How to forward calls on US Cellular

US Cellular uses standard star codes for call forwarding, the same family of codes Verizon and the older Sprint network used. This guide shows you exactly what to dial, how to test it, and how to turn it back off, plus what to do if your line is on the new T-Mobile network after the 2024 acquisition.

The quick version

On your US Cellular phone, open the dialer and enter *72 followed by the 10-digit number you want calls forwarded to, then press call. To turn forwarding off, dial *720. If you're on a US Cellular line that has migrated to T-Mobile's network (most new SIMs after Q4 2024), use **21* followed by the 10-digit number followed by # instead.

Step-by-step: enable call forwarding on US Cellular

Open the phone dialer app on the US Cellular line you want to forward. You enter the star code the same way you'd enter a phone number, in the regular dialer.

Type *72 followed immediately by the 10-digit destination number. No spaces, no dashes, no +1. Example: *725551234567.

Press the call/send button. You'll hear two short confirmation tones, then the call ends automatically. That's the signal forwarding is active.

Test it. From a different phone, call your US Cellular number. It should ring at the destination, not your cell. If it rings your cell, give it 60 seconds and try again, or scroll to the troubleshooting section below.

To turn forwarding off

Open the dialer, enter *720, and press call. You'll hear a confirmation tone. Your line is back to normal immediately. If you're on the newer T-Mobile network SIM, use ##21# to disable instead.

Conditional forwarding (busy, no-answer, unreachable)

Sometimes you want to handle some calls yourself and forward only the ones you miss. US Cellular supports three conditional forwarding modes:

Forward when busy: dial *67 + 10-digit number + send. Disable with *670.
Forward when no answer: dial *61 + 10-digit number + send. Disable with *610.
Forward when unreachable (no signal, phone off): dial *62 + 10-digit number + send. Disable with *620.

Most service businesses just want unconditional forwarding (*72) when they're using an AI receptionist or answering service, because you want every call to land somewhere reliable. Conditional forwarding is for situations where you want to take some calls personally.

If your US Cellular line moved to T-Mobile's network

T-Mobile finalized its acquisition of US Cellular's wireless operations in late 2024. New SIMs and many existing lines have been migrated to T-Mobile's network, which uses different forwarding codes. If *72 doesn't work on your line, your line is probably on T-Mobile's network and you should use these codes instead:

Enable unconditional forwarding: **21*1XXXXXXXXXX# (note the 1 before the 10-digit number, and the # at the end). Example: **21*15551234567#.
Disable unconditional forwarding: ##21#
Check forwarding status: *#21#

To find out which network your line is on, check the carrier name in your phone settings. iPhone: Settings › General › About, look at "Carrier". Android: Settings › About phone › Status. If it says "T-Mobile", use the T-Mobile codes; if it still says "US Cellular", use the original codes.

Using the My Account app instead

The US Cellular My Account app does not currently expose call forwarding controls for individual lines. The star codes above are the canonical way. There's also a web portal at uscellular.com, but the call-forwarding option there is limited to landline products and not wireless lines. Don't waste time looking for a toggle in the app, just use the dialer codes.

Things worth knowing

Call forwarding is included free on every US Cellular postpaid plan and most prepaid plans. There's no separate add-on or fee.
Forwarded calls count against your minutes on limited-minute plans, which are now rare. On unlimited talk plans the forwarded minutes are free.
If you have multiple lines on your account, you have to enable forwarding from the line you want to forward, not from a different line. Each line is independent.
Forwarding survives reboots and SIM swaps. Once set, it stays set until you dial *720 (or ##21# on T-Mobile network).
If you keep your same US Cellular phone number but port to a different carrier, you'll need to set up forwarding on the new carrier using their codes, not these.

Forwarding to an AI receptionist?

The reason most people search for "how to forward calls on US Cellular" is they're tired of missing calls and want a real solution. If you're forwarding to a voice assistant, an answering service, or an AI receptionist, the steps above are the same, you just enter their number as the forward-to destination. Human Add AI gives you a dedicated AI receptionist that answers 24/7, captures every caller's intent, books appointments, and texts you the details immediately. Try it free for 7 days →

Troubleshooting

You hear an error or fast busy signal. Double-check you entered a valid 10-digit US number with no extra characters. If you're trying to forward to an extension or international number, that won't work, US Cellular only supports forwarding to standard 10-digit US numbers.
The code doesn't seem to do anything. Your line is probably on T-Mobile's network. Try the GSM-style codes: **21*15551234567# to enable, ##21# to disable.
Calls still ring your cell. Forwarding can take 30 to 60 seconds to activate. Wait a minute and test again. If it's still not working, dial *720 (or ##21#) to clear it, then redo the enable code carefully.
You want to stop forwarding but can't remember the code. On older US Cellular network: *720. On T-Mobile network: ##21#. If neither works, call US Cellular customer service from a different phone and ask them to disable forwarding on the line.
Voicemail picks up before forwarding kicks in. Conditional "no-answer" forwarding (*61) waits for your phone to ring some number of times before forwarding. If voicemail picks up first, the forward never triggers. Use unconditional forwarding (*72) instead, which sends every call without ringing your phone first.
You see "Service Not Provisioned" or similar. Some legacy US Cellular prepaid plans don't include call forwarding. Call US Cellular and ask them to enable it on your account, it's typically free to activate.

Related guides

All call-forwarding guides (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Spectrum, RingCentral, and more)
T-Mobile call forwarding (use this if your US Cellular line moved to T-Mobile's network)
Call forwarding basics: what it does and what it costs
What kind of business number do I have?