Channels
Call forwarding
Keep your existing business number and forward unanswered calls to Airhug. Carrier codes for AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and others, the test call, and how to undo it.
Forwarding lets you keep advertising the number customers already know. Your carrier sends unanswered calls to an Airhug number that belongs to your workspace. You keep your number, your carrier and your phones.
How it works#
- Every workspace has its own Airhug number. Routing uses the number the call arrives on, never a header the carrier may or may not pass, so calls never cross between businesses.
- Your own carrier decides when the forward happens. Airhug cannot read that setting back, and there is no US API for it. The only proof that forwarding works is a test call.
- The setup screen shows you the exact code for your carrier. The table below is for reading it out on the phone or checking what was typed.
<DID> is your workspace's Airhug number in full +1… form. Use the number the app shows, never someone else's.
Carrier codes#
| Carrier | Turn on | Turn off | Ring timer |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T (including Cricket, FirstNet) | **004*<DID>**<seconds># | ##004# | 5 to 30 seconds, in steps of 5 |
| T-Mobile (including Metro, Mint, Ultra, Google Fi) | **004*<DID>**<seconds># | ##004# | 5 to 30 seconds, in steps of 5 |
| Other GSM carriers | **004*<DID>**<seconds># | ##004# | 5 to 30 seconds, in steps of 5 |
| Verizon (including Visible) | *71<10-digit DID> | *73 | Fixed by Verizon, about 3 to 4 rings |
| Landline, VoIP or office phone system | In your provider's admin portal | Same screen | Depends on provider |
Notes that matter:
**004*covers busy, no answer and unreachable. A powered-off phone still reaches Airhug.**61*(undo##61#) covers no-answer only, so busy and unreachable calls still go to your carrier voicemail. Airhug defaults to**004*. Use**61*only if you insist on keeping your voicemail box.- Verizon has no timer setting. If you want it to ring longer, there is no code for that.
- Verizon takes the 10-digit number, without
+1. - Dial the code from the business phone itself. Wait for the carrier's confirmation message before hanging up. Dialing it from another handset does nothing.
- You cannot tap the code to dial. iPhone refuses to dial
*and#from a link. The app shows large copyable text instead. - Resellers (Straight Talk, TracFone, Boost) are not auto-detected, because the code depends on the network your SIM is on. The app shows a carrier picker. If you do not know, try the GSM code. If the carrier rejects it, it is Verizon's network.
Two things to know before you dial#
- Forwarding replaces your carrier voicemail for the conditions it covers. Unanswered calls reach Airhug instead of your voicemail box. Old messages are untouched. New ones will not appear there.
- Forwarded minutes are billed on your own carrier plan as well as Airhug's tokens. It is your airtime while the AI talks. This is a non-issue on an unlimited plan.
Verify with the test call#
In the app, run the test call. Airhug rings your business number from a number your carrier does not know, lets it ring past your timer, and waits for its own call to arrive on your Airhug number.
Do not answer it. Someone picking up is the most common reason a re-test fails. The test call is started only by a person, never automatically, because it rings a real phone.
| Result | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | The forward works | None |
| No inbound | Your phone rang, nothing reached Airhug | Re-dial the code from the business phone and wait for the carrier's confirmation |
| Voicemail answered | Voicemail or a person picked up before the forward | Shorten the ring time (GSM carriers) and let nobody answer |
| Wrong number | The call reached a number that is not yours | Compare the digits in your code with your Airhug number |
| Outbound failed | Airhug could not reach your business number | Check the number is right and can receive calls |
The timer can be adjusted by the carrier. GSM carriers accept a timer and then clamp it (AT&T above 20 seconds is inconsistent). The test call measures what the carrier actually did.
When forwarding quietly stops#
Carriers can drop the setting after a SIM swap, an eSIM re-provision, a plan change, a handset factory reset or a port. Airhug notices when a verified line goes silent for weeks and marks it as suspect. It clears itself when a real call arrives. To fix it: dial the undo code, dial the activation code again, then run the test call.
Turn forwarding off#
Dial the undo code from your business phone. It is safe to dial even if forwarding was never on. To remove the setting in Airhug as well, dial the undo code first, then remove forwarding in the app. In that order Airhug never shows "not configured" while your carrier is still forwarding.
Transfers to a forwarded number loop#
A transfer rule that points at your own forwarded main line would send the call straight back to Airhug. Airhug refuses that destination. Point transfer rules at a direct line or a mobile. See call handling.