Cancel call forwarding by dialing a code or using your phone's settings

The way you cancel call forwarding depends on whether you set it up through your phone's built-in feature or through your carrier. If you turned it on yourself using your phone's settings, you can turn it off the same way — usually in a few taps. If your carrier set it up or you used a code to activate it, you'll need to dial a code to deactivate it, or contact your carrier directly.

The most common approach is dialing ##21# on your phone and pressing call. This code works on most Android phones and some iPhones, and it cancels all call forwarding immediately. If that doesn't work, your phone may use a different code, or you may need to go through your phone's settings menu instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Dialing ##21# and pressing call cancels call forwarding on most Android phones and some iPhones without needing to contact your carrier.
  • On iPhone, you can also turn off call forwarding by going to Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding and toggling it off.
  • If you set up call forwarding through your carrier (not your phone), you may need to call them or log into your account online to cancel it.
  • Some carriers charge a monthly fee for call forwarding, so canceling it may lower your bill.

Cancel call forwarding on Android using a code

Open your phone's dialer app and type ##21#, then press the call button. Your phone will send the code to your carrier's system and disable all call forwarding within a few seconds. You should see a confirmation message on your screen saying call forwarding is off.

If ##21# doesn't work, try #21# instead — some carriers use this shorter version. If neither code works, your phone may not support this method, or your carrier may use a different system. Move on to checking your phone's settings or contacting your carrier.

Cancel call forwarding on iPhone through settings

Go to Settings, tap Phone, then tap Call Forwarding. Toggle the switch to off. The toggle will turn gray, and your phone will stop forwarding calls immediately.

If you don't see a Call Forwarding option in the Phone settings, it means call forwarding is not currently active on your phone, or it was set up through your carrier rather than your device. In that case, contact your carrier to cancel it on their end.

Cancel call forwarding set up by your carrier

If you set up call forwarding through your carrier's website or by calling them, you'll need to cancel it the same way. Log into your carrier's account portal online, find the call forwarding or call management section, and look for an option to turn it off or remove the forwarding number.

If you can't find it online, call your carrier's customer service number — it's usually on your bill or on their website. Tell them you want to cancel call forwarding. They can do it over the phone in a minute or two. Some carriers charge a monthly fee for call forwarding, so canceling it may lower your bill by a few dollars.

What to do if the code or settings don't work

If ##21# doesn't work and you don't see call forwarding in your phone's settings, your carrier may have set it up on their network rather than on your device. This is less common, but it happens when you've called your carrier to set it up or when they've activated it for you.

Contact your carrier directly. Have your phone number and account information ready. They can check whether call forwarding is active on your account and turn it off immediately. This usually takes less than five minutes on the phone.

Check that call forwarding is actually off

After you cancel it, test that it worked. Have someone call your phone number and listen to see if the call rings on your phone or goes to the forwarding number. If it rings on your phone, call forwarding is off.

If calls still go to the forwarding number after you've tried to cancel, go back and check your phone's settings again — it's possible the setting didn't save. If it still doesn't work, contact your carrier. There may be a delay of a few minutes for the change to take effect across their system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will canceling call forwarding affect my voicemail?

No. Call forwarding and voicemail are separate features. Canceling call forwarding won't change where your voicemail goes or how it works. Your voicemail will continue to work normally.

Does it cost anything to turn off call forwarding?

Turning it off is free. However, if your carrier was charging you a monthly fee for the call forwarding service, that fee will stop appearing on your next bill once the cancellation takes effect.

What if I want to turn call forwarding back on later?

You can turn it back on the same way you turned it off. On Android, dial *21*[phone number]# and press call, replacing [phone number] with the number you want calls forwarded to. On iPhone, go back to Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding and toggle it on.

Can I cancel call forwarding for just certain types of calls?

The ##21# code cancels all call forwarding at once. If you want to forward only certain calls — like when you're busy or don't answer — you may need to use a different feature like conditional call forwarding, which your carrier can help you set up.