Setting up call forwarding

How it works

Call forwarding tells your carrier: if I don't answer, send the call to this number. Your phone rings first as normal. After 4–5 rings with no answer, the call routes to your AdaptLocal number. The AI answers, records a brief message, and immediately texts the customer back.

Customers never know the call forwarded — they just get a fast text back from your business.

Before you dial — iPhone users

After turning both off, proceed with the dial code for your carrier below.

Use the dial code — not the Settings app

Don't use Settings → Phone → Call Forwarding. That toggle turns on unconditional forwarding — every call goes straight to AdaptLocal, your phone never rings first. Always use the dial code below.

Setup by carrier

Find your carrier below. Dial the code from your phone's keypad exactly as shown, then press Call. Wait for a confirmation tone or voice message before hanging up — that's how you know it worked.

Carrier	Dial code	Cancel forwarding
Verizon	*71 + your 10-digit AI number Example: *716025551234	*73
AT&T	*61*+1 + 10-digit AI number + # Example: *61*+16025551234#	##61#
T-Mobile	**61*+1 + 10-digit AI number + # Example: **61*+16025551234# If that doesn't work: **61*+1[number]*11#	##61#

How to verify it's working

1. 1
   Call your own business number from a different phone — not the one you set forwarding up on.
2. 2
   Let it ring — don't answer. After 4–5 rings it should forward to AdaptLocal.
3. 3
   You'll hear a brief greeting and be prompted to leave a message. Hang up without leaving one.
4. 4
   Check the phone you called from — you should receive a text back from AdaptLocal within a few seconds.

Troubleshooting

I dialed the code but nothing changed

Make sure you heard a confirmation tone before hanging up. If not, the code didn't register — try again and wait for the tone. Double-check that you're using the 10-digit number (no country code prefix, no dashes) for Verizon, and the full +1[number]# format for AT&T and T-Mobile.

Verizon: it's not forwarding after setup

In order, check: (1) Turn off Live Voicemail if you're on iPhone. (2) Make sure you're on a postpaid plan — Verizon prepaid does not support *71. (3) Call Verizon at 1-800-922-0204 and ask them to "re-provision the line for conditional call forwarding" — this is a known fix for lines where the feature has silently broken.

T-Mobile: the code isn't working

Try the extended format with the voice service code appended:

**61*+1[10-digit AI number]*11#

Some T-Mobile accounts require this. If neither version works, contact T-Mobile support — they can enable it from their end.

My phone isn't ringing — calls go straight to my AI

Unconditional forwarding is active instead of conditional. Dial the cancel code for your carrier (*73 for Verizon, ##61# for AT&T / T-Mobile), then redo setup using the conditional dial code above.

Calls go to voicemail instead of forwarding to AdaptLocal

Most likely cause: Live Voicemail is on (iPhone). Check Settings → Phone → Live Voicemail → OFF. Also check that Silence Unknown Callers is off. If you're on a VoIP system, see the section below.

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Alternative: the SWAP path

If call forwarding isn't working reliably with your carrier or phone system, there's a simpler option: put your AdaptLocal number directly where customers find you.

• Update your Google Business Profile with your AdaptLocal number
• Update your website with your AdaptLocal number
• Update Yelp, Facebook, and any other listings

Customers text or call your AI directly. No carrier involvement, no forwarding to configure — works with every phone and every plan. Your original number still works for anyone who has it saved.

You can set this up from your dashboard: Setup → Call Forwarding → SWAP path.

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VoIP and business phone systems

If you use a VoIP provider (Nextiva, RingCentral, OpenPhone, Grasshopper, or similar), call forwarding is configured through their admin portal — not with a dial code.

Nextiva

1. 1
   Log in to admin.nextiva.com
2. 2
   Go to Users → select your user → Call Flow
3. 3
   Under Unanswered calls (business hours) and the Closed branch (after hours), replace any Voicemail nodes with a Transfer Out node
4. 4
   Enter your AdaptLocal number, click Save, then Publish

RingCentral

1. 1
   Log in to app.ringcentral.com
2. 2
   Go to Settings → Call Handling & Forwarding
3. 3
   Under Unanswered Calls, add your AdaptLocal number and set ring count
4. 4
   Click Save

Other VoIP providers

Look for No Answer Forwarding, Missed Call Forwarding, or Call Flow in your provider's settings. If you can't find it, contact their support and ask them to set up "forward unanswered calls to an external number" — most providers can do this in a few minutes.