Conditional Call Forwarding: What is it, How to Activate and Deactivate?

“Conditional call forwarding on” is a very useful feature on phones that allows you to redirect your incoming calls under certain conditions. If you are wondering what it is and what it is used for, as well as how to activate and deactivate this feature, you are in the right place to understand and manage this feature on your device.

Conditional call forwarding allows you to redirect calls if you are busy, if you don’t answer or if you are out of range, ensuring that you don’t miss any important calls. Read on to find out more.

What does “conditional call forwarding activated” mean?

What does “outgoing call forwarded” mean and why does it appear? Sometimes, a combination by mistake on your Android can cause you to “turn on” this feature. Don’t worry, this is an error that can arise because you have call forwarding activated .

You may (mistakenly) think that this is happening to you because you have a problem or fault with your telephone line , since when you make a call you hear a beep and it cuts off. Likewise, you cannot receive them. There are several causes that can cause this, for example:

You may have call forwarding or voicemail active.
Your phone is in “Do not disturb” mode
You have the “Not reachable” function on.
It is possible that your phone is not unlocked.

Below, I will explain why and what the purpose of having call forwarding enabled is and how to remove or deactivate it if you are not interested.

What is conditional call forwarding used for?

Call forwarding is a feature that comes standard with your mobile phone. It allows you to receive incoming calls on another device in case you don’t have your own at hand. This is a feature that can usually be set up on your Android for free and is useful in many situations .

For example, if you have two phones (the work one and the personal one) and neither of them has dual SIM, you can activate this option on one of them so you don’t have to carry two phones with you. This feature can be very useful on business trips or when you travel to meetings in different parts of the city.

It is also very useful in the personal and family sphere. You can activate it on your partner’s phone when you go to a romantic dinner. This way, there will only be one phone on the table for urgent cases!

How to activate call forwarding

If you think you can take advantage of this option, you should know that there are different ways to activate or deactivate it from your mobile. You can do it directly on Android or iOS —regardless of your company— or by calling the operator, among other alternatives. But don’t worry, because I’ll tell you step by step.

Although not all Android phones allow this option from the phone , most do. Although it depends on the brand and model, the process to follow is very similar to the following:

Open the call app and tap “Settings” at the top right of the three dots. Sometimes, instead of three dots, there are three horizontal bars at the bottom left (Xiaomi). On other phones (like Samsung) you have to do it through “Phone Settings,” not from the call app.
Look for “Call Forwarding” or something similar.
Apply this option in some cases (“When you do not respond”, “When you communicate”, etc.) or in all occasions.

As I was saying, another way to do it is to activate it through your company. They all use the same method to make our lives easier. We’ll tell you about it!

**21destination number# + call, in case you always want to divert them.
**62destination number# + call, for the condition that it is activated with the phone off.
**67destination number# + call, when you answer or reject the call.
**61destination number# + call, when you don’t answer.

How to disable enabled conditional call forwarding

As you may have seen, there are times when the call forwarding service may be active and you may not know it . I will explain how you can solve this problem, in case you want to deactivate the activated conditional call forwarding.

Below is a list of the most common problems you may encounter with redirected calls and how to solve them. Review each of these alternatives carefully to choose the one that best suits your situation:

How to disable call forwarding on Android smartphones

As I have told you in previous points, conditional call forwarding can be activated from the Android operating system itself. Therefore, it can also be deactivated from the mobile! Don’t worry, you won’t have to format the phone to fix it, it’s much simpler.

It is not always possible because —just like for activation— deactivation also depends on the brand and model, but the route to follow is the following (or similar) on any Android device:

Open the calling app, as if you were going to call.
Go to “More” (three dots at the top right).
Select “Settings” and tap on “Calls”.
Select “Call forwarding”.
Uncheck the tab or “Disable/Disable”.

Once you do this, try calling or have someone call you to check that this option has been disabled correctly. If you don’t want to have everything disabled, you should see something like this.

How do I turn off conditional call forwarding on an iPhone?

Don’t worry if you have this problem and instead of having an Android, you have an iPhone because the solution to deactivate this option from your phone is almost the same . To deactivate call forwarding on iPhone, follow these steps:

Go to “Settings”.
Click on “Phone”.
Go to “Call Forwarding”.
Disable the option.

As with Android, check that the process works correctly and that the problem has been solved.

Adjust call settings

One of the solutions you can try to solve this problem is to go to the call section of your mobile and follow the steps below:

Once in the call or phone options, look for “Voice Calls.”
Go to “Call Settings” to change the settings.
Find the option to disable all the options on your mobile.
- Instead, if you have a Samsung device, for example, try “Call settings” and “Additional options.” Then, tap “Caller ID” and “Default” to return to the factory call settings.

For other operators and phone brands, the process is very similar, although don’t be overconfident because it may vary. Our recommendation is that, if you have any questions, contact your operator.

These settings do not only depend on the phone company, but also on the brand and model of the phone. Having a Samsung is not the same as having a Huawei, neither to take advantage of all its features, nor when it comes to setting up call forwarding or voicemail.

Take out the SIM card

This alternative may solve the problem, even if it seems strange. If your phone has this type of failure, your operator may ask you to remove the SIM card and test to verify if the card or the line has a problem.

If you remove the SIM card and put it in another device, you will know if you have unconditional call forwarding set up on your phone or line.

Normally, it is enough to turn off the phone and remove the card. Put it in another device and try calling. If it works fine, then the configuration is in the operating system and not in the line. Putting the SIM back in and restarting the phone should be enough.

Deactivate from the mobile app

Many carriers have their own apps where you can find special options and settings for your phone line.

You can download the app for the operating system you are using and enter your details. In most cases, the Android and iOS app has a special menu that allows you to activate and deactivate call forwarding.

Call your operator

One of the most effective ways to avoid this problem affecting you is to call technical support using the official phone number. Your operator’s customer service staff will ask you for information about your phone line in order to proceed.

Explain the situation to them and let them guide you step by step. Many people think they have problems with their line or number, when they simply have this option activated. They will give you some command codes to deactivate it.

Enter the deactivation codes

In one of the sections of this article we told you that if you want to activate the function with any of the operators the process is the same and consists of dialing a series of digits.

Turn off voicemail

Another very common problem that is directly related to conditional call forwarding is that you have your voicemail activated and you don’t realize it . This can lead to the problems mentioned above and people who call you spending their balance when it goes up.

How do I know if I have it active?

To find out if you have this service active, call your operator free of charge through customer service. Once you have made the call, ask if you have this service active.

Your mobile or landline service records call forwarding. Activating this feature can help you when you need to leave the country and want to use call forwarding. You can also call your carrier when you want to deactivate it . It all depends on your preferences and needs when making or receiving calls.

Learn more about call forwarding: all your questions answered

Before I dive into the FAQs on the topic, it’s important to understand the type of forwarding we’re dealing with. Many people run into the same problem when trying to forward calls: they can’t make or receive calls as they expected. This article is designed to help you navigate these situations and make sure your forwarding system is working properly.

How to disable conditional call forwarding on Samsung?

If you have a Samsung mobile, you can deactivate the function from the smartphone itself —regardless of the company—. The steps to follow are the following:

Open the Phone app from the Home screen.
Select More / Settings / More settings / Call forwarding / Voice call.
A list of options will open, such as Forward if busy, Forward if no answer, or Forward if unavailable.
Select the option you have active and tap Deactivate.

How to change the call forwarding number?

If you want to change the number directly from your mobile, you have to follow the same steps as for activating it for the first time. That is, following the path Settings / Calls / Call forwarding. When you select your option (always or under the conditions you decide), a secondary screen will open where you can change the number.

Please note that this route may vary depending on the model of your mobile phone. In some cases, it is not possible to do it this way. Therefore, the best thing you can do is follow the instructions of your mobile phone company, as I explain in this article.

What does unconditional call forwarding mean?

Unconditional means that there are no conditions, which makes this a very useful feature to forward calls according to your needs. Therefore, this option will always be activated, whether to another number or to voicemail, regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in.

What happens when it says call forwarded?

A forwarded call is one that has call forwarding activated (conditionally or always), a feature that most people find useful to manage the calls they receive. So, if you or the person you are calling wants to deactivate it, you can follow the steps I indicate throughout this article, including how to handle the notification of this service.

What does call forwarding if unreachable mean?

In general, Not Reachable is for specific cases. For example, the function is very useful if:

Your phone is off.
Your battery is dead.
You are out of coverage.

How to remove conditional call forwarding enabled on Huawei?

Huawei also has its own procedures for its brand phones when it comes to removing call forwarding, conditional or unconditional. In this case, the steps to follow are:

Go to the Phone app on Home.
Open the menu (top right) and then follow the path Settings > Call forwarding .
Look at the option that is selected (Always, When busy, When phone is off , etc.).
Press Deactivate to remove conditional forwarding for the option you want to remove it from.

How to deactivate call forwarding from landline to mobile?

To disable call forwarding from a landline to a mobile phone, you can usually dial ##002# or #21# from your landline and then press the call key. This should cancel all types of call forwarding.

If this doesn’t work, we recommend checking directly with your phone service provider for specific instructions. You can also review your phone’s user manual or manage settings through your provider’s online control panel, if available.

Understanding and managing the conditional call forwarding enabled on your phone can significantly improve your daily communication. If you have additional questions or experiences to share about this feature, your comments are welcome. And if you found this article helpful, please feel free to share it with others who could also benefit from this information.