Three dial codes cover nearly every conditional call forwarding setup in North America - 61 for calls you do not answer, 67 for when your line is busy, 62 for when your phone is unreachable - and on most carriers each one takes under 60 seconds to switch on, with no app and no installer. This is the master guide to sending the right calls to an AI receptionist: what conditional forwarding is, the universal GSM codes, how to control ring time, the exact codes for all 8 carriers we document, and how to test the whole thing before the dinner rush proves it for you.
Conditional vs forward-all: the difference that matters
Call forwarding comes in two flavors, and picking the wrong one is the most common setup mistake we see:
- Forward-all sends every incoming call straight to the forwarding number. Your phone never rings. This is the right mode when the AI should own the line completely - or when you flip it on at closing time each night.
- Conditional forwarding only steps in when a call would otherwise be lost. It has three triggers: no answer (your phone rings for a set time first), busy (you are already on the line or you hit decline), and unreachable (phone off, airplane mode, dead zone). Answer when you can; the AI catches everything else.
For a restaurant or a front desk, conditional is usually the honest starting point: staff keep answering the calls they can reach, and the receptionist stops the spill instead of replacing anyone. Forward-all is the graduation, not the entry.
The universal GSM codes
Most North American carriers on GSM-descended networks accept the same standard service codes. Each code is dialed like a phone number: the code, the 10-digit number to forward to, then the pound sign, then press call and wait for the confirmation tone or message.
| What you want | Service code | When it fires |
|---|---|---|
| Forward everything | 21 | Every incoming call; your phone stops ringing |
| Forward on no answer | 61 | After your phone rings unanswered for a set time |
| Forward when busy | 67 | While you are on the line, or when you decline a call |
| Forward when unreachable | 62 | Phone off, airplane mode, or out of coverage |
| All three conditionals at once | 004 | Registers 61, 67, and 62 in one dial |
The exact strings, with NUMBER standing for the 10-digit number of your AI receptionist:
*21*NUMBER# turn on: forward all calls
*61*NUMBER# turn on: forward calls you do not answer
*67*NUMBER# turn on: forward calls while your line is busy
*62*NUMBER# turn on: forward calls while your phone is unreachable
*004*NUMBER# turn on: all three conditional rules at once
##004# turn off: all three conditional rules
##21# turn off: forward-all
Example with a real number: *61*4165550123#One hedge before you dial: codes vary by carrier. Bell and Verizon use older single-star codes in the 7x and 9x range, AT&T and T-Mobile expect a double star before the service code, and Google Voice has no dial codes at all. The carrier table below routes you to the exact syntax for your network, and every guide linked there shows the confirmed strings with examples.
Ring time: how long your phone rings before the AI picks up
No-answer forwarding waits while your phone rings, and the default wait on most carriers is in the range of 15 to 25 seconds - roughly four to five rings - before the call moves on. Too short and you barely miss the handoff; too long and callers hang up before the AI ever gets the call, which defeats the whole setup.
Many GSM handsets accept a longer registration string that sets the timer explicitly:
**61*NUMBER**11*SECONDS# many GSM handsets (SECONDS: 5 to 30, in steps of 5)
*004*NUMBER*SECONDS# Telus-documented combo (SECONDS: 10, 20 or 30)
Example: **61*4165550123**11*20#This long form is not universal - some carriers reject it and want you to set ring time through their app or support line instead. If your handset throws an error, the carrier guides below list the supported route for each network. For a business line, around 20 seconds is a sensible starting point: enough time for staff to grab the phone with wet hands, short enough that callers are still there when the AI answers.
Your carrier's exact codes
We keep a dedicated, step-by-step guide for every major Canadian and US carrier, each with the confirmed dial strings, screenshots of the flow, and the off switches. Find your carrier, use its headline method, and let the guide handle the edge cases:
| Carrier | Headline method | Full guide |
|---|---|---|
| Rogers | The GSM codes above (21, 61, 67, 62) | Rogers forwarding guide |
| Bell | *72 forwards all calls; conditional codes are 90, 92, and 94 | Bell forwarding guide |
| Telus | GSM codes above, plus the 004 ring-time combo | Telus forwarding guide |
| Freedom Mobile | The GSM codes above (21, 61, 67, 62) | Freedom Mobile forwarding guide |
| AT&T | **21*NUMBER# style, with a double star prefix | AT&T forwarding guide |
| Verizon | *72 forwards all calls; 71 catches busy and no-answer | Verizon forwarding guide |
| T-Mobile | **21*NUMBER# style codes, including the 004 combo | T-Mobile forwarding guide |
| Google Voice | No dial codes; forwarding is set in the app settings | Google Voice forwarding guide |
If your carrier is a smaller brand, try the universal GSM block first - many flanker and prepaid brands run on the big four networks and inherit their codes - and fall back to the parent network's guide.
The three setups restaurants and hotels actually use
- After-hours only. Leave the conditional rules on around the clock; during the day staff answer as usual, and at night unanswered calls roll to the AI, which can take the order or booking instead of a voicemail. Some owners prefer the cleaner version: dial forward-all at close, dial the clear code at open. This is the classic hotel and motel night desk pattern.
- Overflow when busy. The busy and no-answer rules together cover the dinner rush: when every hand is full and the line is already occupied, the second and third simultaneous callers reach the AI instead of a busy signal. This is the highest-value pattern for a restaurant line, because the calls it saves are exactly the ones that arrive when you are selling the most.
- Full time. Forward-all, with the AI transferring live callers to your phones when someone asks for a human. This is the end state for owners who want the phone off their staff entirely; most start with conditional and graduate once they trust the transcripts.
Test it in 60 seconds
- Dial the no-answer code from the block above (or your carrier's version) with your AI receptionist's number, and wait for the confirmation tone or message.
- Call your business line from a different phone - a personal cell works.
- Let it ring. Do not pick up.
- After the ring timer, the AI should answer with your greeting. Ask it your hours, or place a small test order.
- Hang up and check your dashboard for the call, the transcript, and the order or message.
If the call went to carrier voicemail instead, the usual culprits are a mistyped forwarding number or voicemail grabbing the call before the forward timer - shorten the ring time or check the carrier guide for the voicemail-vs-forwarding rule on your network.
Turning it off
Forwarding is never a one-way door. On GSM-code carriers, dial ##004# to clear the three conditional rules and ##21# to clear forward-all; on Telus the combo clears with #004#; on Bell and Verizon, *73 cancels all-call forwarding, and the conditional cancel codes are in each guide. Dial the code, hear the confirmation, and your phone rings exactly as it did before - which also makes a 24-hour trial completely reversible.
Conditional forwarding is the cheapest infrastructure decision in this whole category: the codes are free to dial, take a minute to set, and decide whether your AI receptionist ever gets the chance to earn its keep. Pick the pattern, set the code, run the 60-second test - and if you do not have the receptionist side yet, call the demo or see pricing; plans start at $19 per month.
Dial codes compiled from our carrier-specific guides, verified against carrier documentation as of July 2026; carriers occasionally change codes, so the linked guide for your network is the source of truth. Found a code that no longer works? Tell us and we will fix it the same day.