Call Forwarding for Android: Set It Up, Change It, Cancel It

Forwarding is a carrier service. Android only asks the network to switch it on, which is why the menu is named differently on every brand, sits in a different place after most Android updates, and is missing entirely on some plans. Everything below covers setting it up, pointing it somewhere else, cancelling it — and the thing forwarding does not do, which is the reason most people go looking for it.

What call forwarding does on Android

The network redirects an incoming call to a different number — either before your phone rings at all, or after it has rung without an answer. The redirect happens on the carrier's side, so it still works when the Android phone is switched off, out of battery, or with no signal.

There are four conditions, and Android usually lets you set them independently:

Condition	When it fires	Typical use
Always forward	Every call. Your phone may not ring at all.	Handing your line to another phone for the day
When busy	You are already on a call	Second callers land somewhere useful
When unanswered	It rings, you do not pick up	Missed calls going somewhere better than voicemail
When unreachable	Phone off, flight mode, or no signal	Coverage gaps

The last three together are usually called conditional forwarding. They leave your phone ringing normally and only catch what falls through.

Set up call forwarding on stock Android

This is the Phone by Google app, which ships on Pixel and on a lot of Motorola, Nokia and Android One phones.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap More options — the three dots, top right — then Settings.
3. Tap Calling accounts, then tap the SIM you want to forward. On a single-SIM phone, or on some builds, the option sits under Calls instead and there is nothing to choose.
4. Tap Call forwarding.
5. Pick a condition — Always forward, When busy, When unanswered, When unreachable.
6. Type the destination number and tap Turn on or Enable. Include the country code if your carrier rejects the short form.
7. Call your number from another phone and check where it lands. Test every condition you switched on — they can behave differently on the same line.

Set up call forwarding on Samsung One UI

Samsung keeps forwarding under Supplementary services, which is the standards term for it and the reason it is hard to find by guessing.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap More options, then Settings.
3. Tap Supplementary services. Older One UI versions call this Call settings or list Call forwarding directly.
4. Tap Call forwarding, and pick the SIM if the phone asks.
5. Choose Always forward, When busy, When unanswered, or When unreachable.
6. Enter the destination number and tap Enable.
7. Test it with a call from another phone.

On a dual-SIM Galaxy, each SIM keeps its own settings. Forwarding set on SIM 1 does nothing at all for calls to SIM 2 — a common reason people think forwarding "did not save".

Android call forwarding codes

The codes belong to the carrier's network, not to Android — which is why the same ones appear in our iPhone call forwarding guide. They are worth knowing when a phone hides the menu, or when you want a condition the menu does not offer. Open Phone, type the code on the keypad, press call, and read the confirmation the network sends back.

What you want	GSM networks — AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket, Airtel, Vi, BSNL, and most carriers in India, Canada and Europe	Verizon & Spectrum Mobile
Forward every call	**21*<number>#	*72<number>
Forward calls you do not answer	**61*<number>#	*71<number>
Forward when busy	**67*<number>#	Not offered separately
Forward when unreachable	**62*<number>#	Not offered separately
All three conditions at once	**004*<number>#	Not offered separately
Cancel	##21# or ##004#, matching what you set	*73
Check what is currently set	*#21# and *#61#	Replies are often unreadable — use a test call

Two notes worth having before you dial. GSM codes usually want the destination in full international format (+1…, +91…); Verizon and Spectrum codes want the plain national format with no + and no #. And on Jio the standard codes do not reliably take — set forwarding from the MyJio app or ask Jio customer care on 199. A code that is wrong for your network returns an error rather than doing any damage, so a failed attempt costs you nothing but the try.

Change the number your calls forward to

There is no separate "edit" step. Open the same condition in the Call forwarding menu, replace the number, and enable it again. From the keypad, dial the same code with the new destination — on most carriers the new rule overwrites the old one rather than adding a second.

Then test it. A destination that has itself gone out of service is the quiet failure here: the menu still reads on, and the calls go nowhere.

Cancel call forwarding on Android

1. Go back to Call forwarding in the Phone app and turn off every condition you switched on. Turning off "Always forward" leaves "When unanswered" running.
2. Check the second SIM if you have one.
3. No menu, or the toggles will not stick? Dial the cancel code: ##21# and ##004# on a GSM carrier, *73 on Verizon and Spectrum.
4. Call your number from another phone. If it rings on the Android phone, forwarding is off.

Careful with ##002#. It clears every forwarding rule on the line in one go — including the one your carrier uses to send missed calls to voicemail. After dialling it, unanswered calls may simply ring out with no voicemail at all until you set that back up. Use the specific cancel code where you can.

What call forwarding cannot do

This is where most people are actually stuck. Forwarding moves a call. It does not screen it. Nothing in the Android menu decides whether a call is worth taking:

• It does not stop spam. A robocall forwarded to your second phone is still a robocall, now ringing somewhere else.
• It does not tell you who is calling or why. The number arrives at the destination and that is all you get.
• It does not answer. If the destination is voicemail, you have the same voicemail box you already had.
• It does not keep a record. There is no transcript, no summary, nothing to read afterwards.
• It does not forward texts. Voice only — messages keep arriving on the phone as normal.
• It does not mix well with automatic call screening. Google says automatic Call Screen should not be used together with call forwarding on supported Phone by Google devices — pick one.

So if you came here because unknown numbers keep interrupting you, forwarding on its own will move the problem rather than solve it. What it is genuinely good at is being the plumbing for something that does answer.

Forward to an assistant instead of voicemail

That is what OsmO uses forwarding for. You point your unanswered calls at OsmO with the code or menu for your carrier, keep your existing number, and calls you do not pick up reach an AI phone assistant instead of a voicemail box. It answers in a natural voice, asks who is calling and what they want, takes the message, and texts you the transcript. Robocalls tend to hang up on it rather than on you.

On Android specifically: some Android phones already screen unknown callers, and if yours does, compare them before adding anything — our roundup of Android call screening apps covers what each one does with an unknown number. What forwarding adds is a caller who gets properly answered and a written record of what was said. The OsmO app walks through the exact Call forwarding steps for your phone and your carrier during setup, so you are not guessing which condition to pick. It will not catch every spam call, it needs a subscription after the trial, and it is a separate app rather than an Android setting.

When call forwarding does not work

• The menu is missing. Some carriers and plans — prepaid and managed business lines in particular — do not offer forwarding at all. Your carrier can confirm whether the line supports it.
• The wrong SIM. On a dual-SIM Android phone, check which line you edited.
• The number was rejected. Try full international format, then plain national format. Carriers disagree about which they accept.
• No signal when you saved it. Changing a forwarding setting needs a live network connection. Turn flight mode off, wait for bars, try again.
• It keeps resetting. Some carriers drop forwarding after a plan change or a network switch. Re-dial the code and test.
• The toggle says off but calls still redirect. On many carriers the menu and a code you dialled control different rules. Dial the cancel code as well.
• A work profile owns the line. Managed lines can have the feature switched off centrally.

Setting up an iPhone too? The menu path and the conditions are different there — see call forwarding on iPhone, or the combined iPhone and Android forwarding guide if you are doing both at once.

Frequently asked questions

Where is call forwarding on Android?

In the Phone app, not system Settings. Stock Android: Phone > ⋮ > Settings > Calling accounts > SIM > Call forwarding. Samsung: Phone > ⋮ > Settings > Supplementary services > Call forwarding. Names differ by manufacturer and Android version.

What is the call forwarding code for Android?

There is no Android-wide code — the codes are the carrier's. On most GSM networks, **21*<number># forwards everything and **004*<number># forwards busy, unanswered and unreachable calls together. Verizon and Spectrum use *72 and *71.

How do I turn off call forwarding on Android?

Disable each condition in the Call forwarding menu, on each SIM. Without a menu, dial ##21# and ##004# on a GSM carrier, or *73 on Verizon and Spectrum. Confirm with a test call.

Does call forwarding on Android drain the battery?

No. The redirect happens on the carrier's network, so your phone is not doing any work — that is also why forwarding still applies while the phone is off.

Can I forward calls only from certain numbers?

Not with the built-in Android menu. Carrier forwarding applies to the whole line, by condition — never by caller. Filtering a specific caller is a job for blocking or for an app.

Does call forwarding cost extra?

It depends on the carrier and the plan. Some include it; some bill the forwarded leg as an outgoing call. Check your carrier's current terms before leaving it on.

Will forwarding work if my phone is switched off?

Always-forward and unreachable-forward will, because the network handles them. Unanswered-forward needs the phone to ring first, so a phone that is off falls under unreachable instead.

Official sources

Checked August 2026. Menu paths and carrier features change.

• Samsung: Calling features on Galaxy phones
• Google: Call Screen support
• Verizon: Call forwarding FAQs
• AT&T: Call forwarding
• T-Mobile: Call forwarding

Related: Call forwarding on iPhone & Android · Call forwarding on iPhone · Best Android call screening apps · Stop spam calls on Android · What is an AI phone assistant?