How to forward missed calls to an AI receptionist
Three codes on your own phone, one to switch them off, and a test. Your customers keep ringing the number they already have.
By the FoxEra Calls team. Published 4 October 2026.
How forwarding works
You keep your own number on your own phone. When you decline a call, do not answer it, or your phone is off, your phone network sends the call to your receptionist’s number. Callers never see a different number, and you can switch it off at any time.
The three codes (UK mobiles)
Dial each one once on your own phone, with your receptionist’s number in place of the example (written the way you would dial it in the UK, starting with 0):
| When | Code to dial | Example |
|---|---|---|
| You decline, or you are busy | **67*number# | **67*07700900123# |
| You do not answer | **61*number# | **61*07700900123# |
| Your phone is off or has no signal | **62*number# | **62*07700900123# |
| Turn all forwarding off | ##002# | ##002# |
07700 900123 is a reserved example number, not a real line. We checked the no-answer code on a real UK mobile on 1 October 2026: the form starting with 0 was accepted, while an older form with +44 and a ring-time suffix was rejected by the network. In the FoxEra app the codes are shown with your own receptionist’s number already filled in, as tap-to-dial buttons.
If your network refuses a code
Some networks and business plans handle forwarding differently. Open your phone’s own call settings and set “forward when busy”, “when unanswered” and “when unreachable” to the receptionist’s number. How long the phone rings before forwarding is a network setting; the codes cannot change it. Your network may charge for forwarded calls, so check your tariff.
Test it
In FoxEra, press Test my forwarding, then within five minutes ring your own number from another phone and decline it, ignore it, or switch your phone off. The app shows Verified when the network confirms the call came from your number. If your phone did not ring and the receptionist answered, it works.
Portugal and Spain
The same codes work on many European networks, but the number is written the national way: in Portugal and Spain, the nine digits without the country code. The app works this out for your receptionist’s number; do not convert it by hand.
Which calls to forward
Most small businesses forward only the calls they miss (busy, no answer, phone off) and keep answering the rest themselves. That way the receptionist covers the gaps and you still talk to the regulars. If you want it to take every call during service, set your phone to forward all calls for those hours and switch it back afterwards.
Landlines and office phone systems
The codes above are for mobiles. Landlines and VoIP systems usually set forwarding in the provider’s online account or with their own codes. Ask your provider for “conditional call forwarding” to a UK mobile number, and what it costs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the code to forward unanswered calls in the UK?
On most UK mobiles, **61* followed by the number and #. Use the number in UK format starting with 0.
How do I cancel call forwarding?
Dial ##002# on your phone to turn all forwarding off.