How to forward calls on an AT&T business phone line

1. 1AT&T Phone for Business: phone service that runs over AT&T Business Fiber or Business Internet, using your regular phones. In myAT&T you'll see a menu called AT&T Phone for Business. All three kinds of forwarding are things you can set yourself.
2. 2Traditional copper landline: you can forward every call yourself. Busy and no-answer forwarding are features AT&T sets up on the line for you.
3. 3AT&T Business Voice (the newer replacement for copper lines) and AT&T cell phones: covered briefly near the end.

1. 1Sign in to myAT&T on a computer (att.com/mybusiness) or in the myAT&T app.
2. 2Expand the menu for AT&T Phone for Business and select Manage my plan.
3. 3If you have more than one line, pick the phone number you want to change. Some features can only be changed on your main number.
4. 4On the Phone Features tab, expand Call Forwarding.
5. 5For each kind of forwarding (all calls, no answer, busy), choose Phone number instead of Voicemail, enter the number, and Save.
6. 6For no-answer forwarding, also choose how long your phone rings first. AT&T's examples show 4 Rings (24 Seconds) and 5 Rings (30 Seconds); it doesn't publish the full list.

Each forwarding option shows ON or OFF on that page, which is the easiest way to check what's active. AT&T's user guides for these screens are a few years old, so names may differ slightly from what you see.

AT&T notes that calling charges may apply depending on where you forward calls, for example to an international number or past a set number of plan minutes.

1. 1From a phone on the line, dial *72 or 72# and listen for the dial tone. On a rotary phone, leave off the #.
2. 2Enter the number. For a long-distance number, dial 1 and the 10-digit number; for a local number, dial it the way you normally would.
3. 3Wait for the confirmation tone. AT&T then calls the number you entered, and if that call is answered, forwarding is on.
4. 4If it isn't answered, forwarding isn't on yet. On many lines, repeating the steps within two minutes turns it on without an answer; you'll hear short tones.

To turn it off, press 73# at the dial tone and wait for short tones. To switch to a different number, turn forwarding off first, then forward again. While it's on, your phone may give a short ring for each forwarded call, but you can't answer it.

If you forward to a number outside your local calling area, AT&T says usage or long-distance charges may go on your bill, not the caller's.

On a copper line these are separate features, Call Forwarding Busy Line and Call Forwarding Don't Answer, that you order from AT&T. When you order, you tell AT&T the number to forward to and how many times the phone should ring first. Changing either later usually takes a new service order. AT&T's small-business ordering line is 888-944-0447.

Some lines can add extras: Customer Control of Call Forwarding Busy Line lets you switch busy forwarding on with 82# and off with 83#, and Ring Control lets you change the ring count with *47 (from 2 to 9 rings). These depend on your area, so ask AT&T whether your line has them.

AT&T Business Voice, which AT&T offers as the replacement for copper lines, includes call forwarding through its online portal. AT&T doesn't publish codes or menu steps for it, so use the portal or ask AT&T support.

On an AT&T cell phone, forwarding is changed from the phone itself, not online. Use your phone's call-forwarding setting, and press #21# then Call to turn forwarding off. AT&T cell phones can't forward to international numbers.

AT&T doesn't publish a step-by-step test, so here's the simplest check. Use a cell phone that isn't on the line you're forwarding.

1. 1Every call: call your business number. It should ring straight through to the other number.
2. 2Unanswered calls: call and let it ring. After the rings you chose, the call should move to the other number, not to voicemail.
3. 3Busy: call while the line is already on another call. The second call should go to the other number.

1. 1Unanswered or busy calls still go to voicemail (Phone for Business): those options are set to Voicemail. Change them to Phone number in myAT&T.
2. 2Only some lines forward: on accounts with several numbers, each number is set up separately.
3. 3Forwarding every call didn't turn on (copper): the other number has to answer AT&T's setup call, or you have to repeat the steps within two minutes.
4. 4*90 or *92 did nothing (copper): those codes are for AT&T Phone for Business. On copper, busy and no-answer forwarding are ordered from AT&T.
5. 5Some callers hear busy (copper): the line may forward only one call at a time. Ask AT&T about Call Forwarding Multipath.

Nacho gives your restaurant a local number that answers calls, takes orders, and answers questions. The Phone page in your Nacho dashboard shows that number and asks how calls should reach Nacho: Every call, Only missed calls, or Only when the line is busy. On AT&T Phone for Business those match *72, *92 and *90 (or the same three options in myAT&T). On a copper line, Every call is *72, and for the other two you'll order the feature from AT&T with your Nacho number.

When you turn on forwarding every call, Nacho answers AT&T's setup call, so forwarding switches on. Then use Test your setup on the Phone page: call your restaurant from your cell phone and you should hear Nacho answer. Check that the call on your Nacho Calls page shows your cell number; AT&T's help pages don't say which number a forwarded call shows.