How do I set up call forwarding on my iPhone?

On AT&T, T-Mobile, and other GSM carriers, go to Settings, then Phone, then Call Forwarding, switch it on, and enter the destination number. On Verizon and carriers without that toggle, dial star 72 followed by the destination number from the Phone app, and stay on the line for the confirmation beeps.

Why is there no Call Forwarding option in my iPhone settings?

The Settings toggle is a GSM feature, so it appears on carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile and not on Verizon, which manages forwarding with dial codes instead. If the toggle is absent, dial star 72 plus the destination number to forward and star 73 to stop: the result is identical.

How do I forward only missed calls on an iPhone?

Use your carrier’s conditional forwarding code, because the Settings toggle only supports forwarding every call. On GSM carriers dial star 61 star, the destination number, then pound, with T-Mobile requiring a double star at the start. On Verizon dial star 71 followed by the number. Your iPhone then rings first and only unanswered calls redirect.

How do I know if call forwarding is on on my iPhone?

On GSM carriers, iOS shows a small handset icon near the clock while forwarding is active, and the Settings toggle shows the destination. On carriers using dial codes there is no icon, so the reliable check is calling your own number from another phone and seeing where it lands.

Call forwarding on iPhone, both ways it works

iPhones set up call forwarding in one of two ways, and which one you get depends on your carrier. On GSM carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile, go to Settings, then Phone, then Call Forwarding, switch the toggle on, and enter the destination number: iOS shows a small handset icon while forwarding is live. On Verizon and other carriers where that toggle does not appear, forwarding is set with dial codes instead, star 72 followed by the number to start and star 73 to stop, dialed from the Phone app like any call. The Settings toggle only controls all-call forwarding; forwarding only the calls you miss uses your carrier’s conditional codes. On dual SIM iPhones, forwarding is set per line, so each number is forwarded, or not, on its own.

Using the Settings toggle (AT&T, T-Mobile, and other GSM carriers)

1Open Settings and tap Phone
2Tap Call Forwarding and switch it on
3Tap Forward To and type the ten-digit destination number
4Leave Settings; a handset icon near the clock confirms forwarding is active
5Call your iPhone from another phone to confirm the call lands at the destination

Using dial codes (Verizon and carriers without the toggle)

1Open the Phone app keypad
2Dial *72 followed by the ten-digit destination number and press call
3Stay on the line for the confirmation beeps
4To turn forwarding off later, dial *73 the same way

The codes at a glance

Call forwarding codes: Call forwarding on iPhone, both ways it works
What it does	Turn on	Turn off	Note
Verizon style: forward all	*72 [number]	*73	Used where the Settings toggle is absent
GSM style: forward all	21 [number] #	##21#	AT&T single star; T-Mobile uses a leading double star
GSM style: forward when unanswered	61 [number] #	##61#	Conditional; not available from the toggle
Cancel all GSM forwarding	##002#	-	Clears every rule at once

Why some iPhones have the toggle and others do not

The Call Forwarding switch in Settings is a GSM network feature, so iPhones on AT&T and T-Mobile show it and iPhones on Verizon generally do not. Nothing is missing from your phone: Verizon simply manages forwarding at the network with its own star codes, and the same iPhone would show the toggle if a GSM line were installed in it.

This is also why advice online seems contradictory. Both camps are right, for their own carrier. Check Settings, then Phone: if Call Forwarding is there, use it, and if not, your carrier is a star 72 carrier.

Dual SIM iPhones forward per line

On an iPhone with two lines, a business eSIM and a personal number for example, call forwarding is configured for each line separately. The Settings toggle asks which line you are changing, and dial codes apply to whichever line placed the call. That separation is useful: you can forward the business line for the weekend while the personal line rings untouched, or point each line at a different destination entirely.

The forwarding the toggle cannot do

The built-in switch is all-or-nothing: on means every call redirects immediately, off means none do. The setting most businesses actually want, ring me first and forward only the calls I miss, is conditional forwarding, and on an iPhone it is set with the carrier codes in the table above rather than anything in Settings. Dial the code once and the behaviour persists until you cancel it.

Fixes when forwarding misbehaves

A toggle that flips itself back off usually means the carrier rejected the destination, so dial the destination directly to confirm it rings, then set the toggle again. Forwarding that will not switch off is best cleared at the network: on GSM carriers dial pound pound 002 pound to wipe every rule, and on star 72 carriers dial star 73, then restart the iPhone so the status icon refreshes.

And if the handset icon is up but calls are not forwarding, check Do Not Disturb and Focus modes on the destination phone, because the forwarding is often working and the destination is the phone staying silent.

Where business owners point their iPhone

Forwarding the business line to your iPhone means every call now interrupts whatever you were doing, which is workable until the day it is not. The alternative is pointing the line, or just its missed calls, at an AI answering service: OrderToAI answers in your business name, books the job into your calendar, and texts you a summary, so the iPhone in your pocket only rings when a caller genuinely needs you.

Questions

How do I set up call forwarding on my iPhone?: On AT&T, T-Mobile, and other GSM carriers, go to Settings, then Phone, then Call Forwarding, switch it on, and enter the destination number. On Verizon and carriers without that toggle, dial star 72 followed by the destination number from the Phone app, and stay on the line for the confirmation beeps.
Why is there no Call Forwarding option in my iPhone settings?: The Settings toggle is a GSM feature, so it appears on carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile and not on Verizon, which manages forwarding with dial codes instead. If the toggle is absent, dial star 72 plus the destination number to forward and star 73 to stop: the result is identical.
How do I forward only missed calls on an iPhone?: Use your carrier’s conditional forwarding code, because the Settings toggle only supports forwarding every call. On GSM carriers dial star 61 star, the destination number, then pound, with T-Mobile requiring a double star at the start. On Verizon dial star 71 followed by the number. Your iPhone then rings first and only unanswered calls redirect.
How do I know if call forwarding is on on my iPhone?: On GSM carriers, iOS shows a small handset icon near the clock while forwarding is active, and the Settings toggle shows the destination. On carriers using dial codes there is no icon, so the reliable check is calling your own number from another phone and seeing where it lands.

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