How to Turn Off Call Forwarding: Codes and Steps for iPhone, Android and Landlines

Introduction

Call forwarding sends your calls to another number, and it can stay switched on long after you meant it to. If callers tell you your phone rings out, or calls you expect never reach you, forwarding may be active. Clearing it takes seconds once you know which method your phone and carrier use.

This guide covers how to check whether forwarding is on, the dialing codes that clear it, step-by-step settings for iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones, landlines and business phone systems, and what to do if you find forwarding you never set up. To set forwarding up instead, see our guide on how to forward calls.

How to Check Whether Call Forwarding Is On

The quickest test is a status code. In the 3GPP standard that defines these codes, a check starts with *# followed by the service code, so *#21# asks your network whether the "forward all calls" type is active. Your phone's settings show the same thing without dialing anything.

Forwarding can also explain calls that seem to vanish. AT&T notes that call forwarding overrides wireless voicemail, so a call that is being forwarded will not fall through to your own voicemail box.

Dialing Codes That Clear Call Forwarding

Two families of codes cover most phones. Verizon uses *72 to start forwarding and *73 to stop it, and says you should hear a confirmation tone or message that may sound like a busy signal. Most other mobile networks follow the 3GPP standard for GSM, where # switches a feature off, ## erases it and *# checks it.

The service codes and the *, # and ## patterns come from the 3GPP TS 22.030 specification: 21 for unconditional forwarding, 67 for busy, 61 for no reply, 62 for not reachable, 002 for all forwarding and 004 for all conditional forwarding.

After dialing a code, press call and wait for the confirmation message or tone before you hang up. If a code is rejected, use your phone's settings or ask your carrier, because carriers decide which of these services they offer. AT&T also says that for security you can change forwarding only from your wireless phone, so it can't be cancelled from a web account.

How to Turn Off Call Forwarding on an iPhone

1. 1Open Settings, then tap Apps, then Phone. Older iOS versions list Phone directly in Settings.
2. 2Tap Call Forwarding. If the slider is green, forwarding is on and the number your calls are going to is shown.
3. 3Tap the slider to turn it off. It turns white when forwarding is off.

Apple notes that turning off forwarding doesn't notify the number that was receiving your calls, and that if you don't see the option, forwarding is unavailable on your iPhone and you should call your carrier. Text Message Forwarding, under Settings > Apps > Messages, is a separate feature that shares texts with your other devices and isn't affected.

How to Turn Off Call Forwarding on Android

Menu names differ by maker and Android version. On a Samsung Galaxy, Samsung's steps are:

1. 1Open the Phone app and tap More (the three dots).
2. 2Tap Settings and scroll to Supplementary services.
3. 3Choose Call forwarding for your SIM, then tap Voice calls.
4. 4Disable each type that shows a number: always, busy, unanswered and unreachable.

Other Android phones use a similar route through the Phone app's settings, usually under Calls. Because each type has its own setting, check all four, or dial ##002# to erase them together. If Supplementary services or Call forwarding is missing, your carrier may have hidden it, so use a dialing code or contact the carrier.

Landlines and Business Phone Systems

On a North American landline that uses standard star codes, pick up the handset, listen for the dial tone and dial *73. On a rotary or pulse phone, dial 1173. Not every code works in every area, and some services are offered only on certain lines, so ask your provider if it doesn't respond.

A business or VoIP phone system usually keeps forwarding rules in an admin portal or app, so a dialing code won't clear them. Look for call routing or forwarding rules on the user or the number, and check for rules tied to a schedule, which can send calls elsewhere at set times. Our guide to what call forwarding means explains the four types you will see in those settings.

Why Call Forwarding Can Seem to Stay On

• You cleared one type, not all four. Always, busy, no answer and unreachable are separate settings. ##002# erases all of them.
• The code was rejected. Carriers decide which services they support. Use the phone's menu or ask the carrier.
• Your carrier hides the menu. Apple says the option can be unavailable on an iPhone and points you to your carrier.
• Forwarding is set somewhere else. A business phone system, an app or a voicemail service can redirect calls independently of your handset's own setting.
• Forwarding overrides voicemail. AT&T notes it overrides wireless voicemail, so calls you expect in voicemail may be going elsewhere until you clear it.

Forwarding You Did Not Set Up: Scams and Security

Scammers can use forwarding to intercept your calls, including calls that carry bank or verification codes. In January 2024, India's Department of Telecom warned users against dialing *401# followed by an unknown mobile number when a caller posing as customer service asks them to. The advisory said the code activates unconditional forwarding to that number, that telecom providers never ask subscribers to dial it, and that users should check their phone for forwarding and disable it if it was activated this way.

1. 1Check. Dial *#21# to see whether "forward all calls" is on, and look at your phone's forwarding settings.
2. 2Erase. Dial ##002# to clear every type, then check again.
3. 3Call your carrier. Use the number on your bill or its official website, not one a caller gave you, and ask it to review the line and add any account protections it offers.
4. 4Protect your accounts. If you think calls or codes were intercepted, change the passwords of accounts that use this number for verification.

The rule that prevents most of these scams is simple: never dial a code that a caller, message or website tells you to dial unless you know exactly what it does.

What Forwarded Calls Cost

Forwarding isn't always free. Verizon says there's no monthly fee for it on most plans, but if you don't have unlimited minutes you're billed for forwarded calls according to your plan. AT&T says forwarded calls incur charges based on call length, and that wireless forwarding can't go to international numbers. In general, the owner of the forwarding line pays for the forwarded leg, which is one more reason to clear forwarding you no longer need.

Conclusion

To turn off call forwarding, check its status first, then clear it the way your phone and carrier support: *73 on Verizon, ##002# on most other mobile networks, or the Call Forwarding setting on an iPhone or Samsung phone.

Clear all four types, treat forwarding you didn't set up as a security problem, and keep team routing in one place, such as Ringflow's cloud phone system, so calls don't depend on someone's handset settings.

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