Two kinds of forwarding
Every call(unconditional forwarding) sends every call on, straight away. Your phone doesn't ring, and Sarah answers everything, 24/7, until you turn it off. This is the default on the Forwarding step, marked Recommended.
Only calls I miss(conditional forwarding) sends a call on only when something stops you answering it: you don't pick up, you're already on a call, or your phone is off or out of signal. Your phone rings first, and Sarah gets only the calls you miss.
You pick one under What Sarah answers at the top of the Forwarding step, and the step then shows the code for that mode. A code only does what it is built for, so dialing the wrong one gets you the other mode.
AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular codes
AT&T, T-Mobile (including Mint and Metro) and US Cellular use the same standard codes. With an Ansa number of (212) 555-0147:
# Every call: **21* number #
**21*2125550147#
# Only calls I miss: **004* number #
# (no answer, busy and not reachable)
**004*2125550147#You dial it from the business phone and press call, like a normal number. It changes a setting on the carrier's side for the line you dial it from.
The same settings exist in the phone. For every call: on iPhone, Settings → Phone → Call Forwarding; on Android, the Phone app's Settings → Calls → Call forwarding → Always forward. For only the calls you miss, Android has When busy, When unanswered and When unreachable in that same menu. iPhone has no setting for it: its Call Forwarding switch always forwards every call, so use the code.
Verizon codes
Verizon, including Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile, doesn't use the codes above. Dial from the Verizon phone itself:
# Every call
*72 2125550147
# Only calls I miss (busy, unanswered)
*71 2125550147For only the calls you miss, Android can do the same in the Phone app under Settings → Calls → Call forwarding: turn on When busy and When unanswered. On iPhone, use the code.
Landline codes
For every call, most landlines, including Spectrum and Xfinity, use *72followed by the number. AT&T residential lines use 72#. It has to be dialed from the landline itself, and the desk phone stays quiet until you dial *73.
VoIP settings
Google Voice and VoIP services like OpenPhone, RingCentral and Dialpad handle calls in their own systems, so phone codes don't reach them. Forwarding is a rule in the provider's dashboard, usually under Call forwarding or Call handling. For every call, forward all calls to your Ansa number. For only the calls you miss, forward when no one answers within 4 rings.
How long your phone rings
With Every call, your phone doesn't ring and Sarah picks up right away. With Only calls I miss, an unanswered call goes to Sarah after your phone has rung for a while. On cell phones, your carrier decides how long. On VoIP, you choose, and 4 rings is a good setting. Ansa doesn't control this. If you decline a call on a cell phone, the carrier usually treats the line as busy and sends the call on right away.
Undo codes
# AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular
##21# undo every call
##004# undo only missed
# Verizon, either mode
*73
# Landline every call, same line
*73If you used phone settings or your landline provider's account instead of a code, switch the forwarding off in the same place. On VoIP, clear the forwarding number in your dashboard. Undo forwarding whenever you stop using Ansa, so calls don't go to a number that no longer answers.
Why a code fails
I got an error or a stutter tone.
The carrier didn't accept the code. Usually it's the wrong code for the line: **21* and **004*are for AT&T, T-Mobile and US Cellular phones; *72 and *71 are for Verizon; *72is also for landlines. On VoIP, use your provider's dashboard.
My phone stopped ringing, but I wanted it to ring first.
You set up Every call. Undo it with ##21#(AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular) or *73 (Verizon, landline), then use the Only calls I miss code instead.
I dialed it from my cell, but it was for my office line.
A code changes the line you dial it from. Dial it again from the phone whose number your customers call.
It took, but Sarah still doesn't answer.
Check the number inside the code. A missing digit or a missing # at the end are the usual slips. Use Copy on the Forwarding step rather than typing. Then test from a different phone, as described in Sarah isn't picking up.
My carrier isn't listed.
Pick Another carrier and press Ask Mia for the steps, or pick I'm not sure and press Wait for Mia. Mia gets your request and sets it up with you. Or email hello@tryansa.ai.