Articles: Call Forwarding iPhone Australia: Settings, Codes and Fixes

If you run a business from an iPhone, you will probably want some calls to go somewhere else when you can't answer: a colleague, a partner, or a receptionist who takes a message. This guide to call forwarding iPhone Australia owners can follow goes deeper on the phone itself than our general guide to how to forward calls in Australia: what the Settings screen does and doesn't offer, when to dial a code instead, and what to check when forwarding doesn't behave.

Two ways to set up call forwarding on an iPhone

There are two routes, and they suit different jobs.

1. The Settings route. Open Settings, then Phone, then Call Forwarding, turn it on and type the number you want calls sent to.
2. The dial codes. Open the Phone app, go to the keypad, type a code such as **21*number# and press call.

The Settings route is simple, but on many Australian plans it only offers one choice: forward every call. When that switch is on, your iPhone doesn't ring at all. That's fine for a day off or a week away. It's a poor fit for a working day, because you lose the chance to answer the calls you could have taken.

The dial codes give you finer control. They let you forward only the calls you miss, which is what many sole traders and small teams want.

Pick the kind of forwarding first

Before you set anything, decide when calls should move. The four kinds are:

• Every call. Your phone never rings. Good for after hours, holidays, or when someone else answers for you full time.
• No answer. Your phone rings first, and if you don't pick up, the call moves on.
• Busy. If you're already on a call, the next caller is sent on instead of hearing a busy tone.
• Unreachable. If your iPhone is off, flat or out of range, the call is sent on instead of failing.

For a working day, the last three together are the usual choice. Your iPhone rings as normal, and anything you can't take goes to whoever is covering. You stay in charge, and callers still get an answer.

The codes to type on the iPhone keypad

Dial these from the iPhone you want to forward. Replace "number" with the full number you're sending calls to, including the area code for a landline.

Some providers want a slightly different form. On Telstra, forwarding every call is **21*number*11#, and **004*number# on Optus and Vodafone (or **004*number*11# on Telstra mobile) covers no answer, busy and unreachable in one go. The full table is in our main guide, and the Help centre lists the codes too. If a code returns an error, check with your provider, because plans and business lines sometimes work differently.

After you press call, you should see a message confirming the setting. Take a screenshot of it if you like, so you have a record of exactly what you turned on.

How to see what is switched on

It's easy to forget what you set months ago. Two quick checks help:

• Open Settings, then Phone, then Call Forwarding and look at whether the switch is on and which number is shown.
• Ring your iPhone from a different phone and see what happens. If it rings out and the call goes where you expect, you're set. If it never rings, something is forwarding every call.

The Settings screen only shows the every-call setting reliably, so a no-answer or busy code you dialled earlier may not appear there. The test call is the honest answer.

Testing it properly

Don't trust a code just because it was accepted. Test each kind you turned on, using a second phone rather than the iPhone itself.

1. Every-call forwarding. Ring the iPhone. It should not ring, and the call should arrive at the new number.
2. No answer. Let the iPhone ring out. Don't tap decline, because declining can be treated as busy rather than unanswered.
3. Busy. Start a call on the iPhone, then ring it from a third phone. If call waiting is on, the second caller may hear it ring through to you instead of being forwarded.
4. Unreachable. Turn the iPhone off and ring it again.
5. Caller's number. Check that whoever answers the forwarded call can see the original caller's number, not yours.

If you're forwarding to Call Assistant, the Phone number page has a "Test my forwarding" button. It rings your business line (don't answer it), and once the call comes through to your receptionist you'll see a tick. Your receptionist only starts answering once the test passes.

Call forwarding iPhone Australia: when it stops working

Forwarding is a setting held by your provider, not by the phone, so a few common events can quietly clear it.

• You changed SIM or plan. A new SIM, a new plan or porting your number can reset forwarding. Test again after any change.
• You have two lines on one phone. If your iPhone carries a personal and a business line, forwarding belongs to one line. Make sure you set it on the right one.
• You tapped decline. Declining a call can send it to voicemail or treat it as busy, depending on your setup. Let calls ring out or answer them.
• Voicemail is getting there first. Your voicemail is itself a kind of no-answer forwarding. Setting a new no-answer forward usually replaces it, but on some services voicemail has to be turned off separately, so ask your provider if calls still land there.
• Calls loop. If the number you forward to is itself forwarding back to you, calls bounce until they fail. Check the destination isn't pointing back.
• No signal. An iPhone with no signal counts as unreachable, so the unreachable code matters. Without it, callers can hear a failure message instead of being forwarded.

A day with an iPhone and forwarding set up

You're a landscaper with one iPhone, and you set no answer, busy and unreachable forwarding to your receptionist the night before.

At 7:30 you're loading the trailer and the phone rings. You answer, it's a regular customer, and you sort out Thursday's visit. At 9:15 you're running the mower, so you don't hear it. The call rings out and goes to the receptionist, who asks for the caller's name, number and what they need, and takes a message. At 11:00 you're on another call when a third person rings. Busy forwarding sends them through instead of leaving them with a tone.

At morning tea you read two emails: a quote request and a question about an existing job. You ring the quote request first. Nothing dropped, and your iPhone still rang first each time, so you decided what to answer.

Where the calls should go

Once the iPhone side works, the question is who answers. A colleague has their own work to do, and voicemail leaves many callers hanging up without a message. An AI receptionist answers in a natural voice, asks for the caller's name, number and what they need, and sends you an email after every call. It works only from what you brief it on, so it doesn't guess, and it can't give quotes or prices. You can start a free trial for 14 days with no card. You keep your existing number, and the Help centre lists the forwarding codes.

Quick answers

Can an iPhone forward only missed calls?

Yes, using dial codes such as **61*number# for no answer or **004*number# on Optus and Vodafone (or **004*number*11# on Telstra mobile) for missed, busy and unreachable together. The Settings screen on many plans only offers every call.

How do I turn off call forwarding on an iPhone?

Switch it off under Settings, then Phone, then Call Forwarding, or dial ##002# and press call to cancel every kind at once. Then ring the iPhone from another phone to confirm.

Why do calls still go to voicemail after I set up forwarding?

Voicemail is itself a form of forwarding, and on some services it has to be turned off separately. Ask your provider to check.

Does forwarding cost money?

Forwarded calls are often charged like a normal call from your number to the destination, and on many plans that's included. Check your plan with your provider before forwarding a busy line.