How to forward the calls you miss to an assistant that answers
Your phone already knows how to forward the calls you do not answer. Point them at an assistant instead of voicemail and nothing gets lost.
5 minute read · updated 19 September 2026
What you are setting up
Every US carrier supports conditional call forwarding: three separate rules for when your phone is busy, when you do not answer, and when you have no signal. Calls that meet one of those go somewhere else. Voicemail is the usual destination. You are changing it to a number that answers properly.
You keep your own number, and calls you do answer are unaffected. Only the ones you would have missed move.
Verizon and its resellers
Dial the code from the phone you are forwarding. You will hear a confirmation tone.
- Turn on: *71 followed by the 10-digit number you are forwarding to.
- Turn off: *73.
- *72 forwards every call, not only the missed ones. Avoid it unless that is what you want.
AT&T, T-Mobile and their resellers
These use three separate codes, one per condition. Replace <line> with the 10-digit number.
- No answer: *61*1<line>#
- Busy: *67*1<line>#
- Unreachable, such as no signal or phone off: *62*1<line>#
- Turn each off with #61#, #67# and #62#.
- *21*1<line># forwards everything, which is usually not what you want.
On the phone itself
Android exposes the same three conditions under Call forwarding in the phone app's settings, so you can set it without codes.
iPhone's Settings menu only offers forwarding for every call, with no missed-only option. Use the carrier codes above instead; they work regardless of what the menu shows.
Test it before you rely on it
Ring your own mobile from another phone and let it ring out. It should land on the assistant, which answers as your assistant rather than a recording. Then call again and pick up, to confirm normal calls still reach you.
In CosVoice, Settings shows the codes filled in with your line's number and walks the test in about a minute. Forwarded calls are marked as missed on mobile in the write-up, so you can tell them apart at a glance.
What it costs and what to expect
Forwarded calls use your plan's minutes like any other call; carriers do not charge extra to forward, though some prepaid plans differ. Callers hear a normal ring and then a voice, with no menu and no beep.
If you turn your phone off or lose signal, the unreachable rule catches those calls too, which is the one people forget to set.
Common questions
Do I keep my number?
Yes. Your mobile number stays exactly as it is; the assistant sits behind it.
Can I forward only after hours?
Yes. Dial the on code at the end of the day and the off code in the morning, or leave it on permanently for missed calls only.
Will my phone still ring?
Yes. Forwarding only takes calls you do not answer, or that arrive while you are busy or unreachable.
Does it work for a business line?
Yes, and it is the common setup: forward the office line on busy and after hours so nothing reaches voicemail.
Try it on one real call.
A number in your area code, working from the first call. About a minute.
Read next: The codes, filled in with your number · Why replace voicemail at all · Hear a missed call handled