What Is Call Forwarding?
Call forwarding lets you redirect incoming calls from your existing business number to another number — in this case, your AI receptionist number. Your customers keep calling the same number they always have. The calls just get answered by your AI receptionist instead of going to voicemail or ringing unanswered.
Here's how to set it up on every major platform.
Step 1: Get Your AI Receptionist Number
First, sign up at HireAIReceptionist.com and complete the onboarding. At the end, you'll receive your dedicated AI receptionist phone number — a real local number in your area code.
Keep this number handy. You'll need it in the next steps.
Step 2: Set Up Call Forwarding on Your Business Phone
### iPhone (using carrier call forwarding)
1. Open the Settings app
2. Tap Phone
3. Tap Call Forwarding
4. Toggle Call Forwarding on
5. Enter your AI receptionist number
6. Go back — forwarding is now active
Note: This forwards all calls. To forward only unanswered calls (when you don't pick up), use conditional forwarding codes instead (see below).
### Android (Samsung, Google Pixel, etc.)
1. Open the Phone app
2. Tap the three-dot menu → Settings
3. Tap Supplementary services or Calls
4. Tap Call forwarding
5. Choose Always forward or Forward when unanswered
6. Enter your AI receptionist number
7. Tap Enable
### Conditional Forwarding (Forward Only When You Don't Answer)
This is the best option for most businesses — your phone rings normally, and if you don't answer within a few rings, the call automatically forwards to your AI receptionist.
For most US carriers, dial these codes from your phone:
Forward when unanswered (rings a few times first):
Dial: *61* then your AI number then #
Forward when busy (you are on another call):
Dial: *67* then your AI number then #
Forward when unreachable (phone off or no signal):
Dial: *62* then your AI number then #
To enable all three, dial each code separately with your AI receptionist number including the country code (e.g., +14805551234).
To cancel forwarding, dial ##61#, ##67#, or ##62#.
### Landline Business Phones
Call your phone carrier's business support line and ask them to set up conditional call forwarding to your AI receptionist number. Most carriers can do this in under 5 minutes.
Common carriers:
### VoIP Systems (RingCentral, Grasshopper, Google Voice, etc.)
RingCentral:
1. Log in to your RingCentral account
2. Go to Phone System → Groups or your individual extension
3. Find Call Forwarding settings
4. Add your AI receptionist number as a forwarding destination
5. Set the conditions (always, when busy, after X rings)
Google Voice:
1. Go to voice.google.com
2. Click Settings (gear icon)
3. Click Calls
4. Under Call Forwarding, add your AI receptionist number
Grasshopper:
1. Log in to your Grasshopper dashboard
2. Go to Extensions
3. Select your extension → Call Forwarding
4. Add your AI receptionist number
Step 3: Test Your Setup
Once forwarding is configured, test it:
1. Have someone call your main business number from another phone
2. Verify the call is answered by your AI receptionist
3. Ask a few questions to make sure the AI responds correctly
4. Check your dashboard — the call should appear in your call log within a few minutes
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Calls still going to voicemail: Your carrier voicemail might be intercepting calls before forwarding kicks in. Contact your carrier and ask them to disable voicemail or reduce the number of rings before forwarding activates.
Forwarding not working on iPhone: Some carrier plans don't support call forwarding codes. Contact your carrier to enable the feature or use their app to configure it.
Callers hearing a busy signal: Make sure you've set up forwarding for both "unanswered" and "busy" scenarios.
You're All Set
Once call forwarding is active, every call to your business number will be answered professionally by your AI receptionist — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.