Call Forwarding Explained: Types, Setup & Costs

Call Forwarding: The Foundation for AI Phone Reception

Call forwarding is the mechanism that connects your existing phone number to an AI assistant like Safina. Without forwarding, callers would have to dial a separate number. With forwarding, your business number stays the same, and calls are silently routed to Safina whenever you’re unavailable.

That sounds simple because it is. But knowing the different types of call forwarding helps you pick the right configuration for your business.

The Four Types of Call Forwarding

Most phone systems support four forwarding modes. You can use them individually or combine them.

1. Immediate Call Forwarding (Always)

Every incoming call goes directly to the forwarding destination. Your phone doesn’t ring. This is handy when you want Safina to handle all calls, say during vacation, during an all-day meeting, or when you’d rather read summaries and call back deliberately.

GSM code: **21*[Number]# to activate, ##21# to deactivate.

2. Forwarding on No Answer

Your phone rings for a set number of seconds (typically 15-30 seconds, about 3-6 rings). If you don’t pick up, the call gets forwarded. This is the most popular option for businesses using Safina: you take calls when you can, and missed calls go to the AI automatically.

GSM code: **61*[Number]**[Seconds]# to activate, ##61# to deactivate.

The seconds value determines how long your phone rings. Common settings: 15 seconds (about 3 rings), 20 seconds (4 rings), or 25 seconds (5 rings).

3. Forwarding on Busy

When you’re already on a call and a second call comes in, it gets forwarded instead of landing in voicemail or producing a busy signal. Combined with the on-no-answer forward, this covers two common missed-call scenarios.

GSM code: **67*[Number]# to activate, ##67# to deactivate.

4. Forwarding on Unreachable

Kicks in when your phone is off, in airplane mode, or has no signal. Perfect for field workers, travelling entrepreneurs, or anyone spending time in areas with patchy coverage.

GSM code: **62*[Number]# to activate, ##62# to deactivate.

The Recommended Safina Setup

Most Safina users activate all three conditional types at once (no answer + busy + unreachable). That’s what we recommend in our setup guide as well. The combination means:

• When you’re available and pick up, nothing changes
• When you don’t pick up within the configured ring time, Safina takes over
• When you’re already on a call, Safina picks up the second one
• When your phone is off or has no signal, Safina catches the call

You stay in control when you want to answer, and Safina covers everything else. For setup details with your specific phone, see our setup guide.

GSM Codes: Quick Reference

GSM codes work on virtually every mobile phone worldwide, regardless of carrier. You dial them like a regular phone number, and forwarding is activated or deactivated instantly.

Replace [Number] with the Safina number assigned to your account. Replace [Seconds] with your desired ring time (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30).

Carrier Differences

GSM codes work across carriers, but there are a few differences worth knowing.

Telekom, Vodafone, O2 (Germany): Standard GSM codes work. Call forwarding is included in every plan. Some business plans offer additional forwarding options via carrier portals.

Swisscom, Sunrise, Salt (Switzerland): Same GSM codes. On older prepaid plans, forwarding charges can apply, so check your terms if you’re on prepaid.

A1, Magenta, Drei (Austria): Standard codes work. A1 offers its own forwarding management inside its app.

Landline and VoIP: There are no GSM codes here. Instead, forwarding is configured via your router’s web interface (FRITZ!Box users: under Telephony > Call Handling) or via your VoIP provider’s dashboard. The principle is identical, only the setup steps differ.

Business phone systems (PBX): If your office uses a PBX with extensions, forwarding rules are set in the PBX admin area. Your IT team can forward individual extensions to Safina or set up a hunt group that tries internal extensions first and uses Safina as the last stop. For a cost comparison between Safina and classic PBX solutions, see our comparison page.

Does Call Forwarding Cost Money?

It depends on your plan, but on most modern mobile plans, forwarding is free or nearly free.

Forwarded calls count as an outgoing call from your number to the Safina number. If both numbers are domestic and your plan includes unlimited calls (or a generous minute allowance), no extra charge applies.

Situations where costs can arise:

• Prepaid plans with per-minute billing: each forwarded call costs the same as your outbound rate
• International forwarding: if you forward to a number in another country, international rates apply
• Some older landline plans charge a small fee per forwarded call

For most users on standard postpaid plans, forwarding to Safina costs nothing beyond your normal phone bill. Combined with Safina’s plans starting at €9.99/month, the total cost of never missing a call is very manageable.

Common Questions About Call Forwarding

“Can callers tell their call was forwarded?” No. Forwarding is transparent. From the caller’s perspective, they dialled your number and someone (Safina) answered. There’s no indication of forwarding.

“Can I forward only at certain times of day?” With conditional forwarding (no answer, busy, unreachable), you control this simply by picking up or not. Some business phone systems also support time-based forwarding rules that activate automatically on a schedule.

“What if I want to turn forwarding off quickly?” Dial ##002# to disable all forwarding types at once. You can also toggle forwarding through your phone’s settings or your carrier’s app.

For a full step-by-step guide to getting started with Safina, including forwarding setup for your specific phone and carrier, see our setup guide. You can also browse industry-specific configurations to see how different businesses set up their call flow.