How to Divert Calls on iPhone

Call divert on iPhone is Apple’s Call Forwarding feature. It sends incoming cellular calls from your iPhone number to another phone number, such as a second mobile, office line, or landline.

For most people, the setup takes less than a minute:

Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding > Forward To

Turn Call Forwarding on, enter the destination number, then go back and make a test call.

That built-in setting is the best place to start because it handles the most common request: forward every incoming call to another number.

Conditional forwarding is different. Forwarding only when you are busy, do not answer, or have no service is controlled by the carrier and may require a carrier-specific dial code.

Divert All Calls From Your iPhone

On current iOS versions:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Select Phone.
4. Tap Call Forwarding.
5. Turn on Call Forwarding.
6. On a Dual SIM iPhone, select the line you want to configure if prompted.
7. Tap Forward To.
8. Enter the phone number that should receive the calls.
9. Tap Back and give the setting a moment to save.

Apple notes that you need to be within cellular-network range when setting up forwarding.

Now call your iPhone from another number. With unconditional forwarding working correctly, the destination phone should receive the call instead of your iPhone ringing normally.

On an older iOS version, you may find the setting under Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding.

What Number Should You Enter?

Enter the full number of the phone that should receive your forwarded calls.

When a local number will not save, use its complete international format with the country code. The carrier ultimately decides which destinations are allowed, and some networks restrict forwarding to international or special numbers.

A quick direct call to the destination is useful before configuring anything. It confirms that the number itself can receive calls.

Divert Calls From One iPhone to Another

Nothing special is required when the destination is another iPhone.

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding.
2. Turn Call Forwarding on.
3. Enter the cellular number of the second iPhone under Forward To.
4. Make a test call to the first iPhone.

The two iPhones do not need to use the same Apple Account.

This is different from Apple’s Calls on Other Devices feature. Calls on Other Devices lets compatible Apple devices associated with your account handle calls through the iPhone. Call Forwarding redirects the carrier call to another telephone number.

Dual SIM iPhone: Choose the Correct Line

Call forwarding is configured per cellular line.

When your iPhone has two active SIMs or eSIMs, select the line whose incoming calls you want to divert. Forwarding Line A does not automatically forward Line B.

Test each number separately after making changes, especially when you have renamed your plans as Personal, Business, Primary, Secondary, or something similar.

Divert Only Unanswered, Busy, or Unreachable Calls

The Call Forwarding switch in iPhone Settings is mainly for forwarding all calls.

Conditional forwarding tells the carrier to redirect a call only in a particular situation:

• Unanswered: you do not answer within the carrier’s allowed time.
• Busy: the network treats your line as busy.
• Unreachable: the iPhone is off, out of coverage, or unavailable to the network.

Apple advises contacting your carrier for conditional call-forwarding setup information because support and activation methods vary by network.

Many GSM networks use supplementary-service codes based on patterns such as:

These are common GSM patterns, not universal iPhone codes. Your carrier can use different commands or may not support a particular condition.

That distinction matters because voicemail often relies on conditional forwarding. Replacing an unanswered or unreachable forwarding destination can change where missed calls go. I would use the carrier’s own instructions before changing conditional forwarding codes.

How to Turn Off Call Divert on iPhone

For calls forwarded through iPhone Settings:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding.
3. Select the correct cellular line on a Dual SIM iPhone.
4. Turn Call Forwarding off.

Then call the iPhone from another number and confirm that it rings normally again.

Turning off the main Call Forwarding switch does not necessarily remove a separate conditional rule created through your carrier. When calls are still being diverted after the switch is off, ask the carrier to check forwarding on the line rather than repeatedly resetting the iPhone.

How to Check Whether Call Forwarding Is On

The clearest check is Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding.

When the switch is on, you can see the number entered under Forward To. A forwarding icon can also appear in the iPhone status area when call forwarding is active, depending on the carrier and model.

The most reliable practical test is still to call your iPhone from another phone.

If you are checking forwarding because your phone unexpectedly stopped receiving calls, also see Why Is My Phone Not Receiving Calls?. Forwarding is only one reason incoming calls can fail to ring.

Call Forwarding Option Is Missing

A missing Call Forwarding menu does not automatically mean something is wrong with the iPhone.

Apple says Call Forwarding can be configured on iPhone with supported GSM cellular service. Other network arrangements may require the carrier’s own method.

First confirm that you are looking in Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding.

Then check that:

• the SIM or eSIM is active;
• the iPhone has cellular service;
• the correct line is selected on a Dual SIM device;
• iOS is up to date;
• carrier settings are current.

Check for a carrier-settings update under Settings > General > About. Wait briefly on that screen and install an update if iOS presents a prompt.

When Call Forwarding is still absent, contact the carrier and ask whether the feature is provisioned for your line and which activation method it supports.

A factory reset is not a sensible response to a carrier that simply does not expose the forwarding menu.

Call Forwarding Keeps Loading or Will Not Save

A Call Forwarding page that spins continuously or forgets the destination number often points to communication with the cellular network rather than a damaged iPhone.

Try these focused checks:

1. Move somewhere with reliable cellular signal.
2. Turn Airplane Mode on briefly, then turn it off and wait for the line to reconnect.
3. Restart the iPhone.
4. Open Settings > General > About and check for a carrier-settings update.
5. Return to Call Forwarding and enter the destination again.
6. Try the full international number format if the local format is rejected.

When the switch still cannot retrieve or save its state, the carrier should be the next stop. Apple specifically notes that the iPhone needs cellular-network coverage while forwarding is being configured.

Calls Still Ring After You Turn Forwarding On

Reopen Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding.

Check whether the switch stayed on and whether Forward To still contains the correct number. On Dual SIM, verify that you changed the line being called.

Then call the destination number directly. If that number cannot receive an ordinary call, forwarding cannot make it available.

Turn forwarding off, wait for the change to register, then enable it again and make another test call.

Persistent failure after the iPhone shows the correct forwarding destination is a good reason to ask the carrier to confirm the forwarding rule on its network.

Does Call Divert Work When the iPhone Is Off?

It can.

Call forwarding is implemented by the cellular network. Once an unconditional forwarding rule has been successfully registered, the carrier can redirect an incoming call without the iPhone needing to answer it.

Conditional unreachable forwarding can also redirect calls when the network cannot reach the phone, if your carrier supports and has configured that rule.

The important part is activating the forwarding rule successfully before relying on it. Apple says you need to be within cellular-network range when setting up Call Forwarding.

Call Divert Does Not Forward Messages or FaceTime

iPhone Call Forwarding applies to carrier voice calls.

It does not automatically redirect:

• SMS messages;
• iMessages;
• FaceTime audio or video calls;
• WhatsApp calls;
• calls from other internet calling apps.

Those services use their own accounts, devices, and settings.

Call Forwarding, Focus, and Do Not Disturb Are Different

Call Forwarding redirects the carrier call to another telephone number.

Focus and Do Not Disturb control how the iPhone alerts you. They can make a phone appear not to be receiving calls because the ring is silenced, but they do not perform ordinary carrier call forwarding.

When calls are reaching the iPhone but it simply does not ring, the guide to turning off Do Not Disturb on iPhone covers that separate problem.

Will Call Divert Cost Money?

Possibly.

Forwarded calls can be billed according to your carrier, plan, destination, roaming status, and country. Forwarding to an international number can be particularly expensive.

Check your carrier’s forwarding charges before leaving the feature active for a long period. The iPhone itself does not determine those charges.

Be Careful When Changing Voicemail Forwarding

An unfamiliar number shown in a conditional forwarding status is not automatically suspicious. Carriers commonly use forwarding to route unanswered or unreachable calls to their voicemail systems.

Changing those conditional rules can stop voicemail from receiving missed calls.

When your goal is simply to send every call to another number, the built-in Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding option is the cleaner method.

Use carrier-specific instructions when you need only unanswered, busy, or unreachable calls diverted. That keeps the iPhone setting simple and reduces the chance of accidentally replacing a voicemail forwarding rule.