Call forwarding is how your existing business number reaches Call Kettle. You keep your number and your carrier. You change one setting on your phone line, we test it with you, and you can switch it off any time.
Step 1. Choose how you want calls to reach us
| How you want it | What happens | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Forward all calls | Every call to your business number goes to Call Kettle. Your phone does not ring. | Turn it off when you want your phone to ring again. |
| Forward when busy or no answer | Your phone rings first. Call Kettle picks up the calls you miss. | Your carrier sets how long it rings, and your own voicemail can answer first. Test it. |
| After hours only | Calls go to Call Kettle outside your hours. A phone system with a schedule does this for you. | On a plain cell phone you switch it on at closing and off at opening yourself. |
| A new number | Publish the Call Kettle number on ads or your website. Nothing changes on your current line. | It does not catch calls to your old number unless you also forward it. |
Tell us which you want at setup. We set the rest of the receptionist to match: who answers first, your hours and what happens to urgent calls.
Step 2. Find your phone company
Verizon
Star codes for mobile and landline lines, read on Verizon's own pages.
Check with your carrierAT&T
Set it from your phone; we have not verified AT&T codes, so we send you to AT&T's own steps.
Dial codes verifiedT-Mobile
Full, no-answer, busy and not-reachable codes from T-Mobile's code list.
Dial codes verifiedComcast Business
Forward always, busy and no-answer codes for Business Voice phones.
Check with your carrierSpectrum Business
We could not read Spectrum's own steps; we help you find them for your plan.
Check with your carrierGoogle Voice
Linked numbers work differently here: read this before you start.
Check with your carrierRingCentral
Forward from your RingCentral account; we walk you through your menus.
Menu steps verified, no dial codesNextiva
Admin steps for forwarding unanswered calls, from Nextiva's help center.
Dial codes verifiedVonage
Admin portal steps for business lines and star codes for home lines.
Menu steps verified, no dial codesGrasshopper
Add Call Kettle as a forwarding number on an extension, with a schedule.
Dial codes verifiedOoma
Star codes and the Call Handling setting, from Ooma's support pages.
Menu steps verified, no dial codes8x8
Call forwarding rules for always, busy and no answer.
Check with your carrierDialpad
Admin-managed routing; we confirm the exact menus with you.
Check with your carrierOther landline carriers
What to ask for, when your carrier is not on this list.
Cell phone codes at a glance
| Carrier | Forward all | No answer | Turn off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon wireless | *72number | *71number | *73 |
| T-Mobile | **21*1number# | **61*1number# | ##21# / ##61# |
| AT&T wireless | Check with your carrier | Check with your carrier | Check with your carrier |
| Any other cell carrier | Check with your carrier | Check with your carrier | Check with your carrier |
We print a dial code only when we have read it on the carrier's own help page. Everything else says check with your carrier. The date we last read each page is at the bottom of each guide.
Steps 3 and 4. Test it, and know how to turn it off
- How to test call forwarding with a call from another phone, and where to see it in your dashboard.
- How to turn call forwarding off when you want your phone back.
What we do
- Tell you the steps, and stay on the phone with you while you set them if you ask.
- Test the path with you using calls from another phone.
- Help you turn forwarding off, including when you cancel.
What we do not do
- Move (port) your number or change anything on your carrier account.
- Promise forwarding works on every plan or phone system. Some lines cannot do conditional forwarding.
- Control what your carrier charges for forwarded calls. Ask your carrier.
Common questions
Will I lose my business number?
No. Call Kettle does not port or move your number. You keep your number and your carrier, and you change one forwarding setting.
Does forwarding cost extra?
Your carrier decides. Some carriers bill forwarded minutes or long-distance charges, and some plans count them against your minutes. Ask your carrier. Your Call Kettle plan is separate.
What if my carrier is not on the list?
Email or call us. We look up your carrier's own steps with you. If we cannot read them on the carrier's page, we say check with your carrier instead of guessing a code.
Do I have to do it alone?
No. We can stay on the phone while you set forwarding and run the test calls with you.