How to Forward Work Calls to Cell Phone

Before you dial anything, figure out which service actually handles your work number, because the steps are different for each one. Check a recent bill or your provider's welcome email for the exact product name. A Verizon business landline, for example, uses different instructions than a Verizon wireless line, and Comcast has several separate business phone products.

Once you know the product, choose the matching method below. If you cannot identify the service, call your provider's support line and ask them to confirm which call forwarding options your line supports.

• Landline or cable digital voice: usually star codes like *72 and *73
• Business VoIP or hosted systems: usually an app or web portal setting
• Work cell phone: carrier short codes dialed from that phone
• Google Voice numbers: forwarding to an automated answering system is not supported by Google

For traditional lines, forwarding is usually a two-step dial: a code, then your cell number. The exact codes depend on your provider and product, so use only the directions for your own service. Here are verified examples:

After activating, place a test call to your work number from a different phone and confirm it rings on your cell. To turn forwarding off, dial the matching deactivation code from the same line.

• Verizon mobile: *72 plus the 10-digit number forwards all calls; *71 plus the number forwards unanswered calls; *73 disables. Set up from the mobile phone while in Verizon coverage.
• Verizon business landline: dial *72 and follow the activation instructions; dial *73 to deactivate from the same line.
• T-Mobile: **21*1 then the number and # forwards all calls; **61*1 for no reply; **62*1 for unreachable; **67*1 for busy. Disable with ##21#, ##61#, ##62#, or ##67#, or reset with ##004#.
• AT&T Phone for Business: *72, destination, # for all calls; *92 for no answer; *90 for busy; turn each off with *73#, *93#, or *91#.
• Optimum Business Phone: dial *72, wait for dial tone, then dial the destination. A pickup confirms it. *73 turns forwarding off.
• Frontier Unlimited Digital Voice: lift the handset, dial *72, wait for a second dial tone, enter the destination, and listen for confirmation. *73 disables.
• Comcast Managed Voice (Panasonic TPA65): lift the handset, dial *72 and the destination, then replace the handset. *73 disables.

Many modern business phone systems skip star codes entirely and manage forwarding in a dashboard. These settings often give you more control, such as forwarding only when the line is busy or unanswered.

Log in with an account that has permission to change phone settings. On some systems, an account owner or administrator controls who can manage features, so you may need to ask them for access.

• Spectrum Business Voice: sign in to SpectrumBusiness.net, open Voice, choose your number, then Voice Settings or Forwarding Manager, enable forwarding, and pick all calls or busy/no-answer with a destination.
• Vonage Business Communications: select Call Forwarding and enable Forward Calls to a phone number.
• Comcast Business: Voice Mobility includes call forwarding and remote call forwarding, managed through My Account or the Comcast Business App, depending on your subscribed services.
• Windstream OfficeSuite UC: use the WE Connect Dashboard, open My Call Forwarding, choose Call Forwarding (Immediate) to Another Phone, enter the 10-digit number, and save.
• AT&T Collaborate: an administrator controls feature access; *72 plus the destination enables always forwarding and *73 disables it, with separate codes for busy and no-answer.

You have a choice when you forward work calls to your cell. Forwarding all calls sends everything straight to your phone, which is useful when you are out of the office all day. Conditional forwarding only sends calls that go unanswered, get a busy signal, or reach a phone that is off or out of range, so your desk phone still rings first.

Conditional forwarding is handy if you are at your desk most of the day but want missed calls to follow you. Note that all-call forwarding usually overrides your desk phone's voicemail, so callers reach your cell's voicemail instead. Also remember that forwarding sends calls, not text messages, on mobile services like Verizon.

Check whether your plan charges for forwarded calls. Some providers bill forwarded minutes, especially on mobile plans, so a day of heavy forwarding can cost more than you expect.

• All-call forwarding: every call rings your cell immediately
• No-answer forwarding: desk phone rings first, then your cell
• Busy and unreachable forwarding: covers times you are on a call or your phone is off

Forwarding works well when you can pick up, but it has limits. If you are on a job, driving, or with a customer, a forwarded call still goes to your voicemail, and callers who will not leave a message may call a competitor instead. Forwarding also means your personal cell number shows up in work contexts and your work-life boundary disappears.

An answering service is a different approach: instead of forwarding calls to your cell, you forward your work line to a service that answers in your business's name, takes messages, and can book appointments. AllDayDesk, this site's product, is an AI receptionist that answers around the clock using your saved business details. You keep your existing number by forwarding calls to it, set up by choosing your business, checking its details, and hearing a personalized sample. Calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings show up in your dashboard, and new appointments go on the built-in calendar once you have set your services and availability.

If you want to compare options, human virtual receptionist services exist too, and their pricing and coverage vary by provider and plan, so request current quotes before deciding.

• Forwarding suits owners who can answer most of the time
• An answering service suits owners who cannot stop to pick up
• Either way, you keep your existing work number