How does call forwarding work? Setup in 30 seconds
Call forwarding is a built-in feature of your phone carrier: it sends an incoming call on to another number. You set it up from your own phone with one short code, in approx. 30 seconds, no app needed. You can forward every call, or only the ones you don't answer, the ones that come in while you're busy, or the ones that arrive when you're unreachable. The exact code depends on your country and carrier; when you connect Echo, we set it up together and check it with a test call. Your number stays the same throughout: your callers dial the same number they always have.
Call forwarding is the feature that connecting an AI phone assistant is built on: your existing number stays, only the call's route changes. Here's how it works.
The four forwarding modes
You set up forwarding from your phone's dialer: a short code together with the destination number, then the call button, and the network confirms it. The four standard modes:
| What it forwards | When it kicks in |
|---|---|
| Every call | Immediately, every incoming call goes to the destination number |
| Only calls you don't answer | After your phone has rung for a while and you didn't pick up |
| Only when you're busy | While you're on another call |
| Only when you're unreachable | When your phone is off or has no signal |
The codes for these modes are standardized within a network type but differ by country and carrier, and on some networks the setting lives in the carrier's app or account instead of a code. That's why we don't print codes here: when you connect Echo, we look up the right one for your carrier together during onboarding, dial it with you, and confirm it with a test call. The whole thing takes approx. 30 seconds.
Which one should you choose?
- Every call: good when you don't want to take calls at all, for example on vacation, or when you're handing over call answering completely.
- Missed calls: the most popular. You keep answering the phone as you always have, and only the calls you didn't pick up before they stopped ringing get forwarded.
- When busy: kicks in while you're on another call. That way neither of two callers is lost.
- Unreachable: forwards when your phone is off or has no signal, for example in a workshop, a basement, or abroad.
The modes can be combined: many people set up missed, busy, and unreachable together, so every call they can't take at that moment is forwarded, while every call they do answer stays with them.
Switching it off
Forwarding is switched off the same way it was switched on: a short code, or the carrier's app or account. The setting can be changed at any time, in either direction. Carriers typically don't charge a separate fee for forwarding, but the forwarded leg of the call may be billed at your plan's per-minute rate. Worth checking with your carrier.
How does this connect to Echo?
When Echo is connected, it gets its own number, and you forward your calls to that number in one of the modes above. Most of our customers choose forwarding for missed calls: they answer the phone as they always have, and whatever they can't pick up, Echo picks up. That's how every call gets answered without replacing your number or changing anything about the way you're used to working.
Forwarding a landline number is possible too, but it depends on the carrier: there, the setup isn't always done with a code but through customer service or your online account. We help with this during onboarding as well.
Related questions
Does the caller notice they're in a forwarded call?
No. The caller dials your usual number, and the network forwards the call in the background. The only difference for them is that someone picks up.
Do I lose my number if I connect an AI assistant?
No. The whole point of forwarding is that your number stays the same. Echo gets its own number, and the calls you don't answer on your number are routed there.
Why don't you list the codes?
Because they differ by country and carrier, and a wrong code sends your calls to the wrong place. During onboarding we look up the right one for your carrier, set it up with you, and confirm it with a test call.
How long does it take to set this up?
Dialing the code takes approx. 30 seconds. During Echo onboarding we do the full connection, the test, and the check together, so every call is sure to end up in the right place.