Call Forwarding and Diverting on Hosted VoIP

What Is Call Forwarding?

Call forwarding (also known as call diverting) is a feature that redirects incoming calls from your desk phone or extension to another number — such as a mobile phone, another extension, or an external landline. It's one of the most useful features of hosted VoIP, ensuring you never miss important calls regardless of where you are.

Types of Call Forwarding

Hosted VoIP systems offer several types of call forwarding, each suited to different scenarios:

Unconditional Forwarding (Always Forward)

All calls are immediately forwarded to another number, regardless of whether your phone is ringing or not. Use this when:

You're working from another location all day
You're on holiday and want all calls redirected to a colleague
Your desk phone is temporarily unavailable

Forward on Busy

Calls are forwarded only when your line is already engaged on another call. This ensures callers aren't met with a busy tone and are redirected to an alternative destination such as a colleague or voicemail.

Forward on No Answer

If you don't answer within a set number of rings (e.g., 4–6 rings or 15–20 seconds), the call is forwarded to another number. This is the most commonly used forwarding type, catching calls when you're away from your desk or in a meeting.

Forward on Not Registered

If your phone loses its connection to the VoIP system (e.g., internet outage, phone unplugged), calls are automatically forwarded to a backup number. This is an important failover mechanism to ensure business continuity.

How to Configure Call Forwarding

There are several ways to set up call forwarding on your hosted VoIP system:

Via the Web Portal

The most common method is through your VoIP provider's web-based admin portal:

Log in to the portal and navigate to your extension or user settings.
Find the Call Forwarding section.
Select the forwarding type (unconditional, busy, no-answer, not-registered).
Enter the destination number (internal extension, mobile number, or external number).
Set any additional parameters such as ring timeout before forwarding.
Save your changes — they take effect immediately.

Via Your Desk Phone

Most IP phones allow you to enable forwarding directly from the handset using feature codes:

Enable forwarding — Dial a code such as *72 followed by the destination number.
Disable forwarding — Dial *73 to cancel forwarding and return to normal operation.
The specific codes vary by provider — check your provider's documentation for the correct codes.

Via a Softphone App

If you use a softphone, forwarding settings are usually accessible within the app's settings menu.

Forwarding to Mobiles

Forwarding calls to a mobile phone is one of the most popular uses of call forwarding. Key considerations:

Caller ID — When a call is forwarded to your mobile, the caller's number is usually displayed (not your office number). Some providers offer the option to display your office number instead.
Call costs — Forwarding to a mobile may incur additional charges depending on your VoIP plan. Check with your provider.
Voicemail conflict — If the forwarded call isn't answered on your mobile, it may go to your mobile's voicemail rather than your VoIP voicemail. To avoid this, set the VoIP forwarding timeout to be shorter than your mobile's voicemail pickup time.

Forwarding to External Numbers

You can forward calls to any external number — a home landline, a colleague's mobile, an answering service, or even an international number. Ensure your VoIP plan includes the appropriate call allowances to avoid unexpected charges.

Simultaneous Ring

Simultaneous ring (also called twinning) rings your desk phone and mobile phone at the same time. Whichever device you answer first takes the call. This is ideal for:

Staff who split time between their desk and other areas of the office
Managers who need to be reachable at all times
Sales teams who can't afford to miss a call

Sequential Ring

Sequential ring tries multiple numbers in order. For example:

First, ring the desk phone for 15 seconds.
If no answer, ring the mobile for 15 seconds.
If still no answer, ring a colleague's extension.
Finally, go to voicemail.

This gives you multiple chances to catch the call across different devices and locations.

Time-Based Forwarding Rules

Advanced VoIP systems allow you to set time-based forwarding rules that change automatically based on the time of day or day of the week:

Business hours (9am–5:30pm) — Calls ring your desk phone normally.
Out of hours (5:30pm–9am) — Calls forward to your mobile or voicemail.
Weekends — Calls go directly to voicemail with an out-of-hours greeting.
Holidays — Calls forward to a colleague or an answering service.

Time-based rules can be combined with your auto attendant for a comprehensive call routing strategy.

Find-Me-Follow-Me

Find-me-follow-me is an advanced forwarding feature that combines sequential ring with multiple destinations. It creates a personalised call routing path that follows you throughout your day:

Morning: Ring office desk phone
Afternoon: Ring mobile (out at meetings)
Evening: Go to voicemail

This can be configured to change automatically based on your calendar or manually toggled as needed.

How to Disable Call Forwarding

To disable call forwarding and return to normal operation:

Web portal — Navigate to your forwarding settings and toggle each forwarding type to disabled.
Phone — Dial the cancellation code (e.g., *73).
Check the indicator — Most desk phones display a forwarding icon on the screen when forwarding is active. Ensure this disappears after disabling.

Forwarding Costs

Be aware that call forwarding to external numbers (mobiles, landlines) may incur charges as the VoIP system is effectively making an outbound call to the forwarding destination. Check your plan's inclusive minutes and any per-minute rates for forwarded calls. Forwarding to other VoIP extensions within the same system is typically free.

Need help setting up call forwarding rules for your team? Get a quote for hosted VoIP and we'll configure your call routing as part of the setup.