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Call Forwarding on iPhone: How It Works

By: Jack
17 July 2026 at 11:21

Call forwarding on iPhone is a simple feature with a specific job: it sends incoming calls from your iPhone number to another phone number. That can be useful when you are traveling, using a temporary phone, separating work and personal calls, covering a business line or making sure important calls reach someone else when you cannot answer.

The feature is built into iOS, but it depends on carrier support. Apple notes that call forwarding can be set up on iPhone if cellular service is through a GSM network. If the service uses a CDMA network, users may need to contact the carrier for setup details. That means the option may not appear for every user, every carrier or every plan.

For most supported iPhones, the path is quick:

Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding

Turn on Call Forwarding, then enter the phone number where calls should be sent. When call forwarding is active, an icon appears in the status bar so the user can see that incoming calls are being routed elsewhere.

An iPhone displays a “Forward To” screen with a numeric keypad, prompting the user to enter a number—perfect for configuring call forwarding within iPhone settings. The background features a blue gradient, with an Apple logo in the lower right corner, emphasizing seamless cellular service management.
Image Credit: AppleMagazine

Call Forwarding on iPhone Sends Calls Elsewhere

Call forwarding on iPhone does not move messages, FaceTime calls, app notifications or voicemail settings by itself. It only redirects standard cellular phone calls. If someone calls your iPhone number, the carrier routes that call to the number you entered.

That distinction is important. If you forward calls to another phone, text messages still arrive on the original iPhone unless other settings or services are involved. FaceTime calls may still ring on Apple devices signed into the same Apple Account. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram or Messenger are unaffected.

Call forwarding is also different from Silence Unknown Callers, Focus modes or Do Not Disturb. Those features control how calls appear or interrupt you. Call forwarding changes where the call goes.

This makes the feature useful in a few common situations. A business owner can send calls to an office line. A traveler can forward calls to a local number. Someone with a damaged iPhone can temporarily send calls to another device. A freelancer can route calls to a partner during time off. A parent can forward calls to a spouse for a short period.

How to Turn On Call Forwarding

To turn on call forwarding:

  • Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding
  • Turn on Call Forwarding
  • Tap Forward To
  • Enter the phone number
  • Go back to save the setting

Use the full phone number, including area code. If forwarding to an international number, include the correct country code. After setting it up, test the feature from another phone. Do not assume it works until a test call rings at the forwarded number.

To turn call forwarding off:

Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding > Turn off

After turning it off, test again. A quick call from another phone confirms whether incoming calls are back to normal.

If the Call Forwarding menu spins, fails to load or does not save the number, restart the iPhone and check cellular service. If the problem continues, contact the carrier because the setting depends on the carrier network.

Why the Setting May Be Missing

Some users look for call forwarding and cannot find it. That usually means one of three things: the carrier does not expose the feature in iPhone settings, the plan does not support it, or the network requires carrier codes or account-level setup.

Apple’s guide says CDMA users should contact their carrier for call forwarding information. Some carriers also use special dialing codes for forwarding all calls, forwarding when busy, forwarding when unanswered or forwarding when unreachable. Those codes vary by carrier and country, so guessing is not a good idea.

The best path is to check the carrier’s support page or app. Many carriers let users manage forwarding from the account dashboard, especially for business lines or multi-line plans.

If the option is missing, the iPhone is not necessarily broken. The carrier may simply handle forwarding differently.

What Happens to Voicemail

Call forwarding can affect voicemail behavior depending on the carrier and destination number. If the forwarded phone does not answer, the call may go to the voicemail of the forwarded number instead of the original iPhone voicemail. In some cases, carrier rules may still send it back to the original mailbox, but users should not assume that.

This is another reason to test. Call the iPhone from another number, let it ring, and see where the missed call lands. If the goal is to preserve the original iPhone voicemail, carrier support may be needed.

For work numbers, this can be especially important. A forwarded business call going to a personal voicemail greeting can look unprofessional. A personal call going to a shared office voicemail can create privacy problems. Check before relying on it.

Close-up of an iPhone call screen showing options: Speaker, FaceTime, Mute, More, End (red button), and Keypad. A notification at the top says "Hold This Call? You'll be notified to pick up." The image highlights typical iPhone features used for managing calls and cellular service, including call forwarding capabilities.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.

Call Forwarding and Dual SIM

iPhone users with Dual SIM or eSIM setups should pay attention to which line is being forwarded. A personal line and business line can have separate carrier settings. Forwarding one does not automatically forward the other.

To check lines:

Settings > Cellular > Select the line you want to manage

Then return to:

Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding

The available settings may vary by carrier and line. If one line supports call forwarding and the other does not, that is usually a carrier difference, not an iPhone problem.

Dual SIM users should also test both numbers separately. Call the personal number, then call the business number, and confirm each behaves as expected.

When Call Forwarding Is Useful

Call forwarding works best when the goal is temporary coverage. It is useful during travel, device repairs, vacations, business handoffs, office moves, event coverage or times when another person needs to answer calls.

It can also help people who use a landline or desk phone during work hours. Calls can be forwarded from the iPhone to the office line, then turned off at the end of the day. The reverse can also work if the carrier supports it.

For small businesses, call forwarding can help avoid missed calls without adding a full phone system. A company can route calls to whoever is available. For individuals, it can be a quick fix when an iPhone battery is failing, a device is being repaired, or cellular reception is better on another phone.

The feature is less ideal as a permanent business phone solution. If multiple people need to answer calls, if calls need menus, if calls need recordings, or if voicemail needs to stay organized, a dedicated phone service may be better.

Privacy and Cost Considerations

Call forwarding may create charges depending on the carrier, plan and destination number. Forwarding calls to an international number can be expensive. Forwarding to another domestic mobile number is usually simpler, but users should still check the plan.

Privacy also deserves attention. Once calls are forwarded, the person or device receiving them may hear personal, business or sensitive conversations meant for the original number. Do not forward calls to a shared phone unless that is intentional.

Before forwarding a work line to a personal number, check company policy. Some organizations do not allow business calls to be routed to unmanaged personal devices.

Call forwarding - A young woman with brown hair in a green sweater sits on a chair, holding an iPhone voice recorder and speaking into it. A peacock feather decorates the background against a plain wall.
Image Credit: Freepik

How to Troubleshoot Call Forwarding

If call forwarding does not work, start with the basics. Confirm the iPhone has cellular service. Restart the device. Check that the forwarding number is entered correctly. Turn call forwarding off, wait a few seconds, then turn it on again.

Then test from another phone. A test call is the fastest way to know whether the carrier accepted the setting.

If calls still do not forward, check whether the carrier supports call forwarding through iPhone settings. Some carriers require account-level activation, carrier codes or a business calling feature. If the iPhone setting is missing or stuck, carrier support is usually the right next step.

Also check Focus modes and blocked numbers if the issue is not forwarding but missed calls. A call may fail to ring because of Focus, Silence Unknown Callers, a blocked contact, poor signal or voicemail settings rather than call forwarding.

A Simple Feature Worth Testing

Call forwarding on iPhone is easy to use when the carrier supports it. Open iPhone settings, turn on Call Forwarding, enter the destination number and test it. Turn it off when the temporary need is over.

The feature is most useful when it is deliberate and short-term. It can keep calls moving during travel, repairs, work coverage or busy periods, but it should be checked carefully because voicemail, costs and privacy can change once calls are routed to another number.

The iPhone makes the setting simple. The carrier decides how far that simplicity goes.

The post Call Forwarding on iPhone: How It Works appeared first on AppleMagazine.

Atlantic Ocean Slowdown Could Supercharge California Storms

Atmospheric River Forming Over the Pacific NorthwestA new study shows how changes in ocean circulation could reshape global rainfall patterns. A storm reaching California can begin with changes thousands of miles away in the Atlantic Ocean. Climate modeling suggests that as one of the planet’s major ocean circulation systems weakens, more moisture could be directed toward the West Coast while snowfall [...]

Séparé en deux moitiés pendant 94 ans, voici l'extraordinaire colosse de Ramsès II enfin reconstitué

16 July 2026 at 09:00
Séparé en deux moitiés pendant près d'un siècle, un colosse de pharaon vient enfin de retrouver son intégrité. Sept mètres de calcaire, un visage miraculeusement intact, et 94 ans d'attente entre la découverte de sa partie basse et celle de son buste. Récit d'une résurrection archéologique. 

A Shameful Day for the Church of England

15 July 2026 at 19:00

It's a shameful day for the Church of England, says Julian Mann, as its General Synod passes an anti-Israel motion pledging to "engage with" what the Chief Rabbi calls a "shocking" document containing "so much falsehood".

The post A Shameful Day for the Church of England appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Japan seeks to ramp up launch activity

15 July 2026 at 11:27
H3 launch

The Japanese government wants to sharply increase the number of launches despite struggles with both current and new launch vehicles.

The post Japan seeks to ramp up launch activity appeared first on SpaceNews.

Three win School of Science Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring

14 July 2026 at 22:00

The School of Science has announced the winners of its 2025 Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring. This year, the Teaching Prizes were restructured to acknowledge early- and mid-career teaching excellence, in addition to an overall prize for teaching excellence that includes instructors and non-tenured instructors or lecturers.

Olivia Corradin, assistant professor of biology and a member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, received an Award for Teaching Excellence. Corradin’s nominators emphasized that she is an exceptionally clear and engaging educator. 

Julien Tailleur, associate professor of physics, received an Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising in recognition of his dedication to mentorship. Nominators describe Tailleur as an outstanding research supervisor and group leader who cultivates an open and respectful environment.

John Urschel, Class of 1956 Career Development Assistant Professor of Mathematics, received an Award for Teaching Excellence. Many students call Urschel the best instructor they have had and their favorite professor at MIT, noting that he cares greatly about his students’ success and shows them why linear algebra is “so cool.”

Recipients of the School of Science Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring were honored alongside School of Science Infinite Expansion and Mile Award winners at a celebratory luncheon. 

The School of Science welcomes nominations for the teaching prize at the end of each semester. Nominations can be submitted to the School.

The post Three win School of Science Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring appeared first on MIT School of Science.

U.K. government preparing to release new space strategy

14 July 2026 at 13:07
Evernden

The British government is preparing to release a new space strategy that will provide a “whole-of-government” approach for space in the country.

The post U.K. government preparing to release new space strategy appeared first on SpaceNews.

Astronomers Probe Chemistry of Giant Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b

9 July 2026 at 16:02
This artist’s impression shows how the gas giant exoplanet inside the disc of Beta Pictoris may look. Image credit: L. Calçada / ESO.

Using the upgraded GRAVITY+ instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), astronomers have measured the ratio of carbon isotopes in the atmosphere of the young exoplanet Beta Pictoris, offering new insights into how giant planets form.

The post Astronomers Probe Chemistry of Giant Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

How many asteroids can we detect before they hit Earth?

6 July 2026 at 12:00

When you think of an asteroid impact, you’re probably imagining something like the cataclysmic event that nearly wiped out the dinosaurs. In an astonishingly rare event, a rock the size of the island of Manhattan could come hurtling from deep space towards Earth and destroy the world.

On the contrary, asteroids are generally leftover debris from the primordial solar system that didn’t become part of a larger body, like a planet or moon, and they’re not particularly rare. Scientists estimate that there are about 1 billion asteroids and comets classified as near-Earth objects, or NEOs. NEOs are generally much smaller than the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. They range from weakly held-together piles of rubble 200 meters (700 feet) across, to the minuscule 2024 BX1, approximately 44 centimeters (17 inches) across. 

For several decades, astronomical surveys of the sky have looked for these asteroids. NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) Fireball and Bolide Database has records of over 1,000 incidents of objects colliding with our planet since the mid-1990s. Among these is a set of 11 objects that scientists detected before they hit Earth, known as imminent impactors. Finding imminent impactors allows scientists unique opportunities to study the smallest building blocks of the solar system, enabling them to learn more about asteroid composition, structure, and history.

A team of scientists recently conducted a study on how the newly built Vera Rubin Observatory could detect more imminent impactors before they strike Earth. They examined the CNEOS Fireball and Bolide Database impact records spanning February 1, 1994, to January 1, 2026, for records of the asteroids’ coordinates, velocities, and the energy they released at the time of collision. 

They found that 343 NEOs met this criterion, including 5 known imminent impactors. Using these recorded data, they reconstructed the objects’ pre-impact characteristics. The team predicted the asteroids’ orbital paths from the recorded coordinates and velocity. Assuming the objects were spherical, they estimated the size from velocity and impact energy. From this information about the asteroids’ state before impact, the team could then simulate whether the Rubin Observatory would have detected them. 

When small asteroids hit Earth, they mostly burn up in the atmosphere, producing a bright flash that is relatively easy to spot compared to when they are in space. The Rubin Observatory can see objects up to 10 billion times dimmer than the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius. To predict if the Rubin Observatory can detect dim NEOs, the team used the solar system simulator SORCHA. SORCHA takes an observatory’s specifications and the physical properties of the NEOs and uses these to determine whether the observatory could detect them. It also estimates the measured sizes and speeds of the NEOs, and predicts when the observatory would have seen them. 

At the Rubin Observatory, an imminent impactor is considered discovered if it’s observed at least 3 separate times over 15 days before hitting Earth. So this team applied this same criterion to their simulation. They found that of their 343 impactors, SORCHA estimated that the Rubin Observatory would have discovered 14 of them before impact. 

They also found that SORCHA predicted 4 additional impactors that could have been observed at least once, potentially allowing scientists to search other telescope data for evidence of their existence in pre-collision images. Based on these results, the team estimated that the Rubin Observatory could find 4% of all objects longer than 1 meter (3 feet) before they hit Earth. This percentage of discovery translates to 1 to 2 imminent impactors detected every year, at least double their current discovery rate.

The ability to more consistently find imminent impactors would allow researchers to study the smallest pieces of the solar system in detail and to draw general conclusions about the properties of objects that could potentially collide with Earth. This would also allow scientists to more accurately calculate the orbits of imminent impactors, determine where more meteorites land to recover them, and keep tabs on the extremely rare but more hazardous large impactors for planetary defense initiatives. So, humanity can learn more about the ancient solar system, and hopefully avoid going the way of the dinosaurs while doing so!

The post How many asteroids can we detect before they hit Earth? appeared first on Sciworthy.

Trump may be mystery patient in odd case of 79yo getting experimental obesity drug

23 June 2026 at 17:16

In an extremely odd case, a single 79-year-old patient was granted early access to Eli Lilly's powerful, still-experimental obesity drug retatrutide through the Food and Drug Administration's "compassionate use" program—raising immediate questions if that sole patient is President Donald Trump, according to a report by Stat News.

Lilly's retatrutide is a highly anticipated next-generation obesity drug that targets GIP and glucagon hormones in addition to GLP-1. It is currently in late-stage trials to treat obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea, and other conditions. Data from a Phase 3 trial that Lilly released in May indicates that patients with obesity (but without diabetes) who took the drug for 80 weeks lost 28 percent of their weight, an amount comparable to bariatric surgery.

Millions of Americans with obesity are eager to get the drug, with options being limited so far to enrolling in a clinical trial or trying to obtain it by dodgy methods.

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