-1234.
3. Press send/call.
4. Wait for the confirmation tone (usually a short stutter dial tone or three beeps). Hang up only after the confirmation.

That's it. From the next ring onward, calls follow the rule you set. Verizon doesn't send a separate text confirmation for landlines; on Verizon Wireless you may see a brief on-screen confirmation.

Use **\*72** if you'll be unreachable for a stretch (vacation, conference, off-hours coverage handoff) and want every call routed away from your phone.

Use **\*71** for day-to-day operations. You answer the easy calls yourself; whatever you miss because you're with a customer, on another line, or stepped away rolls to the destination. This is the configuration most pairs well with an answering service or an AI receptionist — you still own the relationship for calls you can take, but nothing falls through the cracks.

Dial **\*73** from the same line that has forwarding active. You should hear the same confirmation tone. If you'd set up both *71 and *72 (Verizon allows them to coexist), *73 cancels whichever is currently routing. Run *73 twice in different sessions if you're being thorough.

If the cancel doesn't seem to take, test by calling the forwarded line from another phone. If it still routes elsewhere, contact Verizon support and reference the call-forwarding feature on your specific plan — some VoIP plans require canceling from the web portal instead of via star code.

• Landline vs Fios vs Wireless. Star codes work the same on copper landlines, Fios Digital Voice, and Verizon Wireless. If a code doesn't take, the issue is almost always that forwarding is disabled at the account level — log into My Verizon and check the calling features.
• Forwarding a wireless line you don't physically have. You need to dial from the actual phone with the number on it. If you've ported the number or it's on a different SIM, set forwarding from My Verizon's web portal under Calling Features → Forwarding.
• Carrier rates may apply. Forwarded calls are billed to your line per Verizon's normal calling-plan rates — usually included on unlimited plans, but check.
• Some toll-free destinations are blocked. If you're trying to forward to a non-standard destination and it fails, dial a standard US 10-digit number first to confirm the feature works at all.