Verizon Call Forwarding * 71: How No-Answer Forwarding Works

The *71 code controls conditional forwarding for unanswered calls on Verizon mobile lines. When it is active, a call that rings until it would normally go to voicemail instead rings at the destination number you chose. If you pick up the call yourself, nothing happens and the caller reaches you as usual.

This is useful when you cannot always reach your phone but do not want every call redirected. For example, a one-person plumbing business can let answered calls come through normally while unanswered calls go somewhere else to be handled.

Forwarding covers calls only. Text messages are not forwarded with *71. Setup must be done from the mobile phone itself while it is in Verizon coverage, and forwarding charges depend on your plan.

• *71 plus a 10-digit US number activates forwarding for unanswered calls
• Calls you answer stay on your phone
• Texts are not forwarded
• Activate from the phone while in Verizon coverage
• Plan charges may apply to forwarded calls

Activation and deactivation are both done from the keypad of the Verizon mobile line being forwarded.

To activate: dial *71, then the 10-digit destination number, then press Call. Wait for the confirmation tone or message before hanging up. To deactivate: dial *73 and press Call. If forwarding does not behave as expected, dial *73 first to clear any active setting, then try *71 again with the full 10-digit number.

Before relying on it, place a test call from another phone and let it ring without answering to confirm it reaches the destination you entered.

• Activate: *71 + 10-digit destination number, then Call
• Deactivate: *73, then Call
• Set up from the phone itself, in Verizon coverage
• Test with a real call from a second phone

The key difference is when the redirect happens. *72 forwards all calls immediately: every incoming call goes straight to the destination and your phone never rings. *71 only redirects calls you do not answer, so your phone still rings first.

On Verizon business landline products, the documented code is *72 to activate all-call forwarding and *73 to deactivate, following the spoken instructions. Do not assume the wireless *71 code applies to a business landline; the products work differently.

Choosing between them comes down to how you work. If you want your phone to keep ringing and only catch the calls you miss, use *71. If you want every call handled elsewhere without your phone ringing at all, use *72.

• *71: phone rings first; unanswered calls redirect
• *72: all calls redirect immediately; phone does not ring
• *73 turns off forwarding in both cases
• Verizon business landlines use *72/*73 for all-call forwarding, not the wireless *71 flow

A common use for *71 is sending missed calls to an answering service or receptionist instead of voicemail. You enter the service's phone number as the destination, and calls you cannot pick up ring there.

AllDayDesk, this site's own AI receptionist product, answers business calls around the clock using the business information you save. To use it, you keep your existing Verizon number and forward unanswered calls to AllDayDesk. 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. The sample call does not create a real booking.

Once connected, calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings show up 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 Google account. If a caller asks something the service does not know, such as a price not on file, it takes a message for you instead of guessing.

• Use the service's phone number as your *71 destination
• Keep your existing Verizon number by forwarding calls
• Calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings appear in the dashboard
• Existing appointment changes come to you as requests, not confirmed changes

Forwarding features depend on your specific plan and line, so *71 may not be available on every Verizon account. If the code returns an error or calls still reach your voicemail, contact Verizon support and ask whether conditional call forwarding is enabled on your line.

Also make sure you are dialing from the phone being forwarded, that you are in Verizon coverage, and that the destination is a full 10-digit US number. If your business number runs through a different service, such as a business landline product or a VoIP provider, it will have its own forwarding instructions rather than the Verizon mobile codes.

• Confirm conditional forwarding is supported on your specific plan
• Dial from the phone being forwarded, in coverage
• Use a full 10-digit US destination number
• Business landline and VoIP products use their own procedures