Enjoy call forwarding as part of RingEX™

With call forwarding as part of RingEX you never need to miss a call again. Stay contactable by forwarding calls to whichever numbers and under whatever circumstances suit your business.

  • Maximize call coverage
  • Customize routing rules
  • Improve response times
A man receiving a RingCentral forwarded phone call
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 a call forward to voicemail, RingEX gives you the options to help your business can run around the clock.
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. 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.

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 forwarding a call mean for your business?)

Forwarding calls is easy to do—with the right phone system—but can make a big difference to your business and an even bigger positive impression on your customers. So, what does it mean to forward a call effectively?

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.

It means your clients get 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, your assistant, or another call forwarding number of your choice to ensure it's answered.

It means you're still contactable when traveling

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.

It means your business can grow more readily

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.

It means you're still available after hours

Your business may shut down for a few hours each day. Yet, with call forwarding, you can cover for more than standard operating hours. Call forwarding means you can set a rule that redirects callers.

How to forward calls: Some call forwarding options

You can use call forwarding in many ways. The following are some options of how to forward phone calls to better manage your incoming communications:

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.

How to forward calls with RingEX: Desktop, Android, and iPhone call forwarding made easy

All of RingCentral’s communications solutions are designed to be intuitive and easy-to-use across all devices. That’s why it’s quick and easy to learn how to do call forwarding via desktop or mobile app.

How do you forward calls via the desktop app?

On the RingCentral desktop and web app, you can forward calls to different numbers of your choice by following these simple steps:

  1. Click your profile picture and then select Call rules
  2. Click Forward all calls and then choose Forward the Call from the Incoming calls dropdown
  3. To forward the call to an internal extension, type the relevant name or extension
  4. To forward the call to an external number, click Number, and then enter it
  5. If you wish to set a schedule for call forwarding, click Add schedule and then use the date and time selectors
  6. Click Save and you’re done.

Call forwarding on Android or iPhone via the mobile app

Thanks to the intuitive nature of the RingCentral mobile app, learning how to do call forwarding on iPhone and Android devices is just as simple. All you need do is follow these steps:

  1. Tap your profile picture and then tap Call rules
  2. Tap Forward all calls and then select Forward the call from the Incoming calls dropdown menu
  3. Type the name or extension of the relevant user if you wish to forward calls internally
  4. Tap Number and then enter your chosen phone number to forward calls to an external number
  5. Tap Add schedule and then use the time and date selectors to create your call forwarding schedule, if desired
  6. Tap Save, and that’s it.

RingEX: More than a call forwarding app

If all you want are the basics, then a straightforward call forwarding service or barebones phone system might be fine. Those call forwarding services, however, won’t suit a business with more dynamic, modern communication needs. 

RingEX 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:

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.

AI Receptionist

When call forwarding doesn’t quite cut it, the RingCentral AI Receptionist steps up to the plate. AI phone agents built right into your communications platform turn missed calls into new customers, and can answer questions, schedule appointments, and more.

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 separate systems 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

Forwarding calls simply means to send inbound calls—all of them, some of them, or just one, depending on your choices—automatically to a different number to the one the caller initially dialed. You may do this if you're for some reason unreachable on the first number.
Precisely how to turn on call forwarding depends on the device or phone system you're using. Typically, business phone systems make it pretty intuitive to turn on call forwarding for one or a group of your numbers. You'll often only have to pop into the service's dashboard or admin portal and find the relevant section. Learning how to activate call forwarding with RingCentral takes just a few seconds and the simplest way is covered earlier on this page.
If you want to set up call forwarding according to more complex rules, you can do so 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 numbers 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.
Not at all. 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. That means it's quick and simple to forward calls to a different number if your circumstances change or you otherwise feel a new forwarding number is more appropriate.

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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