Forward AT&T Business Line to Cell Phone

AT&T sells several phone products, and the forwarding codes are not the same across them. The instructions below cover two documented business products: AT&T Phone for Business and AT&T Collaborate. Using the wrong product's codes simply won't work, so take a minute to identify your service before you dial anything.

Look at your monthly bill, your AT&T account portal, or your original service agreement for the product name. If you have AT&T wireless service on the business line instead of a landline or hosted service, the steps are different again, and you should confirm the codes for your wireless plan with AT&T directly.

• AT&T Phone for Business: landline-style service with star-code forwarding
• AT&T Collaborate: a hosted business phone system where an administrator controls feature access
• AT&T wireless: a mobile plan, which uses different codes than either business product

On AT&T Phone for Business, you dial the code from the business line, then the destination, then #. Pick the forwarding type that matches what you want: all calls, only unanswered calls, or only calls that hit a busy line. No-answer forwarding is popular with owners who want to answer their own phone during work hours and let calls roll elsewhere after hours.

To turn a forwarding type off, dial its deactivation code from the same business line. If you have saved forwarding numbers in your online account, you may not need to reenter the destination each time.

• Forward all calls: dial *72, the 10-digit cell number, then #
• Stop all-call forwarding: dial *73#
• Forward unanswered calls: dial *92, the 10-digit cell number, then #
• Stop no-answer forwarding: dial *93#
• Forward calls when the line is busy: dial *90, the 10-digit cell number, then #
• Stop busy forwarding: dial *91#

AT&T Collaborate uses its own set of feature access codes, and an administrator on the account controls whether these features are available to your line. If a code doesn't work, ask your account administrator to enable forwarding for your extension.

As with Phone for Business, dial the code from the business line followed by the destination number, and use the matching deactivation code to turn it off.

• Forward all calls: dial *72 plus the destination; disable with *73
• Forward calls when busy: dial *62 plus the destination; disable with *63
• Forward calls when there's no answer: dial *92 plus the destination; disable with *93

After activation, call your business number from a different phone and confirm it rings on the cell. For no-answer forwarding, let the business line ring out and check that the call arrives on the cell after the rings run out. If nothing happens, re-dial the activation code from the business line, double-check the destination number, and verify you used the code set for your exact product.

Choosing between modes is a business decision, not just a technical one. All-call forwarding sends every caller straight to the cell, so the business line never rings. No-answer forwarding lets you or anyone at the shop pick up first and only forwards what gets missed. Busy forwarding helps when you're on the phone and a second caller would otherwise hear a busy signal.

• All calls: best when you want the cell to handle everything
• No answer: best when you answer during the day and want coverage after hours
• Busy: best for one-line setups where a second call should still reach someone

Forwarding to your own cell means you handle every call yourself, including the ones that come in while you're on a ladder, under a sink, or with a customer. That works for many owners, but it also means missed calls go to your personal voicemail and after-hours callers reach a recording instead of help.

Forwarding the same AT&T line to an answering service works the same way at the phone level: you dial the activation code and enter the service's number as the destination. With AllDayDesk, this site's own AI receptionist, you keep your public business number, forward calls to the number AllDayDesk gives you, and calls, transcripts, summaries, and any booked appointments show up in your dashboard. Setup involves choosing your business or entering its website, checking the details it found, hearing a personalized sample call, and then choosing your phone setup. When the service doesn't know an answer, a price, or an opening, it takes a message instead of guessing.

Either way, the forwarding mechanics on the AT&T side are identical. The difference is who or what picks up on the other end.

• Forward to a cell when you want every call in your own hands
• Forward to a service when you want calls handled while you're working or unavailable
• Existing appointment changes through a service are requests for you to confirm, not confirmed changes

A few practical limits are worth knowing before you rely on forwarding. All-call forwarding prevents the original business line from receiving calls directly, so remember it's on. It's also worth asking AT&T whether forwarding on your plan carries any charges, since plan terms vary.

Activation happens from the business line itself, so you can't flip it on remotely unless your product offers a remote or portal-based option. If you use a Google Voice number as your business line, Google states that forwarding from Google Voice to an automated system is unsupported, so check with Google and AT&T before assuming it will work.

• All-call forwarding stops the business line from ringing directly
• Ask AT&T whether your plan has any forwarding-related charges
• Activation happens from the business line, not from the cell