What is call forwarding?
Call forwarding is a phone feature that redirects an incoming call from one number to another number or device. It can forward every call, or only when the line is busy, unanswered or outside business hours.
How it works
The phone system or carrier holds a forwarding rule for the number. When a call arrives and the rule's condition is met, the call is sent on to the destination instead of ringing the original line.
Common conditions are unconditional (always), busy, no answer after a number of rings, and unreachable. Business phone systems add time-based rules, such as forwarding to a mobile outside office hours.
On a traditional carrier, a forwarded call is usually a second leg billed to you. On a VoIP system, forwarding between users of the same system is often just routing and costs nothing extra.
Why it matters
01No missed calls
Calls follow you to a mobile or a colleague when you are away from your desk.
02After-hours coverage
Send calls to an on-call person, an answering service or an AI receptionist when the office is closed.
03Smooth transitions
Forward an old number to a new one while you move offices or providers.
Allo and Call forwarding
Allo lets you forward calls to any teammate, a group or an external number, with rules for busy, no answer and business hours.
Related terms
The terms that usually come up in the same conversation.
All glossary terms
Frequently asked questions
Forwarding happens before anyone answers, based on a rule. A transfer happens during a call, when the person who answered passes the caller to someone else.
It depends on the provider. Mobile carriers often charge forwarded calls as outgoing minutes. Business VoIP systems usually include forwarding, with charges only for calls sent abroad.
Usually yes. Most systems pass the original caller's number through to the forwarding destination.