How to forward calls on Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless uses two short star codes to control call forwarding. This guide shows you exactly what to dial, how to test it, and how to turn it off.

The quick version

On your Verizon Wireless 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 *73.

Step-by-step: enable call forwarding on Verizon Wireless

Open the phone dialer app on the Verizon Wireless line you want to forward. You'll enter a short code the same way you'd enter a phone number.

Type *72 followed immediately by the 10-digit number you want calls forwarded to. No spaces, no dashes, no "+1". Example: *725551234567.

Press the call/send button. You'll hear a short confirmation tone or a brief recorded message, then the call ends automatically.

Test it. From a different phone (or ask a friend), call your Verizon Wireless number. It should ring at your forwarding destination, not your cell.

To turn forwarding off

Open the dialer, enter *73, and press call. You'll hear a confirmation. Your line is back to normal immediately.

Conditional forwarding (only when you don't answer)

Sometimes you want to handle some calls yourself and forward the rest. "Conditional" call forwarding routes calls only when your line is busy, unanswered, or unreachable. On Verizon, dial *71 followed by the 10-digit number to route only unanswered or unreachable calls. To disable, dial *73.

Using the Verizon Wireless app instead

The My Verizon app doesn't directly offer a "call forwarding" toggle for wireless lines in most recent versions, which surprises people. The star codes above are the canonical way. If you want forwarding for a Verizon home/landline number (Fios Digital Voice), that's different — log in at verizon.com, go to your Fios Digital Voice features, and manage it there.

Things worth knowing

Verizon includes call forwarding free on every postpaid and most prepaid plans — no add-on needed.
Forwarded calls count against your minutes on limited-minute plans (rare now, but worth checking). On unlimited plans, forwarded calls are free.
If you have more than one line on your account, make sure you're setting up the code from the line you want to forward — not from a different phone.
Forwarding survives phone reboots and SIM swaps. Once set, it stays set until you dial *73.

Forwarding to an AI receptionist?

The whole reason you're reading this is probably to stop missing calls. If you're setting up call forwarding to send calls to a voice assistant, an answering service, or an AI, 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, and texts you the details. Try it free for 7 days →

Troubleshooting

You hear an error or fast busy signal. Double-check you entered a valid 10-digit number with no extra characters. Some Verizon Wireless plans (pre-paid especially) don't include call forwarding — if it still won't set up, call Verizon Wireless and ask them to enable "call forwarding" on your line.
Calls still ring your cell. Forwarding can take up to a minute to activate. Wait 60 seconds and test again. If it's still not working, dial *73 to clear it, then redo the enable code.
You want to stop forwarding but don't remember the code. Dial *73 from the forwarded line. That's the universal "cancel all forwarding" code on most networks.
Voicemail is picking up before the forward kicks in. That's usually because your voicemail delay is set shorter than the forward. If you want forwarded calls to always get through, use unconditional forwarding (*72) instead of conditional.