Call forwarding is a feature provided by your mobile carrier, not by Beside. It redirects incoming calls from your main phone number to another number - in this case, your Beside line.
This means your contacts can keep calling the number they already know, while Beside handles the call in the background. Even if the Beside app isn't open, forwarded calls will still be picked up, enabling features like your Receptionist, transcripts, and call summaries.
⚠️ Calls go directly to Beside, not your primary phone:
Once enabled, every incoming call to your primary number is forwarded to Beside
Your primary phone will not ring first - calls go straight to Beside
This is how carrier-level call forwarding works. There is no setting to ring your primary phone first and then forward to Beside
You can still answer calls yourself by picking them up inside the Beside app on your devices, before the Receptionist takes over
💡 Want calls to ring your primary phone instead?
Disable call forwarding. Calls will ring on your primary number as they did before
Beside features (Receptionist, transcripts, summaries) won't apply to those calls
📌 Set up from the Beside mobile app. Call forwarding is currently set up from the mobile app - support for this in the web app at app.beside.com is coming soon.
Set up call forwarding
Call forwarding is always managed by the carrier that owns your phone number (for example: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile). Setup methods vary depending on your provider.
⏱️ Heads up - carrier propagation delay: After you activate call forwarding with your carrier, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours for the change to fully propagate on the carrier's network and reach Beside. If your first test call doesn't work, wait a bit and try again before troubleshooting further.
On iPhone
The Beside app uses a guided, full-screen flow that works the same way for US and Canadian carriers:
Open the Beside mobile app
Go to Settings
In the Phone section, tap Call Forwarding
If you have multiple lines: under Phone Numbers, tap the line you want to update first, then tap Call Forwarding in the Phone section.Confirm the existing phone number you want to forward to Beside
The app auto-detects your carrier and pre-selects it for you. Confirm it's correct, or select your carrier manually.
Tap Continue, then follow the on-screen prompt to place a call to activate call forwarding
After the activation call, Beside will verify that forwarding is working. This may take a few seconds.
📌 Tip: If verification takes longer than expected, the app will continue checking. If it can't confirm, it will guide you through a quick diagnostic to troubleshoot.
💡 Re-test forwarding anytime: Go to Settings, tap your line under Phone Numbers to open Configure Number, then under Receiving calls tap Test Call Forwarding. Beside re-checks and shows a Live status, the last check time, and a You're all set! confirmation when it's working.
⚠️ Canadian carriers: You may see a warning about potential additional costs. Some Canadian carriers charge for call forwarding to certain area codes. The warning is informational - Beside does not charge extra. Any cost would come from your carrier.
On Android
Carriers directly supported in the Beside app include Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Canadian carriers.
Open the Beside mobile app
Go to Settings
In the Phone section, tap Call forwarding
Select your provider
Follow the on-screen instructions
After you finish these steps, Beside verifies that forwarding is working, the same way as on iPhone.
📌 Tip: If verification takes longer than expected, the app will continue checking. If it can't confirm, it will guide you through a quick diagnostic to troubleshoot.
💡 Re-test forwarding anytime: Go to Settings, tap your line under Phone Numbers to open Configure Number, then under Receiving calls tap Test Call Forwarding. Beside re-checks and shows a Live status, the last check time, and a You're all set! confirmation when it's working.
Check that forwarding is working
You can re-test your call forwarding any time (iPhone and Android):
Open the Beside app → Settings
Under Phone Numbers, tap your line to open Configure Number
Under Receiving calls, tap Test Call Forwarding
If it doesn't work, use carrier dial codes
If the in-app setup fails or doesn't activate correctly on either iPhone or Android, you can enable call forwarding manually using your native phone dialer (not the Beside app).
📌 Example:
If your Beside phone number is
+1-234-567-8901And your carrier is Verizon: dial
*72followed by2345678901(area code + number, no +1)Final number to dial:
*722345678901
United States: Carrier dial codes
United States: Carrier dial codes
Carrier / Network | Enable call forwarding | Disable call forwarding |
Verizon Wireless | *72 + BESIDE_NUMBER | *73 |
AT&T | *21*BESIDE_NUMBER# | #21# |
T-Mobile US | **21*BESIDE_NUMBER# | ##21# |
Canada: Carrier dial codes
Canada: Carrier dial codes
Canadian mobile carriers use the same call forwarding codes.
Enable call forwarding: *21*BESIDE_NUMBER#
Disable call forwarding: ##21#
Using an online phone service (VoIP number)
If your primary number is provided by an online phone service instead of a mobile carrier:
Carrier dial codes will not work
Mobile device settings usually do not control forwarding
Call forwarding must be managed inside your VoIP provider's app or admin dashboard
Common VoIP providers include: Google Voice, Zoom, OpenPhone, RingCentral, Vonage, Dialpad, Ooma, Grasshopper, Nextiva, Twilio.
⚠️ Google Voice: Call forwarding from Google Voice has limited support and may be unreliable. For a more reliable experience, consider porting your Google Voice number to Beside instead.
If you're unsure whether your number is VoIP, contact your provider directly.
Landline and cable providers
If your phone number is through a landline or cable provider, you can still forward calls to Beside using dial codes from your phone.
Comcast / Xfinity
Comcast / Xfinity
Dial *72, wait for second dial tone, enter your 10-digit Beside number.
CenturyLink (Lumen)
CenturyLink (Lumen)
Dial *72, wait for second dial tone, enter your 10-digit Beside number. To deactivate, dial *73.
Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications
Dial *72, wait for second dial tone, enter your 10-digit Beside number. To deactivate, dial *73. In some areas, use 72# instead.
Windstream (Kinetic)
Windstream (Kinetic)
Dial 72# (or *72 in some areas), enter your 10-digit Beside number. To deactivate, dial 73#.
Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Dial *72, wait for second dial tone, enter your 10-digit Beside number. To deactivate, dial *73.
Optimum
Optimum
Dial *72, wait for stutter dial tone, enter your 10-digit Beside number. To deactivate, dial *73.
If forwarding still doesn't activate after using dial codes, contact your carrier to confirm it's enabled on your line.
Forward multiple phone numbers to Beside
You may want to forward more than one phone number to Beside - for example, if you have a personal number and a business number. Here's how each scenario works.
Scenario A - Multiple phone numbers forwarding to a single Beside line
Scenario A - Multiple phone numbers forwarding to a single Beside line
Several different phone numbers all forward their incoming calls to the same Beside line.
📌 Example: Your personal number (+1-555-000-0001) and your business number (+1-555-000-0002) both forward to your single Beside line (+1-234-567-8901). Every call rings inside the same line regardless of which number was dialled.
How to set it up:
On the phone or SIM for your first number, follow the standard setup steps above and enter your Beside number as the forwarding destination.
For your second number (and any additional numbers), use carrier dial codes from your native dialer - the in-app setup only works for the primary line.
⚠️ Important: When multiple numbers forward to a single Beside line, all calls arrive with no indication of which source number was used. If knowing the original number matters to you, use Scenario B instead.
Scenario B - Each phone number forwards to its own dedicated Beside line
Scenario B - Each phone number forwards to its own dedicated Beside line
Each phone number you own forwards to a separate Beside line, each with its own AI Receptionist, settings, and call history.
📌 Example: Your personal number (+1-555-000-0001) forwards to Beside line A, and your business number (+1-555-000-0002) forwards to Beside line B. Each line has its own AI Receptionist and call history
Requirements:
You need multiple Beside lines on your account - available on the Beside plan (extra lines) or included on legacy 👥 Business.
To add a new line, go to Phone Numbers → New Number on the web app at app.beside.com, or Settings → Phone Numbers → Add a line in the mobile app.
✅ Recommended if you need to keep different numbers separate, use different Receptionist configurations per number, or track call history per source number.
Important notes
Call forwarding is fully controlled by your provider
Beside cannot enable, disable, or troubleshoot it on your behalf
Availability may depend on your plan, region, or provider rules
Some providers may not support forwarding to Beside at all
Forwarding works one way only - into Beside. You can forward calls from a carrier number (mobile, landline, or VoIP) to your Beside line, but you cannot forward calls received on your Beside number out to another phone number. Beside is built to receive and handle calls with AI features, not to route them outward.
⚠️ Disable call forwarding before deleting Beside: If you're deleting the Beside app or canceling your subscription, make sure to disable call forwarding first. If it stays on, calls to your primary number may keep forwarding to Beside even if the app is no longer installed.
📖 Disable call forwarding to Beside