Forward your missed calls: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile

BeepBack connects to your existing number with one setting called conditional call forwarding: calls you answer ring through like always, and only the calls you don’t pick up roll to your BeepBack texting number instead of voicemail. You set it with a short code dialed once from your business phone. This page is the reference; during setup, the BeepBack app shows you the same code with your number already filled in.

Conditional forwarding, not “forward all”

There are two kinds of call forwarding, and the difference matters. Forward all sends every call away, so your phone stops ringing entirely: don’t use it. Conditional forwarding, the kind below, only kicks in when you don’t answer, so you keep taking calls exactly as you do now and only the ones that would have gone to voicemail reach BeepBack. If your phone ever goes silent after setup, you dialed the wrong kind; turn it off with the off code and redo it.

Verizon

Turn it on: dial *71 followed by the 10 digits of your BeepBack number (no 1 in front), then press call. So if your BeepBack number were 201-555-0150, you’d dial *712015550150. That forwards calls you don’t answer, including when the line is busy.

Turn it off: dial *73 and press call. Your line goes back to exactly how it behaved before.

AT&T and T-Mobile

Turn it on: dial **61*, then the 10 digits of your BeepBack number, then **20#, and press call. With the example number, that’s **61*2015550150**20#. The 20 at the end gives you a 20-second ring, about three or four rings, before the call counts as missed.

Turn it off: dial ##004# and press call. That clears every conditional forward on the line, including this one.

Not sure which code is yours?

Smaller carriers ride on one of the big three networks and use that network’s codes. Visible runs on Verizon, so use the *71 code. Cricket runs on AT&T, and Mint and Metro run on T-Mobile, so those use the **61* code. Google Fi and other app-based numbers don’t use star codes at all; set forwarding in the app instead, covered in the VoIP and landline guide. If a code doesn’t take, your carrier’s support line can confirm the exact one for your plan.

On a VoIP line or a landline?

Star codes don’t apply there; forwarding lives in your provider’s settings instead. The VoIP and landline guide walks through it, including RingCentral, Google Voice, Vonage, and 8x8.

How to check it worked

Call your business line from another phone and let it ring out without answering. The missed call shows up in your BeepBack dashboard the moment it happens, and the app’s setup checklist confirms the forwarding test for you. If nothing appears:

• Redial the on code and watch for a typo, or a stray 1 in front of the number.
• Make sure you let it ring all the way out; answering the test call means nothing forwards, which is correct.
• If your phone stopped ringing entirely, you set “forward all” by mistake: dial the off code and redo it with the conditional code above.

Forwarding on is not the same as live

One honest expectation: once forwarding is on, your missed calls start appearing in your dashboard right away, but the text-backs themselves begin only after the phone carriers finish verifying your business, usually about two weeks, sometimes longer. Carriers verify every business that sends texts; that check is why your texts land and your number doesn’t get flagged as spam. Finishing this step doesn’t skip the wait, and you’re not charged until you’re live. The number doing the texting is registered under your own business’s name, not ours.

Common questions

Will my customers still reach me? Yes. Conditional forwarding only moves the calls you don’t pick up; calls you answer ring through exactly like today, on the number your customers already know.

Does forwarding cost extra? Conditional call forwarding is a standard line feature on the major carriers and is normally included. On a smaller prepaid plan, check your plan’s call-forwarding terms.

Can I turn it off whenever I want? Any time, with the off code above. Your line behaves exactly as it did before BeepBack, and you can turn it back on later with the on code.

More: all setup guides · questions we get · what it costs · what missed calls cost you