Verizon Business Phone Forwarding: Codes, Setup, and Turning It Off

Verizon sells several different phone products, and the forwarding steps are not the same for all of them. The two most common situations for a small business are a Verizon business landline (a wired phone line at your shop or office) and a Verizon mobile line (a cell phone used for business). Using the wrong set of instructions is the most common reason forwarding appears not to work.

Check your bill or your Verizon account page for the exact product name. If the line is a wired business line, use the landline steps below. If the line is a cell phone, use the mobile steps. If you have a hosted or cloud business phone product from Verizon, the codes in this guide may not apply at all, and you should confirm the steps for that specific product with Verizon support.

• Wired business landline: uses *72 to activate and *73 to deactivate, dialed from the line itself.
• Verizon mobile line: uses *72 plus the destination for all calls, *71 plus the destination for unanswered calls, and *73 to turn forwarding off.
• Forwarding setup on a mobile line must be done from that phone while it is in Verizon coverage.
• Forwarding moves calls only. Text messages are not forwarded.

For a Verizon business landline, Verizon's own quick-start guide for call forwarding keeps it simple: dial *72 from the line you want to forward and follow the activation instructions you hear. The line stays forwarded until you turn it off.

To stop forwarding, dial *73 from that same line. You should hear a confirmation that forwarding is off. If you forward the line and later wonder why nobody can reach you at the desk, check that *73 was dialed from the correct line, since deactivation only works from the line that was forwarded.

• Activate: dial *72 from the business line and follow the spoken instructions.
• Deactivate: dial *73 from the same line.
• This guide covers all-call forwarding on the landline; it does not cover separate busy or no-answer conditions.

If your business runs on a Verizon cell phone, the codes are slightly different. To forward all incoming calls, dial *72 followed by the 10-digit US destination number and press call. To forward only calls that go unanswered, dial *71 followed by the 10-digit destination. Dial *73 to disable forwarding.

Verizon notes that this setup must be done from the mobile phone itself while it is in Verizon coverage, and that forwarding applies to calls only, not texts. Charges for forwarded calls depend on your plan, so it is worth confirming costs with Verizon before leaving forwarding active around the clock.

• Forward all calls: *72 plus the 10-digit destination number.
• Forward unanswered calls only: *71 plus the 10-digit destination number.
• Turn forwarding off: *73.
• Set up from the phone itself, in Verizon coverage.
• Calls only, not texts; plan charges may apply.

Many owners forward their Verizon number so calls are handled when they are on a job, with a customer, or simply away from the phone. With AllDayDesk, you keep your existing Verizon business number. You forward it to the number AllDayDesk gives you, and calls are answered around the clock using the business information you save, such as your services, hours, and pricing.

Setting up AllDayDesk starts by choosing your business or entering its website, checking the details it pulls together, and hearing a personalized sample of how your calls would be answered. The sample is a demonstration and does not create a real booking. Then you choose your phone setup and follow the forwarding instructions that match your Verizon service. Your public number stays the same, so customers never need to learn a new one.

Once calls are being handled, you can see calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in your dashboard. New appointments go on the built-in AllDayDesk calendar by default once you have configured your services and availability. If you prefer, you can optionally connect Google Calendar in Settings after connecting and authorizing your Google account.

• You keep your Verizon number; forwarding simply sends the calls elsewhere for answering.
• AllDayDesk answers using your saved business details, around the clock.
• Calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings appear in your dashboard.
• Appointments use the built-in calendar by default, with optional Google Calendar connection in Settings.

If forwarding does not seem to work, the cause is usually one of a few simple things. Work through these checks before calling support, because most issues are resolved in a minute.

Also keep in mind what forwarding does and does not do. It sends calls to another number; it does not change your voicemail greeting, move text messages, or manage your calendar by itself. If you want missed calls handled rather than dumped in voicemail, forwarding them to a service that answers is the more complete option.

• Wrong product instructions: landline and mobile codes differ, so confirm which Verizon service the line is on.
• Dialed from the wrong phone: activation and deactivation must be done from the line being forwarded.
• Out of coverage: mobile forwarding setup requires the phone to be in Verizon coverage.
• Typo in the destination: re-enter *72 (or *71 on mobile) and the full 10-digit number carefully.
• Plan charges: forwarded calls can cost money depending on your plan; confirm with Verizon.
• Feature not on the line: some business plans require a feature to be added before forwarding works; check with Verizon.