Call forwarding is a carrier feature that redirects calls made to your primary phone number to your Beside app, so calls are handled inside the Beside mobile app with all the benefits of the AI Receptionist, call recording, transcripts, and summaries.

❗ Important note

Call forwarding is managed by your mobile carrier, not by Beside.
We can’t activate, deactivate, reset, or override it for you.
If calls to your primary number ring on your device’s native phone app and aren’t being routed to your Beside app, the issue almost always comes from the carrier-side forwarding setup.

This guide walks you through the checks that fix most issues ⬇️

Step 1️⃣ - Confirm whether call forwarding is really active = Test it with another phone

Call your primary number from a different device:

If the call rings on your native phone app → call forwarding is NOT active ❌
If the call rings inside the Beside app → forwarding is active and working ✅

Step 2️⃣ - Check forwarding settings inside Beside

Follow the steps that match your device and plan.

📱iPhone

👤 Starter plan

➡️ Steps

Open Beside → go to Settings
Under Phone → tap Configure Number
Under Incoming Calls → toggle Call Forwarding ON / OFF

👥 Business plan

If you have multiple inboxes, make sure you select the Beside line you’re forwarding calls to.

➡️ Steps

Open Beside → go to Settings
Under Inboxes → tap the inbox you’re forwarding your primary number to (the line that should receive those calls).
Under Phone → tap Configure Number
Under Incoming Calls → toggle Call Forwarding ON / OFF

🤖 Android

👤 Starter plan

➡️ Steps

Open Beside → go to Settings
Under Phone → tap Configure Number
Under Incoming Calls → toggle Call Forwarding ON / OFF

👥 Business plan

➡️ Steps

Open Beside → go to Settings
Under Inboxes → tap the inbox you’re forwarding your primary number to (the line that should receive those calls).
Under Phone → tap Configure Number
Under Incoming Calls → toggle Call Forwarding ON / OFF

Step 3️⃣ - Check your phone’s call forwarding settings

Follow the steps that match your device.

📱iPhone

Native iPhone settings (available for some carriers only)

➡️ Steps

Open iPhone Settings
Scroll down to Apps
Search Phone
Scroll to the Calls → tap Call Forwarding (if available)
Toggle ON / OFF
If enabling, tap Forward to → enter your Beside number

ℹ️ If you don’t see Call Forwarding here, your carrier requires another method. Keep reading or contact your carrier.

📖 Apple's guide: Set up call forwarding on iPhone

🤖 Android

➡️ Steps (example: Samsung)

Launch the native Phone app
Tap on the ⋮ menu → tap Settings
Scroll down to Supplementary Services → Call Forwarding
If enabling, select Always forward.
ℹ️ Beside supports unconditional forwarding only.
Enter in your Beside number → tap on the Enable

📖 Samsung guide: How do I enable Forward Calling on my Samsung Phone?

Step 4️⃣ - Use carrier dial codes

If forwarding settings don’t appear in your phone settings (on both iOS and Android),

use your native phone dialer (not the Beside app)
dial your specific carrier's code (see table below): for example *21*BESIDENUMBER# = *21*123456789#
Press Call

ℹ️ If your number is provided by a VoIP service, dial codes do not work.

You must configure call forwarding inside your provider’s app or admin dashboard.

🇺🇸 United States: Carrier dial codes

Carrier / Network	Enable call forwarding	Disable call forwarding
Verizon Wireless Visible Xfinity Mobile Spectrum Mobile US Mobile Optimum Mobile US Cellular Boost Mobile	*72 + BESIDE_NUMBER	*73
AT&T Cricket	21BESIDE_NUMBER#	#21#
T-Mobile US Metro by T-Mobile Mint Mobile	*21BESIDE_NUMBER#	##21#

🇨🇦 Canada: Carrier dial codes

Canadian mobile carriers use the same call forwarding codes.

Enable call forwarding: *21*BESIDE_NUMBER#
Disable call forwarding: ##21#

Additional checks

1. Restart your phone

A restart can help refresh your network connection and forwarding state.

2. Toggle call forwarding off, then back on

If call forwarding looks active but doesn’t behave correctly, turning it off and back on can help refresh carrier-side settings.

This does not override carrier rules, but it can re-sync forwarding configurations.

3. Reinstall Beside

Only useful if calls reach Beside but the app doesn’t ring correctly.

Reinstalling does not fix call forwarding issues
Delete the app, reinstall from the Store
Log back in using the same method as when you signed up
⚠️ Don’t use a different login method, or you may create a second account.

Test again

Call your primary number from another phone:

Rings in Beside → ✅ forwarding is working
Rings on your native phone app → ❌ forwarding is still not active

👉 If forwarding still doesn’t work after all steps above, you must contact your carrier.

Contact your carrier (most reliable solution)

Ask your carrier’s support team to:

Confirm call forwarding is active on your line
Verify forwarding is set to your Beside number
Reset all conditional forwarding rules
Re-enable unconditional forwarding
Remove any blocks preventing forwarding

⚠️ Beside cannot reset or override carrier settings.

Carrier-specific troubleshooting

MetroPCS (Metro by T-Mobile)

Some Metro by T-Mobile lines require manual setup for call forwarding.

✅ Enable forwarding

From your phone’s native dialer (not the Beside app):

Dial *72 followed by your Beside number
Press Call
Example: *728654564457

❌ Disable forwarding

From your phone’s native dialer:

Dial ##21#
press Call

ℹ️ You can also manage forwarding via the MyMetro app.

❗If issues persist, contact Metro support and ask for a full reset of call forwarding.

Google Voice

Forwarding from Google Voice to Beside may be unreliable. Try the following:

➡️ Steps

In your Beside app, disable Silence Unknown Callers, Business Hours, and Recording Consent
Turn call forwarding off and back on in Beside
In Google Voice, verify your Beside number by phone (voice call, not SMS❗)
Manage connected devices:
- Disable forwarding to all devices except Beside
- Turn off Web forwarding
Disable call screening. This can block forwarded calls