Using Your Existing Business Number — VoiceForge Pro Help Center

Most businesses already have a phone number their customers know. You don't need to abandon it — by setting up call forwarding, you can keep your existing number and have VoiceForge Pro answer every call on your behalf.

How it works

Call forwarding redirects inbound calls from your existing number to your VoiceForge number. Your callers still dial the same number they always have. They don't see the VoiceForge number, and have no way of knowing their call was forwarded. The AI agent answers using your business name exactly as configured.

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Your number stays the same

Customers continue to dial your existing number. Nothing changes for them. The forwarding happens invisibly at the carrier level.

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Forwarding is instant

Once set up, forwarding activates immediately. You can turn it on and off at any time using simple codes from your phone.

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Two forwarding modes

Unconditional — every call forwards immediately. Conditional — only forwards when you're busy, don't answer, or unreachable.

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All calls still logged

Every forwarded call is logged in your VoiceForge dashboard exactly like a direct call — full transcript, summary, and lead data.

Setting up forwarding

Forwarding is configured through your phone or carrier — not inside VoiceForge Pro. The process takes about 2 minutes.

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Get your VoiceForge number first

Before setting up forwarding, go to Phone Numbers and provision a VoiceForge number. Copy the full number including country code — you'll need to paste it into your forwarding settings.

For full step-by-step instructions for every carrier and device, see the dedicated guide: How to forward your phone number. That guide covers:

iPhone iOS — Settings path and dial codes
Android — All major manufacturers including Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel
USSD codes for UK, US, Australia, Canada, Europe and Cyprus carriers
Conditional forwarding (busy / no answer / unreachable)
How to cancel forwarding
Common troubleshooting scenarios

Which forwarding type to use

Mode	How it works	Best for
Unconditional	Every call forwards immediately before your phone rings. You never see the call coming in.	Businesses that want 100% AI coverage. You rely entirely on VoiceForge and call back from the summaries.
Busy	Forwards only when you're already on another call.	Sole traders who want to answer personally when free but never miss a concurrent call.
No answer	Forwards if you don't answer within a set number of rings (usually 15–20 seconds).	Businesses that want to try answering personally first, with VoiceForge as a reliable fallback.
Unreachable	Forwards when your phone is off, in a no-signal area, or in flight mode.	Tradespeople who may be in underground locations, industrial sites, or rural areas.
All conditional	All three conditional types active simultaneously — busy, no answer, and unreachable all forward.	The most common "hybrid" setup for businesses that want personal answering when possible.

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Start with unconditional, then adjust

Most businesses start with unconditional forwarding and switch to conditional after they see the call summaries. Once you trust that VoiceForge is capturing everything accurately, letting it answer all calls reduces your cognitive load significantly — you stop worrying about missing anything.

Forwarding a landline or VoIP number

Call forwarding works the same way for landlines and VoIP numbers, but the method differs:

Traditional landline: Contact your carrier and ask them to set unconditional call divert to your VoiceForge number. Most carriers can do this over the phone or via their online portal.
VoIP / hosted phone system: Log in to your VoIP provider's admin panel. Look for "Call forwarding", "Divert", or "Find me / Follow me" settings. Enter your VoiceForge number as the destination.
Business phone system (PBX): Ask your IT team or phone system provider to forward the main inbound number or a specific extension to your VoiceForge number.

Test your forwarding

After setting up forwarding, always test it before relying on it:

Call your existing business number from a different phone (not the SIM that has forwarding set)
Your VoiceForge agent should answer within 1–2 rings
Check your VoiceForge dashboard — the call should appear with a full summary within 60 seconds of ending

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Always test from a different phone

Calling your own number from the same SIM that has forwarding set may not forward correctly on some carriers. Use a colleague's phone or a second device to test.