If you’re experiencing missed calls on your iPhone or Android smartphone, it could be due to call forwarding being activated on your line. In such cases, all incoming calls might be redirected elsewhere.
Call forwarding is usually not active unless you intentionally enable it, but it could have been turned on by another person or app without your knowledge. Additionally, call forwarding could still be enabled on a line you inherited from someone else, even after swapping their SIM card or transferring it to a new account.
The good news is that checking if call forwarding is enabled and turning it off if necessary is relatively straightforward. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is call forwarding?
Call forwarding is a feature that redirects incoming calls to another number. It operates at the carrier level, not on your phone, meaning calls are forwarded before reaching your device.
How to see if call forwarding is enabled on your iPhone or Android phone
You can quickly check call forwarding status by looking for an icon in your status bar on your iPhone or Android phone.
How to turn off call forwarding on your iPhone
Call forwarding on an iPhone is managed through the Settings app. Follow these steps to disable it:
How to turn off call forwarding on your Android phone
Most modern Android devices allow you to manage call forwarding through the Phone app. Here’s how to disable it on a Google Pixel running Android 14:
Other ways to turn off call forwarding
Call forwarding can be managed using USSD or MMI codes on GSM carriers and phones. Here are some useful codes you can use:
- *#21# – check call forwarding status
- #21# – cancel call forwarding
- \##21# – cancel call forwarding and erase the forwarding number
- *21# – re-establish call forwarding to the previously stored number
- *21*your phone number# – activate call forwarding to the specified number
These codes can help you manage call forwarding effectively on your device.
