How to Forward Your Business Line to an AI Receptionist

You can forward your existing business number to an AI receptionist in under five minutes by dialing a short carrier code from your phone, no new hardware or IT support required. The exact steps differ slightly by carrier: Verizon uses star codes like *72 and *71, AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM-style codes, and all three let you turn forwarding off just as quickly if you ever need to.

This guide is for small business owners and office managers setting up an AI receptionist for the first time. It walks through what call forwarding actually does, the verified steps for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, the difference between forwarding and porting your number, and a short checklist for testing your setup before you rely on it.

Key Takeaways

• Call forwarding sends your incoming calls to a new number, like your AI receptionist's line, without changing your business number or requiring new hardware.
• Verizon customers dial *72 plus the forwarding number to forward all calls, *71 plus the number for conditional (no-answer) forwarding, and *73 to turn forwarding off (Verizon, Call Forwarding FAQs, retrieved 2026-09-26).
• AT&T manages call forwarding directly from your wireless phone rather than online, and forwarded calls are billed for their length, including long-distance charges if the destination number is outside your calling area (AT&T, Call Forwarding for Wireless, retrieved 2026-09-26).
• T-Mobile supports both unconditional and no-answer call forwarding, with limits that calls cannot be forwarded to international numbers and the destination must be a standard 10- or 11-digit number (T-Mobile, Calling Services, retrieved 2026-09-26).
• Forwarding is not the same as porting: forwarding redirects calls while you keep your existing service, while porting moves your number to a new carrier entirely, and FCC rules require simple ports to complete within one business day (FCC, Wireless Local Number Portability, retrieved 2026-09-26).
• Test your forwarded line immediately after setup by calling your business number from another phone to confirm the AI receptionist answers correctly.

On this page: What call forwarding actually does · How to forward your number on att · How to forward your number on verizon · How to forward your number on t-mobile · Forwarding vs porting your number · Testing your setup before you rely on it · How This Guide Was Sourced · Frequently Asked Questions

What Call Forwarding Actually Does

Call forwarding redirects an incoming call to a different number automatically, before it ever rings on your original phone. For an AI receptionist setup, that means calls to your existing business number get sent straight to the AI receptionist's line, so callers keep dialing the number they already know while the AI answers, qualifies, and books the call.

There are generally two versions worth knowing. Unconditional forwarding sends every call to the new number immediately. Conditional forwarding only forwards calls that go unanswered, are busy, or reach an unreachable phone, which is useful if you want your team to answer first and have the AI receptionist catch only what's missed. Most businesses setting up an AI receptionist as their primary answering method use unconditional forwarding; those adding AI as after-hours or overflow coverage often use conditional forwarding instead. Voksha's call forwarding page covers both setups in more detail.

How to Forward Your Number on AT&T

AT&T requires call forwarding to be set up directly from your wireless phone; it cannot be managed through your online account (AT&T, Call Forwarding for Wireless, retrieved 2026-09-26). AT&T's support page directs customers to device-specific tutorials for the exact dial sequence on their phone model, since the process can vary slightly by device.

1. Open your phone's dialer and check AT&T's device-specific call forwarding tutorial for your exact phone model, since AT&T publishes these separately rather than a single universal code.
2. Enter the forwarding sequence with your AI receptionist's number as the destination.
3. Confirm the forwarding tone or on-screen confirmation before hanging up.
4. Call your business number from a different phone to confirm calls now reach the AI receptionist.

Keep in mind that forwarded calls are billed for their length, and calls forwarded outside your designated home calling area may incur long-distance charges, though AT&T notes that with some plans, forwarded minutes aren't counted against your plan's included minutes (AT&T, Call Forwarding for Wireless, retrieved 2026-09-26).

How to Forward Your Number on Verizon

Verizon's call forwarding uses star codes dialed directly from your mobile phone (Verizon, Call Forwarding FAQs, retrieved 2026-09-26).

1. To forward every call immediately, dial *72 followed by your AI receptionist's 10-digit number, including area code, then press call.
2. To forward only unanswered calls instead, dial *71 followed by the 10-digit number.
3. Wait for the confirmation tone or message indicating forwarding is active.
4. To turn call forwarding off at any time, dial *73.

Verizon requires the forwarding destination to be an active, voice-capable U.S. number; international numbers are not supported (Verizon, Call Forwarding FAQs, retrieved 2026-09-26).

How to Forward Your Number on T-Mobile

T-Mobile's call forwarding lets you forward calls immediately (unconditional) or only when a call isn't answered (conditional), and it can also be managed through your online account under Account and Line Settings (T-Mobile, Calling Services, retrieved 2026-09-26).

1. Log in to your T-Mobile account online, or use your phone's dialer with the forwarding code T-Mobile's support tutorials list for your specific device.
2. Choose unconditional forwarding to send every call to your AI receptionist immediately, or conditional forwarding if you only want unanswered calls redirected.
3. Enter your AI receptionist's number as the destination; T-Mobile requires a standard 10- or 11-digit U.S. number and does not support international forwarding destinations (T-Mobile, Calling Services, retrieved 2026-09-26).
4. Save the setting and call your business number from another phone to confirm it works.

If you run into trouble, T-Mobile support can walk through device-specific codes by phone at 611 from a T-Mobile device.

Forwarding vs Porting Your Number

It's worth being clear about a common point of confusion: call forwarding and number porting are not the same thing. Forwarding redirects calls while your number stays with your current carrier and plan. Porting actually moves your phone number to a new carrier entirely, which is a separate process with its own rules. The FCC requires simple ports, generally those involving a single line without complex switching adjustments, to be completed within one business day, and carriers are not permitted to refuse a valid port request, though outstanding balances or early termination fees with your old carrier still apply (FCC, Wireless Local Number Portability, retrieved 2026-09-26).

For most businesses setting up an AI receptionist, forwarding is the right tool: it's faster, reversible in seconds, and doesn't require switching carriers or canceling any existing service.

Testing Your Setup Before You Rely On It

1. Call your business number from a phone that isn't on your business account, to simulate a real customer call.
2. Confirm the AI receptionist answers with the correct business name and greeting, since forwarding sometimes needs a moment to take effect.
3. Test during and outside business hours if you're using conditional forwarding, to confirm both scenarios route correctly.
4. Book a test appointment or ask a test question to confirm the AI receptionist's calendar booking setup is working end to end.
5. Save the forwarding on/off codes for your carrier somewhere your team can find them, in case you ever need to adjust the setup quickly.

Voksha is built to be live within minutes of forwarding your number: there's no separate hardware to install and no IT department required. Voksha's Starter plan starts at $14/month for 15 calls, then $1 per call, with Premium and Enterprise plans available for higher volume or multi-location practices (Voksha pricing).

How This Guide Was Sourced

Written by the Voksha team. Voksha builds AI receptionists for small businesses, and forwarding an existing number is the first step to using one; we disclose that plainly here.

Carrier-specific steps and limitations come directly from each carrier's own published support pages: AT&T's Call Forwarding for Wireless support article, Verizon's Call Forwarding FAQs, and T-Mobile's Calling Services support page. The distinction between forwarding and porting, and the one-business-day rule for simple ports, comes from the FCC's Wireless Local Number Portability guidance. No Voksha customer call data is used in this guide. Carrier processes and codes can change; if a step in this guide doesn't match what you see on your phone, check the linked carrier support page directly.

Related Reading

• How to Set Up an AI Receptionist for Small Business: The 2026 Setup Guide
• How to Set Up an AI Phone Answering System in Under 5 Minutes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need new hardware to forward my business phone to an AI receptionist?

No. Call forwarding is a feature of your existing phone line, activated with a short code or through your carrier's online account, and it works with the phone number and device you already have.

Will forwarding my number change my business phone number?

No. Forwarding only redirects where incoming calls are sent; your business keeps its existing number, and customers dial the same number they always have.

How do I forward my business calls on Verizon?

Dial *72 followed by the 10-digit forwarding number to forward all calls, or *71 followed by the number to forward only unanswered calls. Dial *73 to turn forwarding off (Verizon, Call Forwarding FAQs, retrieved 2026-09-26).

Can I forward my calls to an AI receptionist and still have my team answer sometimes?

Yes, using conditional forwarding, which only redirects calls that go unanswered, are busy, or can't reach your phone, so your team can answer first with the AI receptionist as backup.

What's the difference between forwarding my number and porting it?

Forwarding redirects calls while you keep your existing carrier and plan; porting moves your number to a new carrier entirely and is a separate process. Simple ports must complete within one business day under FCC rules (FCC, Wireless Local Number Portability, retrieved 2026-09-26).

Conclusion

Forwarding your business number to an AI receptionist takes a few minutes on any major carrier, and every step is reversible if you change your mind. Verizon uses simple star codes, while AT&T and T-Mobile point you to device-specific instructions or an online account setting, so confirm the exact steps on your carrier's own support page before you start. Once forwarding is active, test it immediately by calling your own business number. See Voksha's pricing to get started with an AI receptionist that's live as soon as your forwarding is set up.