Call forwarding

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 forwarded call on RingCentral mobile app

Enjoy call forwarding as part of RingEXâ„¢

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 them to voicemail, call forwarding means 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. As 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.
An ongoing call on RingCentral mobile app

What is call forwarding?

Call forwarding means to redirect incoming calls to an alternative phone number or numbers, often based on specific conditions such as after business hours or when staff are engaged or unavailable. As the name suggests, you push the call forward from an initial number to a different number of your choice.
This feature is widely used in inbound call centers and other business settings to manage incoming calls effectively. For example, an employee might enable call forwarding to redirect their calls to a colleague when they are unavailable.
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 call forwarding do?)

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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Your business may shut down for a few hours each day. Yet, with call forwarding, you can cover far 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. This is how to forward phone calls to another phone in some circumstances but not others.
Call forwarding when busy
Automatically forward calls as soon as your callers hear a busy signal.
Call forwarding When unanswered
Forward your calls when your callers receive no answer after two rings.
Advanced call forwarding
Configure your call forwarding settings for your more unique and complex business needs.
Call forwarding when unreachable
Forward calls to a new number when yours is unavailable.

Why choose RingEX as your call forwarding service?

All business phone solutions and call forwarding software tools are different, and some merely offer the basics. 
RingEX, though, 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:
Image 1: A male employee using RingCentral's AI writer to refine his replies Image 2: A woman initiating a call via RingCentral mobile app Image 3: A woman reviewing AI-generated call highlights during an ongoing RingCentral video meeting

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.

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 a separate internet phone service 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.
You can set up call forwarding 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 first receives 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.
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. 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 , 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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