UK call forwarding codes: EE, O2, Vodafone, Three, BT, Sky and Virgin

You have found somewhere better for your missed calls to go: a colleague, an answering service or an AI receptionist. On most UK phones, sending them there takes one short code, once you know which code your network accepts.

It is worth getting right. In a June 2026 YouGov poll for a call answering company, 37% of UK adults said they would abandon a call to a business within 60 seconds and contact a competitor. Below are the codes the networks publish themselves, checked in October 2026, and where they differ or publish nothing.

Which kind of forwarding should you choose?

There are four types, and they decide whether your phone still rings first:

Most small businesses want no answer, busy and unreachable together, so they still answer when they can. If an AI receptionist is the destination, hear one answer a call first.

What are the standard mobile forwarding codes?

Vodafone publishes these codes. Type one into the keypad like a phone number and press call. Replace NUMBER with the number you are forwarding to; Vodafone asks you to replace its first 0 with +44, so 07700 900123 becomes +447700900123.

O2's and EE's own device guides use the same **21*, **61*, **62* and **67* codes. Set the three conditional codes one at a time.

Ring time. To set how long your phone rings first, O2 and EE show **61*NUMBER*20# for 20 seconds and say the number must be divisible by 5. Vodafone's format adds a 10: **61*NUMBER*10*20#.

Voicemail. Your voicemail is itself a no-answer divert (O2 and EE set it with **61*), so a new one replaces it. Vodafone's voicemail answers after 15 seconds, so set a ring time if you want longer.

What does each network say?

Vodafone

Publishes every code in the table, plus ##002#. Pay monthly customers can divert to another UK landline or mobile; pay as you go customers can only divert to voicemail.

EE

EE's small business help page lists no star codes. It supports dialling 150 and pressing 1, 2, 4, 1 to set a divert (1, 2, 4, 2 to remove it), or your handset's settings, and says customer services cannot set diverts for you. EE's device guides do show the standard codes.

O2

O2's device guides show the standard codes. We found no O2 page on whether pay as you go lines can divert to other numbers, so check with O2.

Three

We found no current Three help page listing forwarding codes. The standard codes may work but we could not verify them, so ask Three or use your handset's settings.

BT landline and Digital Voice

BT uses single stars and a touch-tone phone: *21*NUMBER# for every call, *61*NUMBER# for calls not answered within 15 seconds, and *67*NUMBER# when engaged. Switch off with #21#, #61# or #67#; check with *#21#, *#61# or *#67#. BT does not list a ring time option. On Digital Voice, use the handset's Calling Features menu or the same codes on handsets connected to your Hub.

Sky

Sky Talk uses the same single-star codes as BT (*21*, *61*, *67*, switch off with #21#, #61#, #67#). Call Diversion is an optional extra listed at £2.50 a month, so add it to your package first.

Virgin Media

Call 1765 first to find your area colour. In Green, Blue, Yellow or Purple areas, dial *21*, wait for the tone, then the number and #; switch off with #21#. In Red areas, dial *70 then the number, and switch off with #70. Virgin says switching off can take up to 24 hours. Virgin lists Call Divert at £2.25 a month and says free voicemail stops working while it is on.

iPhone and business phone systems

The iPhone's Call Forwarding setting (Settings, Apps, Phone) forwards every call. For busy or no-answer forwarding, Apple says to ask your network. Hosted phone systems usually use a forwarding setting in their app or portal instead.

What does forwarding cost, and who pays?

The caller pays what they always paid. You pay for the forwarded leg to the new number.

• Mobiles: EE charges diverts to UK numbers at your plan's rate, from your allowance where that number type is included, with normal charges beyond it and roaming charges abroad. Vodafone says even diverting to voicemail uses pay monthly minutes, with standard charges once they run out.
• 07 numbers that are not ordinary mobiles: O2 publishes a list of 07 ranges used by call forwarding services that are charged extra and not included in inclusive minutes (updated October 2026). Check the number you forward to against your network's list.
• BT landlines: diverted calls to a BT mobile or BT home phone are free; others are charged at the standard rate plus the call setup fee unless an inclusive package covers them. BT says diverting to a mobile costs more than to a home phone.
• Sky and Virgin Media: you pay the monthly feature charge above, and Sky charges the diverted leg at its standard rate for that call type.

Does the landline switch to digital change anything?

Ofcom says BT plans to retire its old landline network by 31 January 2027, and you can keep your number. BT includes Call Diversion with Digital Voice, but after your line moves, run the check codes and a test call again. Ofcom also notes that digital landlines need power, so plan for a power cut.

How do you test it safely?

Take five minutes before a busy night, not during one.

• Dial the switch-on code, then the check code, and confirm the number shown.
• From another phone, ring your business number and let it ring out.
• Ring again while you are on another call (busy), then with your phone off (unreachable).
• Never forward a phone to a number that forwards back to it, or calls can loop.
• Write the switch-off code on a card by the phone.
• Never dial a forwarding code someone sends you. Three warns that fraudsters can place a divert so your calls go to them, and Apple blocks links that ask you to turn forwarding on.

If you find a divert you did not set, cancel it with ##002# (on BT, Sky or Virgin, use the landline switch-off codes) and contact your provider.

What should you do if it does not work?

1. Retype the number in +44 format and set each condition separately.
2. Make sure you have mobile signal: Apple says the phone must be in range of the cellular network when you set forwarding.
3. Use your phone's call forwarding settings, EE's 150 menu or, on Virgin Media, the code for your area colour.
4. Ask your provider to check the line. Some lines, such as Vodafone pay as you go, cannot forward to other numbers at all.

Do not assume forwarding works. Test it on a quiet afternoon, before a busy Friday tests it for you.

How does this work with VolaVoice?

You keep your own number and choose what to forward: every call, only when you are busy or do not answer, or out of hours. Once you have a VolaVoice number, your numbers page shows the forwarding codes for your phone. A UK mobile number is included in every plan, and answered calls use your plan's minutes with no per-minute charges from us, though your own network may charge for the forwarded leg. Your VolaVoice number is a UK 07 number, so before forwarding, check with your network that calls to it are inside your allowance and not on its list of extra-charge 07 ranges. If your minutes run out, calls are forwarded to the transfer number you set for your receptionist, so make sure it does not forward back to VolaVoice.

Still deciding? Compare AI phone answering and an answering service, work out what missed calls cost a takeaway or see plans and prices.

Hear a receptionist built from your website on the free demo before you forward a single call.