Setting up call forwarding

In this article, you'll learn how to forward calls from your CRM numbers to another phone, and how to change where they go later. It's handy when nobody's at the office, when you're closed, or when you want every call on your cell for the day.

There's no separate forwarding tool. Forwarding is part of each number's call settings, and you can use it three ways:

  • Per number: ring another phone when your team doesn't pick up.
  • After hours: forward calls that come in while that number is closed.
  • Everything at once: forward every call on every number until you switch it back.

To open your phone settings:

  1. In the menu, click Phone. You can also go to Settings › Phone numbers.
  2. Find the number you want and click Edit next to it.
Your numbers, each with its own Edit button
Your numbers, each with its own Edit button

Forward when nobody answers

This is the most common setup. Your team rings first. If nobody picks up, the call rings your forwarding number before it goes to voicemail.

  1. Open the number with Edit.
  2. Click the Ringing & forwarding tab.
  3. Under Call forwarding, type the phone number calls should ring next.
  4. Check Ring time (seconds). It sets how long the forwarding number rings, too.
  5. Click Save.
Adding a forwarding number to a line
Tip: Keep the ring time at 20 seconds or less. Any longer and the cell phone's own voicemail may answer before your CRM voicemail does. The page warns you when you go over.

Once it's saved, the number's row on the Phone numbers page shows "forwards to" and the number. To stop forwarding, clear the Call forwarding box and save.

Send a number's calls straight to one phone

If you don't want your team's apps to ring first, set Calls go to (on the same Ringing & forwarding tab) to An external number, type the number, and click Save. That phone rings first, then anyone ticked under Also ring these team members.

Forward after hours

Each number has its own hours. Outside them, you choose what happens.

  1. Open the number with Edit and click the Hours tab.
  2. Under After hours, pick Forward to another number.
  3. Type the number in the box that appears.
  4. Click Save.

The other choices are Take a voicemail and Take a voicemail and text the caller back. With either of those, you can tick Let after-hours callers press 1 for something urgent. Type an on-call number under Pressing 1 rings, or leave it blank to ring the line as usual. Callers hear your after-hours greeting, then the urgent prompt. If nobody picks up, they can still leave a voicemail.

Note: Closed days you add on the Phone numbers page count as after hours too, all day, on every number.

Forward every call at once

The All calls card at the top of the Phone numbers page is a quick switch for closing early or taking a day off. While it's on, it overrides every number's hours and ringing.

  1. On the Phone numbers page, find the All calls card.
  2. Click Forward all calls.
  3. Type the number to forward to.
  4. Click Turn on.
Forwarding every call for the day

The card then shows a banner saying where everything is going and who switched it on. When you're back, click Ring as normal.

Warning: Forwarding all calls stays on until someone switches it back. It doesn't turn itself off at the end of the day.

Change where calls are forwarded

Edit the same box you set up:

  • Per number: Edit › Ringing & forwarding › change Call forwarding, then Save.
  • Straight to one phone: Edit › Ringing & forwarding › change the number under Calls go to, then Save.
  • After hours: Edit › Hours › change the number under After hours, then Save.
  • All calls: type the new number in the All calls card and click Update.

Good to know

  • Texts follow the forwarding. While a number has a Call forwarding number, texts to that line, pictures included, are copied to it too. After-hours forwarding only passes texts on while the number is closed. Forward all calls passes on texts from every line.
  • All to voicemail on the All calls card doesn't forward anything, calls or texts.
  • What the forwarded phone sees is set on the Advanced tab under When this line rings, show. Who's calling shows the caller's number. The name of this line shows your CRM number instead, so save it as a contact on that phone.
  • Call connect, also on the Advanced tab, makes whoever answers a forwarded call press a key to take it. That way a cell phone's voicemail box never counts as an answered call.
  • The Reviews number can't forward. Its calls are answered with a few seconds of silence and never ring anyone, so its ringing, hours and voicemail settings don't apply.
  • On the phone app (and the web CRM on a phone screen), the same settings are under Settings › Phone numbers. Tap Call settings on a number. The tabs there are Ringing and Hours, and some choices are shorter (An outside number, Forward, Press 1 for urgent). Tap Save at the top right. The All calls card is at the top of the same screen.

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