Guides·The codes
How to forward your restaurant’s phone (every major carrier)
Forwarding your restaurant’s phone takes one dial code and about thirty seconds. No new number, no new equipment. Customers keep calling the number they already know. Below are the exact codes for every major carrier, plus how to choose between forwarding every call or only the ones nobody picks up.
Two kinds of forwarding
Forward-all sends every call straight to the forwarding number. Your restaurant’s phone never rings. Use it when nobody can answer at all: you’re closed, you’re short a person, or the phone sits somewhere no one can reach during a rush.
Conditional forwarding (busy or no-answer) rings your phone first, like normal. If someone grabs it, nothing changes. If the line is busy, or nobody can grab it while everyone is plating orders, the call forwards instead of dying in voicemail. For most restaurants this is the one you want: your staff stays first in line, and forwarding only catches the calls you were going to miss anyway.
One note before you start dialing: codes can vary by plan, so call your carrier if one doesn’t work.
Verizon Wireless
Verizon uses short star codes, and a single code covers all the missed-call cases.
- Forward ALL calls: dial *72 plus the 10-digit forwarding number, press Call, and wait for the confirmation tone.
- Forward only MISSED calls: dial *71 plus the 10-digit number, press Call. This one code covers both line-busy and nobody-picked-up. Verizon Wireless publishes no separate codes for the two. If your plan behaves differently, ask Verizon which conditional forwarding it supports.
- Turn all forwarding off: dial *73, press Call, and wait for the confirmation tone.
AT&T Wireless
AT&T uses longer codes that end in #. Dial the whole string, then press Call. Everywhere you see “number” below, that means the 10-digit forwarding number.
- Forward ALL calls: *21*number#, press Call, wait about 3 seconds for the tone. Turn off: #21#.
- Forward when NOBODY ANSWERS: *61*number#. Turn off: ##61#. To choose how long your phone rings first, dial **61*number**20#. The last part is seconds, from 5 to 30 in steps of 5.
- Forward when BUSY: *67*number#. Turn off: ##67#.
- Forward when your phone is OFF or has no signal: *62*number#. Turn off: ##62#.
- Wipe every forwarding rule at once: ##002#.
- Check what’s currently on: *#21#, *#61#, *#67#, *#62#.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile’s codes look like AT&T’s, with one catch: put a 1 before the 10-digit number. So a forward to 555-123-4567 gets typed as 15551234567.
- Forward ALL calls: **21*1 plus the number, then #. Turn off: ##21#.
- Forward when NOBODY ANSWERS (the main restaurant case): **61*1 plus the number, then #. Turn off: ##61#. Set the ring time first with **61*1number**20#. The last part is seconds from 5 to 30.
- Forward when BUSY: **67*1number#. Turn off: ##67#.
- Forward when the phone is OFF or has no signal: **62*1number#. Turn off: ##62#.
- Reset every forwarding rule at once: ##004#.
- Check status: *#21#, *#61#, *#62#, *#67#.
Verizon and AT&T landlines
Landlines still use star codes, but they behave a little differently than cell phones. One Verizon note before the codes: anything you change in the My Verizon account manager online overrides whatever you dialed from the handset.
- Verizon Fios or copper line, ALL calls: dial *72, listen for the tones, then dial the forwarding number. Turn off: *73. Rotary phones: 1172 on, 1173 off.
- Verizon, BUSY only: *90 on, *91 off.
- Verizon, BUSY or NOBODY ANSWERS: *92 on, *93 off. Some lines use *42 on / *43 off for this instead.
- AT&T landline, ALL calls: dial *72 (or 72# on older exchanges), then the forwarding number. It activates when someone answers at that number. If nobody answers, hang up and repeat the whole *72 sequence within 2 minutes to force it on. Turn off: *73 (or 73#).
- AT&T digital home phone, BUSY: *90 on, *91 off. NOBODY ANSWERS: *92 on, *93 off. These conditional codes vary by region. Traditional AT&T lines in some areas only support *72 and *73.
Spectrum and Comcast business lines
Both cable companies use the same code family on their business voice lines.
Comcast Business adds two useful extras: *94 on / *95 off forwards calls when the line itself is dead, like a power or service outage, which is a smart backup for a restaurant. And *610 changes how many rings happen before no-answer forwarding kicks in. Check status with *21* (all calls), *67* (busy), or *61* (no answer).
Spectrum has a catch: each forwarding feature must first be switched on in your online Spectrum Business voice portal. Dial *92 on a line where the feature was never set up and nothing happens. Comcast also recommends managing forwarding through its online portal or app.
- Forward ALL calls: *72 on, *73 off.
- Forward when BUSY: *90 on, *91 off.
- Forward when NOBODY ANSWERS: *92 on, *93 off.
VoIP systems: no codes, just settings
If your restaurant uses RingCentral, Nextiva, Grasshopper, Ooma, or Zoom Phone, there are no dial codes. Forwarding lives in the web portal or the app, and changes take effect right away. Here’s the path on RingCentral. Other systems keep the same settings under “call handling” or “call routing,” with a “missed call” or “no answer” destination.
To forward everything instead of just missed calls, use the separate “Forward all calls” toggle on the app home screen or in the Admin Portal. It even lets you set start and end dates.
If you’re setting up OrderVoice, this page is the last step of the install: once your menu is loaded, forward your line, every call or only the ones nobody reaches, and you’re done.
- Sign in to the Admin Portal, or open the RingCentral app and go to Settings, then Phone.
- Go to Users, pick your line, then Settings, Phone, Call handling, and Edit.
- To forward only missed calls, scroll to the “Missed calls” section and choose “Forward to external number.” Enter the destination number. Your phones still ring first for the ring time you set.
- Click “Edit schedule” if you want different rules for open hours and after close, like forwarding to your cell only after closing.
- Click Save.
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