Forward Office Calls to Cell Phone: Step-by-Step Guide

Most office phone services support forwarding in one of two places. The first is the phone itself: you lift the handset and dial a short code, often starting with a star (*), followed by the 10-digit number you want calls to ring on. The second is your provider's web portal or mobile app, where you pick the phone number, choose a forwarding option, and enter the destination.

There is also an important difference between the two main forwarding types. All-call (unconditional) forwarding sends every incoming call straight to your cell, and the desk phone does not ring. Conditional forwarding only steps in when the desk phone is busy or nobody answers, so callers reach the office first and your cell second. Some providers support both; some only support all-call forwarding, so check your plan before assuming you can set up the conditional version.

• All-call forwarding: every call goes to your cell immediately; the desk phone stays silent.
• No-answer forwarding: the office phone rings first, then the call moves to your cell after a set number of rings.
• Busy forwarding: calls go to your cell only while the office line is in use.
• Portal-based forwarding: managed in your provider's online account, often with more options than star codes.

The code you dial depends on the exact product you have, not just the brand on your bill. The examples below come from each provider's own documentation. If your product is not listed, call your provider or check their support pages rather than guessing a code, because the wrong code may fail silently or activate a different feature.

For landline and business voice services, the most common pattern is *72 to turn forwarding on and *73 to turn it off. Wireless carriers use different codes, and some use menu settings inside the phone instead.

• Verizon business landline: dial *72 and follow the activation instructions; dial *73 from the same line to deactivate. Verizon mobile: *72 plus the 10-digit destination forwards all calls, *71 plus the destination covers unanswered calls, and *73 disables. Set up from the mobile phone while in Verizon coverage; forwarding applies to calls, not texts.
• T-Mobile: dial **21*1 followed by the 10-digit destination and # to forward all calls, ##21# to disable. Use **61*1 for no-reply, **62*1 for unreachable, and **67*1 for busy, each disabled with ##61#, ##62#, or ##67#. ##004# resets forwarding to defaults.
• AT&T Phone for Business: dial *72, the destination, then # for all calls (*73# to turn off). No-answer uses *92 with *93# to disable; busy uses *90 with *91# to disable. AT&T Collaborate differs: *72/*73 for always, *62/*63 for busy, and *92/*93 for no-answer, with an administrator controlling feature access.
• Comcast Managed Voice (Panasonic TPA65): lift the handset, dial *72 and the destination, then hang up to enable; *73 disables. No-answer is *92/*93 and busy is *90/*91. Comcast's Voice Mobility feature also supports forwarding managed through My Account or the Comcast Business App.
• Optimum Business Phone: dial *72, wait for dial tone, then dial the destination; the destination answering confirms it. *73 turns it off. Features in My Optimum Voice also manage forwarding.
• Frontier Unlimited Digital Voice: lift the handset, dial *72, wait for a second dial tone, enter the destination, and listen for confirmation; *73 disables it. Frontier Digital Voice also offers Find Me-Follow Me or Simultaneous Ring features.
• Vonage Business Communications: select Call Forwarding and enable Forward Calls to a phone number, then verify with an outside call. Spectrum Business Voice: sign in to SpectrumBusiness.net, open Voice, choose the phone number, then Voice Settings or Forwarding Manager, enable forwarding, and choose all calls or busy/no-answer with the destination.
• C Spire: dial *72 and the 10-digit destination, then press Call; disable with *73 then Call. Conditional forwarding support must be confirmed with C Spire directly. Windstream OfficeSuite UC: use the WE Connect Dashboard, open My Call Forwarding, choose Call Forwarding (Immediate) and Another Phone, then enter the 10-digit destination and save.

Forwarding is usually a quick change, but a few checks save headaches. Confirm which product you actually have, since the same brand often sells several phone services with different codes and portals. Check whether your plan includes forwarding or charges for it, especially if calls forwarded to your cell are billed as long distance. And decide between all-call and conditional forwarding based on whether someone is at the desk to pick up.

• Identify the exact service name on your bill or account page before using any code.
• Confirm your plan supports the forwarding type you want; some plans only offer all-call forwarding.
• Ask about charges, since forwarded calls can count against plan minutes or long-distance allowances.
• Remember that all-call forwarding usually overrides the desk phone's voicemail, so callers will not reach the office voicemail while it is on.
• On multi-line systems, forwarding the main line can override hunt groups that would otherwise pass calls to other extensions.
• Some services require setup from the phone itself or while in coverage, so you may not be able to change forwarding remotely until the feature is confirmed.

After activating forwarding, place a test call from a different phone, such as a coworker's cell, and confirm it rings on your cell phone. Many providers confirm activation with a tone, a voice message, or a confirmation ring at the destination. Vonage, for example, recommends verifying the destination with an outside call, and Optimum's guide treats the destination answering as confirmation.

Keep the deactivation code handy so you can switch back quickly. In most cases *73 turns forwarding off from the same line, and portal users can disable it in the same settings where they enabled it. If a code does not seem to work, call your provider's support line and ask them to confirm the feature is active on your account.

• Test from a phone other than the office line so you know the call truly leaves the building.
• Listen for the confirmation tone or message before assuming forwarding is active.
• Use *73 (or the portal toggle) to turn forwarding off when you are back at the desk.
• If activation fails, confirm the feature exists on your plan before retrying.

Forwarding to your cell means your personal phone becomes your business line. You will get work calls at all hours unless you remember to toggle forwarding off, and you lose the separation between personal and business communication. All-call forwarding also silences the desk phone entirely, so anyone in the office will not hear incoming calls.

If you cannot always answer your cell, a few alternatives are worth knowing. Conditional forwarding keeps the desk phone as the first stop. A voicemail greeting can cover times when neither phone is answered. And an answering service or automated receptionist can pick up when you are unavailable, take messages, and log details so you can call people back. AllDayDesk, the service on this site, answers calls around the clock using your saved business information; you keep your existing number by forwarding calls to it, and you can review calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in the dashboard.

• All-call forwarding sends everything to your cell, including calls you would rather handle at the desk.
• Conditional forwarding rings the office first and only forwards on a miss or busy line.
• A clear voicemail greeting covers gaps when neither phone gets answered.
• An answering service or AI receptionist handles calls when you cannot, and AllDayDesk connects by forwarding your existing number.