Forward incoming calls for an extension

Determine how incoming calls to your business number get routed to your personal number. Customize how calls to an extension(s) are handled, including having each extension forward to a single phone number or multiple phone numbers, and specify when each should be used.

Before you begin: Double-check your call forwarding settings when setting them up. Incorrect settings can cause you to miss important calls, send calls straight to voicemail, or have voicemails left on your personal mobile instead of your business line.

Legacy admin portal

Before you begin: An admin can edit the settings for all extensions on your system, while a user can only edit the extensions assigned to them.

If your admin portal home page looks like the screenshot below, these steps are for you.

Sign in to the admin portal.
Select Extensions and then select Edit next to the desired extension.
Select Add a forwarding number.

Note: True Solo accounts are limited to 1 call forwarding number for an extension. All other accounts can add up to 15 forwarding numbers to each extension.
From Forwarding number, enter the phone number you'd like to forward calls to. Don't forward calls to your Grasshopper business phone number as this creates a loop where calls keep redirecting and never reach you. Instead, set the forwarding number to an external number, like your mobile number, to ensure calls reach you without issues.

From How should Grasshopper handle calls to this number?, choose from the following options:

Option	Description
Calls will be announced when you pick up	The extension the call is on is announced to you. If you don't take the call, it either moves to the next phone number in queue or Grasshopper will accept the voicemail and send you a notification via email (depending on your settings). Tip: To allow enough time for the announcements to play, set your ring time to 30-40 seconds. Otherwise you may get voicemails that say "press 1 to accept, press 2 to go to voicemail" because there wasn't enough ring time.
Calls will connect to you as soon as you pick up	The call is immediately connected to you without any options or announcements. If you don't take the call, your callers won't be sent back to Grasshopper to leave a message but instead will be sent to your personal phone's voicemail system.
Callers will be asked for their name, then announced to you	The caller is asked to record their name before the call is transferred to you. When you pick up, the caller's name is announced to you. If you don't take the call, Grasshopper will accept the voicemail and send you a notification via email (depending on your settings).

From When do you want this number to receive calls?, choose one of the schedules or select Custom Schedule. Learn more about custom schedules.
Select Add this number.
Optional: If you have multiple forwarding numbers, you can customize how call forwarding is handled:
1. Under the forwarding number, select Options.
2. From the drop-down menu next to This extension should call each of my phone numbers, choose one of the following options:
  - In order, just once: Ring your forwarding numbers in the order they are listed. If there is no answer on the first number, the call will proceed to the next number listed for that extension. If no one answers, the call will go to voicemail.
  - Indefinitely, until someone picks up: Ring the numbers listed for the extension until someone answers the call.
  - Simultaneously: Ring all the listed numbers for that extension at the same time and the call will go to whoever answers the call first.
3. Select Save.
Optional: To change how the caller ID is displayed on forwarded calls:
1. Under the forwarding number, select Options.
2. From the drop-down menu next to When a call is forwarded to me, show the caller ID of, choose the caller ID.
3. Select Save.
Optional: To change what callers hear when their call is being transferred:
1. Under the forwarding number, select Options.
2. From the drop-down menu next to Before being forwarded, let the caller hear, choose one of the following options:
  - Your transfer greeting, i.e., "Please hold while we connect your call" and then on-hold music.
  - On-hold music
  - A ringing tone
3. Select Save.

Call forwarding best practices

To avoid not receiving calls:
- Ensure you have call forwarding numbers added to your extensions. If no call forwarding numbers are added for an extension (or they are all set to "off"), calls to that extension will be sent straight to voicemail.
- If your forwarding number is international, offshore, or from Alaska or Hawaii, enable international calling for your account.
- Check the incoming call settings on your main business phone number. Verify that the phone number is either forwarding to the extension of your choosing or that the main greeting instructs callers to dial an extension.
- Verify your schedules are set up accurately so calls aren’t being sent to an away greeting. Also, check that your time zone is correct for the schedules to follow.
To avoid having voicemails left on your mobile device's voicemail:
- From #5 above, choose either Calls will be announced when you pick up or Callers will be asked for their name, then announced to you. Using direct connect can result in calls being left on your personal voicemail because sometimes the ring time on your carrier is shorter than Grasshopper's, resulting in your personal voicemail picking up first. By using call announce, we can guarantee that your voicemails will always route to your Grasshopper voicemail box.
To avoid calls going straight to voicemail:
- Ensure you have call forwarding numbers added to your extensions. If no call forwarding numbers are added for an extension (or they are all set to "off"), calls to that extension will be sent straight to voicemail.
- Check your ring time. The ring time dictates how long a call will ring before the call is sent to voicemail. Your ring time may need to be longer to allow time for your phone to ring. If you are using call announce (from #5 above), make sure your ring time is 30 - 40 seconds.
- If you are using call blasting, ensure the settings are configured correctly. When using call blasting, all call-forwarding numbers listed under any given extension must have their settings configured identically to work correctly (otherwise, a short ring time on one call-forwarding number could impact the other call-forwarding number on the extension). Learn about call blasting settings.
- Verify your cell phone number is only listed once in your call forwarding settings. If you accidentally added your phone number twice to an extension's call-forwarding settings, one of those duplicate entries may have been configured to go straight to voicemail.

Admin portal

Before you begin: An admin can edit the settings for all extensions on your system, while a user can only edit the extensions assigned to them.

If your admin portal home page looks like the screenshot below, these steps are for you.

Sign in to the admin portal.
Go to Call management > Extensions.
Select next to the desired extension.
From Call forwarding numbers, select Add call forwarding.

Note: True Solo accounts are limited to 1 call forwarding number for an extension. All other accounts can add up to 50 forwarding numbers to each extension.
From Forward incoming calls to, enter the phone number you'd like to forward calls to, and then ensure the Status is set to Active. Don't forward calls to your Grasshopper business phone number as this creates a loop where calls keep redirecting and never reach you. Instead, set the forwarding number to an external number, like your mobile number, to ensure calls reach you without issues.
Enter any notes or other descriptors for the forwarding number in Description.
From Working hours, choose one of the prepopulated schedules or select Custom Schedule. Learn more about custom schedules.

Tip: Make sure you have call forwarding numbers with available working hours to take calls during your extension's office hours, otherwise calls will go to voicemail.

From Call handling, choose from the following options:

Option	Description
Calls will be announced when you pick up	The extension the call is on is announced to you. If you don't take the call, it either moves to the next phone number in queue or Grasshopper will accept the voicemail and send you a notification via email (depending on your settings). Tip: To allow enough time for the announcements to play, set your ring time to 30-40 seconds. Otherwise you may get voicemails that say "press 1 to accept, press 2 to go to voicemail" because there wasn't enough ring time.
Calls will connect as soon as you pick up	The call is immediately connected to you without any options or announcements. If you don't take the call, your callers won't be sent back to Grasshopper to leave a message but instead will be sent to your personal phone's voicemail system.
Callers will be asked for their name, then announced to you	The caller is asked to record their name before the call is transferred to you. When you pick up, the caller's name is announced to you. If you don't take the call, Grasshopper will accept the voicemail and send you a notification via email (depending on your settings).

Select Save.
If you have multiple forwarding numbers, choose how calls will ring to those numbers from Call forwarding numbers.
- Ring in specific order: Ring your forwarding numbers in the order they are listed. If there is no answer on the first number, the call will proceed to the next number listed for that extension. If no one answers, the call will go to voicemail.
- Ring simultaneously: Ring all the listed numbers for that extension at the same time and the call will go to whoever answers the call first.
Select Save.

Call forwarding best practices

To avoid not receiving calls:
- Ensure you have call forwarding numbers added to your extensions. If no call forwarding numbers are added for an extension (or they are all set to "off"), calls to that extension will be sent straight to voicemail.
- If your forwarding number is international, offshore, or from Alaska or Hawaii, enable international calling for your account.
- Check the incoming call settings on your main business phone number. Verify that the phone number is either forwarding to the extension of your choosing or that the main greeting instructs callers to dial an extension.
- Verify your schedules are set up accurately so calls aren’t being sent to an away greeting. Also, check that your time zone is correct for the schedules to follow.
To avoid having voicemails left on your mobile device's voicemail:
- From #8 above, choose either Calls will be announced when you pick up or Callers will be asked for their name, then announced to you. Using direct connect can result in calls being left on your personal voicemail because sometimes the ring time on your carrier is shorter than Grasshopper's, resulting in your personal voicemail picking up first. By using call announce, we can guarantee that your voicemails will always route to your Grasshopper voicemail box.
To avoid calls going straight to voicemail:
- Ensure you have call forwarding numbers added to your extensions. If no call forwarding numbers are added for an extension (or they are all set to "off"), calls to that extension will be sent straight to voicemail.
- Check your ring time. The ring time dictates how long a call will ring before the call is sent to voicemail. Your ring time may need to be longer to allow time for your phone to ring. If you are using call announce (from #8 above), make sure your ring time is 30 - 40 seconds.
- If you are using call blasting, ensure the settings are configured correctly. When using call blasting, all call-forwarding numbers listed under any given extension must have their settings configured identically to work correctly (otherwise, a short ring time on one call-forwarding number could impact the other call-forwarding number on the extension). Learn about call blasting settings.
- Verify your cell phone number is only listed once in your call forwarding settings. If you accidentally added your phone number twice to an extension's call-forwarding settings, one of those duplicate entries may have been configured to go straight to voicemail.

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