How To End Call Forwarding | Three Quick Routes That Work

Ending call forwarding takes about thirty seconds: toggle it off in your phone’s settings or dial a carrier-specific code like *73 or ##002#.

A stray call forwarding setting sends every incoming call somewhere else — a number you don’t recognize, an old voicemail box, or nowhere at all. The fix is simple no matter which phone you carry, but the exact button or code changes with your carrier and device. Here are the three reliable ways to kill it for good.

Where Call Forwarding Lives On Your Phone

Every modern smartphone has a toggle buried in the phone settings. Finding it is the fastest route on most devices.

On an iPhone (iOS 17+):

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Phone.
3. Tap Call Forwarding.
4. Toggle the switch to Off. If it’s green, forwarding is on — tap once to kill it.
5. If the toggle is missing or grayed out, your carrier controls the forwarding at the network level. Skip to the dial codes below.

On Android (Samsung, Pixel, and most brands):

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Settings or Call settings.
3. Tap Call forwarding.
4. On Samsung devices, you may need to open Supplementary services first.
5. Turn off each option: Always forward, Forward when busy, Forward when unanswered, and Forward when unreachable.
6. If you can’t find the menu, search “call forwarding” directly in the main Settings app.

After toggling off, make a test call from another line. If the call still forwards, the setting is stuck at the network level — dial a code next.

Dial Codes That Force It Off (For Every Carrier)

When the phone toggle won’t work or isn’t there, dial codes are the backup that always applies. Open the dialer, punch in the code, and press Call. You’ll hear a confirmation tone or see a success message within seconds.

##002# is the nuclear option: it shuts off every forwarding type (busy, unanswered, unreachable, and unconditional) in one dial. Start here if you aren’t sure which forwarding is on.

How To End Call Forwarding On A Landline

Old-style landlines use the same code system. Wait for a dial tone, enter the code, listen for a confirmation tone (short beeps), and hang up. No toggle needed.

• Verizon landline: Dial *73
• AT&T landline: Dial *73#
• T-Mobile landline: Dial ##21#

A full reboot of the phone isn’t usually required, but unplugging the base for ten seconds never hurts if the code seems to do nothing.

Why Your Call Forwarding Won’t Turn Off — And The Real Fixes

A few common traps keep forwarding stubbornly alive even after you’ve tried everything. Here’s what to check next and the action that actually works.

One extra step that solves half the “still forwarding” complaints: restart your phone after dialing a code. The network needs a fresh registration to apply the change. If a restart doesn’t seal it, toggle Airplane Mode on for ten seconds, then off.

Finish With The Right Action

The fastest fix for most people: open your phone’s settings, find Call Forwarding, and flip it off. If it won’t flip, dial ##002# from the dialer and hit call — that one code wipes every forwarding rule your carrier has on file. Then restart the phone and test with a friend’s call. Calls coming straight through instead of bouncing somewhere else means it’s done.