How many numbers can I forward calls to?

You can forward calls to as many as 10 phone numbers - including VoIP or virtual numbers. You can have all the phones ring at once or in a fixed order. For example, if you forward phone calls to a sales team and one person doesn’t pick up, this call forwarding feature automatically sends it to the next person or department. Alternatively, you can have all the phones ring at once, and the first available person can answer.

How easy is it to change call forwarding?

It’s easy to figure out how to divert incoming calls with RingCentral. Change the numbers and the order of forwarding at any time through your online account or with RingCentral for iPhone/iPad or Android on your mobile device. Add contact numbers to groups with conditional call forwarding settings, and then turn them on or off easily.

What will callers experience?

After dialing, callers to your main business number (and extension) will hear your professional business greeting, and then the answering service (an Auto-Receptionist) will ask them to hold while locating you. If enabled, the Auto-Receptionist will ask the caller to state their name. You’ll hear the caller’s name through your phone or, if you’re online, through your computer speakers.

Can I forward calls to international numbers?

Yes. You may forward calls to any long-distance international number using RingCentral’s low international rates.

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Call forwarding

Call forwarding means you never miss a call

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Enjoy call forwarding as part of RingEX™

You can enjoy the benefits of call forwarding as part of RingEX, our AI-powered business communications tool.

You can customize call forwarding to handle all incoming calls. Whether you need to facilitate sequential or simultaneous calls, to prioritize calls based on criteria, or to send them to voicemail, call forwarding means your business can run around the clock.

Take your business anywhere with call forwarding

Incoming calls from customers, suppliers, and more are key to your business. Your callers want a quick response, but with so much going on, you may not always be at your desk. As every missed call means a missed opportunity—especially if a client then contacts another brand.

You can avoid such issues, though, with RingEX’s call forwarding service. It means you’ll never miss a call, even if you're out of the office, on the road, or anywhere else.

A call center unit uses the RingCentral app to manage their calls

What is Call Forwarding?

Call forwarding redirects incoming calls to an alternative phone number or numbers. Often, it depends on a specific condition, such as calls being made after business hours, or if your staff are engaged or otherwise unavailable.

Call forwarding is widely used in business settings to handle inbound calls. For example, an employee might enable their call forwarding service to redirect their incoming calls to a colleague.

By using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone system, you can enjoy numerous call forwarding options. For example, you can set up automatic call forwarding if there’s no dial tone, if there's a busy signal, or if a call comes from a different area code.

The following list contains some call forwarding features. Make sure you choose the right call forwarding features for your business:

Automatic call forwarding to any phone number, such as your office, home, or personal mobile number.
Simultaneous or sequential call forwarding to any extension, phone number, group, or department.
A limited number of phone rings before call forwarding redirects a call to an assigned phone number.

The benefits of call forwarding (what does call forwarding do?)

It means more sales

Because call forwarding means you can redirect business calls to a colleague, or to your own personal phone number, you can still close sales while away from your desk.

A diagram of how clients can experience how RingCentral Call forwarding works

It offers your clients a better experience

With call forwarding, you don’t need to keep your callers waiting or miss their call. If you're not available to take a call, you can transfer it to your colleague or assistant to ensure it’s answered.

A screenshot of a call happening in a RingCentral app on a mobile phone

It makes traveling easy

If a client calls you while you're traveling, call forwarding is indispensable. You can redirect calls to your mobile phone, and travel without worry.

A woman taking a phone call from her mobile phone

It helps your business grow

With an efficient call forwarding system, your business will grow faster. You can handle more inquiries, and enable call forwarding settings, such as caller ID screening or limiting the number of rings before a call is redirected, to improve productivity.

Call center agents waiting for their call assignment

It covers you after hours

Your business may shut down for a few hours each day. Yet, with call forwarding, you can cover far more than standard operating hours. Call forwarding means you can set a rule that redirects callers to your voicemail or personal mobile phone number.

A female writes down a note from a caller

How to forward phone calls: Some call forwarding options

You can use call forwarding in many ways. The following are some call forwarding options you can use to better manage your incoming calls:

Always Call Forward

Always forward your calls, whatever the circumstances.

Selective Call Forwarding

Customize your call forwarding settings to suit changing needs.

Call Forwarding When Busy

Automatically forward calls as soon as your callers hear a busy signal.

Call Forwarding When Unanswered

Transfer your calls when your callers receive no answer after two rings.

Advanced Call Forwarding

Configure your call forwarding settings for your business calls.

Call Forwarding When Unreachable

Forward calls to a new number when yours is unavailable.

Why choose RingEX as your call forwarding service?

All business phone solutions and call forwarding software tools are different, and some merely offer the basics.

RingEX, though, provides you with a full suite of call forwarding features, such as custom call forwarding settings (based on caller ID and area code), and call waiting, as well as many other features and functionalities in a single platform.

Here are some further reasons to choose RingEX to handle your business communications:

A male using his laptop and mobile to work from home

The RingCentral app opened on a desktop, laptop, mobile phone and conference phone.

a web illustration of international callers handled by the RingCentral app

A screenshot of the RingCentral app Analytics dashboard

All-in-one cloud communications

RingEX is an all-in-one cloud communications platform that covers all your business calls, business text, video, fax, voicemail, and more.

Easy management

Manage your call forwarding—and all other aspects of your business communications—anytime, anywhere, via the RingCentral App on your mobile device, desktop, laptop, or desk phone.

Advanced virtual phone system features

RingEX provides further call management features such as a virtual receptionist, advanced call routing, and virtual extensions, without the need for expensive hardware.

International phone services

RingEX also covers international calls. We offer extensive coverage to over 45 countries and inbound virtual numbers in over 105 countries. So, you’ll never have to install a separate internet phone service for complicated international calls or phone numbers.

Analytics and reports

RingEX’s analytics tools provide in-depth insights about your calls. You can customize your dashboards, generate reports, and instantly solve any issues that may limit the efficiency of your phone system.

Call forwarding FAQs

You can set up call forwarding with an admin or user account. For an admin account, sign in to RingCentral, access your profile in the ‘Admin Portal’, navigate to ‘Users’, then ‘Manage Users’, select the extension you need then select ‘Call forwarding’ and ‘Voicemail’. Meanwhile, for a user account, go to Settings and select ‘Call forwarding’ and ‘Voicemail’.

Work Hours

For this feature, you can set up call forwarding for incoming calls during work hours. With a Ring Group, you can also prioritize which business phone number first receive calls.

A Ring Group allows you to set up one of two options: ‘Ring all in order’ or ‘Ring all at once’. For ‘Ring all in order’, the system will forward your calls to up to ten numbers in your preferred order. With ‘Ring all at once’, you can simultaneously forward all incoming calls to all preferred numbers.

After Hours

RingEX call forwarding can handle after-office hours. To set this up, visit ‘Setting up your call forwarding for after work hours.’

Custom Rules

RingEX’s custom rules feature allows you to set up a unique, one-off call forwarding arrangement. To do this, go to ‘Configuring your custom answering rules’.

Settings

You can change your settings so you get information about incoming calls, even if they’re forwarded to a user extension. If you want to activate the transfer of a live call without any call interruption, use your ‘Call flip’ settings.

You can add up to 10 call forwarding numbers for each extension. You can also set up these numbers to ring sequentially (‘Ring all in order’) or simultaneously (‘Ring all at once’).

You can easily change your RingEX call forwarding rules via the app on your smartphone, tablet, computer, or virtual phone. You can do this for your own number, or for an entire department, in just a few clicks. You can also change individual staff call forwarding rules to suit their work habits and schedules.

For example, you can temporarily bypass standard call forwarding settings to forward your calls to a new number during holidays or special events.

Callers will experience two different kinds of call forwarding. When activated, the Auto-Receptionist will ask a caller to state their name so that the receiver can hear that first, then ask the caller to hold while the call is connected. Without Auto-Receptionist, callers will hear a company greeting or, for direct numbers, an individual's greeting.

Yes. To forward calls to a non-RingCentral number, log in to your account, go to the ‘Work hours’ tab, and click ‘Add number or coworker’ under the ‘Name’ column. Then choose the number you need, click the toggle on, and click save.

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