What is the Verizon call forwarding code?

Dial *72 followed by the 10-digit destination to forward every call, or *71 followed by the number to forward only when you are busy or do not answer. Dial *73 to cancel. Wait for the confirmation tone before hanging up.

What is *86 on Verizon?

*86 dials your Verizon Wireless voicemail directly. On a Verizon landline the equivalent is *98. Both connect to the mailbox for the line you are dialing from.

How do I check my Verizon balance with a code?

Dial #225, which spells #BAL, for your balance. Related shortcuts are #646 (#MIN) for minutes used, #3282 (#DATA) for data usage, #768 (#PMT) to make a payment, and #874 (#UPG) for upgrade eligibility. These are free to dial.

Why do Verizon codes look different from AT&T codes?

Verizon kept the North American star codes (*72, *71, *73) while AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM USSD strings (**21*, **61*, ##21#). The same task therefore needs a different code on each network, and using the wrong family is the usual reason a code appears to do nothing.

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Verizon codes: star codes, account shortcuts, and status checks

Verizon kept the North American star codes rather than moving to GSM strings, so *72, *71 and *73 still run the show. Here is the full set, plus the # shortcuts for balance, data and minutes.

Verizon is the major US carrier that stayed with North American star codes, which is why a Verizon forwarding code looks nothing like the AT&T or T-Mobile equivalent. The same star codes work across Verizon Wireless, Fios Digital Voice, and traditional Verizon landlines, which makes this one of the more consistent code sets to learn. Account shortcuts use a hash prefix instead and spell words on the keypad.

Verizon call forwarding codes

Code	What it does
`*72<number>`	Forward every call to the destination
`*71<number>`	Forward only when busy or unanswered
`*73`	Cancel forwarding
`*90<number>`	Forward when busy, on some landline plans
`*92<number>`	Forward when unanswered, on some landline plans

Dial from the line you want to forward, add the 10-digit destination with no spaces or dashes, and wait for the confirmation tone before hanging up. Most small businesses want *71 rather than *72 — you keep answering the calls you can take, and only what you miss gets redirected.

Step by step: how to forward calls on Verizon, or the deeper explanation of what *72 does and what *71 does.

Voicemail and calling feature codes

Code	What it does
`*86`	Call your Verizon Wireless voicemail
`*98`	Voicemail on a Verizon landline
`*69`	Call back the last number that rang you
`*66`	Keep redialing a busy number until it frees up
`*70`	Turn off call waiting for one call
`*57`	Malicious call trace, logged with the carrier

*57 is worth knowing about: it does not tell you who called, it files a traced record with Verizon that law enforcement can request. It usually has to be dialed immediately after the call in question. More context on what *69 means.

Caller ID and privacy

Code	What it does
`*67`	Hide your number for one call
`*82`	Show your number for one call when it is normally hidden
`*77`	Reject callers who hide their number
`*87`	Stop rejecting anonymous callers
`*60`	Add numbers to a selective block list
`*80`	Turn that block list off

Verizon can also hide your caller ID on every call at the account level, free, which is called per-line blocking. With that on, *82 becomes the code you need in order to be seen. Detail on how to block your number and how to unblock a number.

Verizon account shortcuts

These spell words on a phone keypad, which is how they are usually written:

Code	Spells	What it returns
`#225`	#BAL	Account balance
`#646`	#MIN	Minutes used
`#3282`	#DATA	Data usage this cycle
`#768`	#PMT	Make a payment
`#874`	#UPG	Upgrade eligibility
`#832`	#TEST	Run a test call for line quality
`*611`	—	Verizon customer service

These are free to dial and do not count against minutes. Availability varies by plan, and prepaid accounts answer some differently.

Check what is active on a Verizon line

Verizon wireless handsets running VoLTE also understand the GSM interrogation codes, which is the fastest way to audit a line you are not sure about:

Code	What it reports
`*#21#`	Whether forward-all is on and where it points
`*#61#`	The no-answer forwarding destination
`*#62#`	The unreachable destination
`*#31#`	Whether your caller ID is hidden
`*#06#`	Your IMEI

If *#21# comes back with a Verizon voicemail number as the destination, that is normal — it is how unanswered calls reach voicemail in the first place. It is not evidence of anything wrong. See what *#21# means.

Try the carrier code generator

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FAQ

What is the Verizon call forwarding code?: Dial *72 followed by the 10-digit destination to forward every call, or *71 followed by the number to forward only when you are busy or do not answer. Dial *73 to cancel. Wait for the confirmation tone before hanging up.
What is *86 on Verizon?: *86 dials your Verizon Wireless voicemail directly. On a Verizon landline the equivalent is *98. Both connect to the mailbox for the line you are dialing from.
How do I check my Verizon balance with a code?: Dial #225, which spells #BAL, for your balance. Related shortcuts are #646 (#MIN) for minutes used, #3282 (#DATA) for data usage, #768 (#PMT) to make a payment, and #874 (#UPG) for upgrade eligibility. These are free to dial.
Why do Verizon codes look different from AT&T codes?: Verizon kept the North American star codes (*72, *71, *73) while AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM USSD strings (**21*, **61*, ##21#). The same task therefore needs a different code on each network, and using the wrong family is the usual reason a code appears to do nothing.
What does *57 do on Verizon?: *57 is malicious call trace. It does not show you the caller's number — it files a traced record with Verizon that law enforcement can request. It generally needs to be dialed immediately after the call you want traced.

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