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iPhone Call Forwarding for Missed Calls Only

The iPhone Call Forwarding switch sends every call away on most US carriers. How to forward only missed calls instead, and the Live Voicemail setting that blocks it.

What this does

On iPhone, these steps send only the calls you don't answer to your answering service. Your phone rings first and your business number does not change. Replace [your DispatchAI number] with the number you are given when you start a DispatchAI trial.

Steps

  1. iOS Settings → Phone → Call Forwarding forwards EVERY call on most US carriers — your phone never rings, so you'd never get the chance to answer first.
  2. To keep first shot at your calls, use your carrier's dial codes above (AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile) instead of that toggle.
  3. If you've already turned the iOS toggle on, switch it off before entering a carrier code, so the two don't conflict.
  4. Turn off Live Voicemail (Settings → Apps → Phone → Live Voicemail). It answers unanswered calls on the phone itself, so carrier no-answer forwarding never fires — Apple's own support page says to switch it off for conditional forwarding. Recheck it after iOS updates, which can turn it back on.

Codes depend on your carrier and plan. If something doesn't take, your carrier's support line can set it up in a couple of minutes. See the call forwarding overview for the other carriers.

Questions

Will my phone still ring first on iPhone?

Yes. These steps set up conditional forwarding: your phone rings first, and only calls you don't answer, or that arrive while you are busy, are sent on. They do not forward every call.

Where do I get the number to forward to?

When you start a DispatchAI trial you are given your own DispatchAI number. Put that number wherever the steps show [your DispatchAI number].

How do I turn it off?

Reverse the setting you changed, or ask your provider to remove call forwarding. It takes a couple of minutes.

It didn't work. What should I check?

Codes are carrier- and plan-dependent and can fail silently when mistyped. Re-enter the code, test with a real call, and if it still doesn't take, ask your carrier to enable call forwarding on your line.