Verizon Call Forward No Answer: How *71 Works and How to Set It Up

No-answer forwarding is a conditional forwarding setting. Your phone rings as usual when someone calls. If you answer, the call goes to you and nothing changes. If you don't answer, the call is sent to the destination number you chose.

This is useful when you want calls to reach you first but still get handled when you're unavailable, such as when you're on a job, driving, or away from the phone. It is not the same as all-call forwarding, which sends every call to the destination right away and your phone never rings.

• Your phone rings first; only missed calls are forwarded.
• You keep your existing phone number; callers dial it as always.
• It applies to calls, not text messages.
• Charges depend on your Verizon plan.

Verizon's published steps for mobile lines are simple, but they must be done from the mobile phone itself while it is in Verizon coverage. You cannot set this up remotely from another phone or from a website using these codes.

To activate, dial *71 followed by the 10-digit destination number, then press Call. To deactivate, dial *73 and press Call. If forwarding does not behave as expected, contact Verizon to confirm the feature is supported on your specific line and plan before trying anything else.

• Activate: dial *71 + 10-digit destination number, then Call.
• Deactivate: dial *73, then Call.
• Set it up from the mobile phone while in Verizon coverage.
• Forwarding covers calls only, not texts.

Verizon mobile documents two forwarding conditions with distinct codes. All-call forwarding uses *72 and sends every call to the destination immediately. No-answer forwarding uses *71 and only redirects calls you miss. Both are turned off with *73.

Choosing between them depends on how you work. If you want your phone to keep ringing and only overflow missed calls, use *71. If you want every call handled elsewhere without your phone ringing at all, use *72. Note that all-call forwarding means you will not receive calls at the original line while it is active.

• *72 + destination: forwards all calls immediately (unconditional).
• *71 + destination: forwards only calls you don't answer (conditional).
• *73: disables forwarding.
• Pick *71 when you want first chance to answer; pick *72 when you want calls handled elsewhere entirely.

Many owners use no-answer forwarding to send missed calls to a phone answering service instead of voicemail. With AllDayDesk, you keep your public number and forward calls to it; the service answers using your saved business information around the clock. Setup involves choosing your business or entering its website, checking the details, hearing a personalized sample, and then choosing your phone setup based on your provider's forwarding instructions.

Once set up, calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings appear in your dashboard. New appointments go on the built-in AllDayDesk calendar by default once you have configured your services and availability, and an optional Google Calendar connection is available in Settings after you connect and authorize your account. When the caller asks something the service doesn't know, like a price or an appointment change, it takes a message for you instead of guessing.

No-answer forwarding pairs well with this arrangement because your phone still rings first during the day, and only calls you miss reach the service. If you also want busy calls covered, that is a separate condition you would set up separately with your carrier.

• Keep your existing Verizon number; forward missed calls to the service.
• The sample call lets you hear how your business would be answered before you commit.
• Transcripts, summaries, and bookings show up in the dashboard.
• Appointment changes requested by callers are passed to you as requests, not confirmed on the spot.

Star codes are not universal across every carrier, plan, or device, and Verizon's wireless codes should not be applied to Verizon business landline products or to other carriers' lines. If *71 gives an error or forwarding never activates, the feature may not be provisioned on your line.

The practical next step is to confirm with Verizon that conditional no-answer forwarding is available on your specific plan. Some services and reseller plans do not support conditional forwarding at all, in which case your alternatives are all-call forwarding with *72 or handling missed calls through your voicemail or another arrangement.

• Confirm the feature is supported on your exact line and plan with Verizon.
• Do not use wireless codes on Verizon business landline products.
• If conditional forwarding is unavailable, *72 all-call forwarding is the documented alternative on Verizon mobile.