topic Re: Call Divert - Not Voicemail in Mobile Services

Call Divert - Not Voicemail

pconibere — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:08:34 GMT

Hey

I discovered elsewhere that we can use the following to redirect to voicemail when not answered, this uses the known EE voicemail number.

**61*+447953222222**30#

However, if I want to redirect it to any other number, it says the update has failed.

It appears that EE are restricting the number that can be used when you want to divert to a different number when the call cannot be answered, but why?

Is there a workaround?

Im using an iPhone 13 if that makes any difference.

Cheers

Re: Call Divert - Not Voicemail

Chris_B — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:13:13 GMT

@pconibere You can setup the call divert on the device in question that you want to forward a call from. It’s in settings/apps/phone it’s literally called call forwarding. You enable it and type the number you want to call to be forwarded too.

you can’t do it by trying to change it from the answer phone to a different number.

Re: Call Divert - Not Voicemail

pconibere — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:13:30 GMT

Unfortunately that will just forward all calls without ringing.

I need the phone to ring and divert when unanswered.

Re: Call Divert - Not Voicemail

Chris_B — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:21:16 GMT

@pconibere And that’s how call forwarding works. You can’t change the answer phone number to a different number. Ie one in a different phone. It’s two different things. If the call is being forwarded your answer phone doesn’t pick it up on the device that was called. It’s a direct call that gets forwarded without the device ringing. If it rings a few times the answer phone picks it up unless you enable call forwarding then it’s automatically forwarded to the other device.

You can’t have ring ring then forwarded to a different phone.

Re: Call Divert - Not Voicemail

pconibere — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:27:25 GMT

@Chris_B , that is not right. You are describing only one of two different features.

First, unconditional call forwarding, the Settings toggle you mean. It forwards every call and the phone never rings. That is not what I asked for.

Second, conditional forwarding, also called Forward When Unanswered, or Call Forward No Reply. It is a standard GSM feature. The phone rings, and only if it goes unanswered after a set number of seconds does it divert, to any number I choose, not just voicemail. It is exactly what answering services and call tracking companies rely on every day.

The only reason your voicemail picks up after a few rings is that EE already has a default no reply divert set, pointing at the voicemail number 07953 222222. The code that starts *61 simply changes that no reply target to a different number. So yes, you can point ring then divert at another number. It is a documented code, not a misunderstanding of how forwarding works.

Proof from my own line. The code *61+447953222222**30# (your voicemail) registers fine. The identical code with any other number returns "setting registration failed". Same phone, same code, only the number changes.

That is a plan level restriction, not a limitation of call forwarding itself. So the real question, which 150 has not answered, is this. Is conditional call divert on no reply to an external number supported on this line? If it is PAYG, which I gather only permits divert to voicemail, is it available on Pay Monthly, or can it be enabled?

Re: Call Divert - Not Voicemail

gaz2023 — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:37:22 GMT

Hi @pconibere

Close , you need to type **61*00447953222222#. Then enter *#61# and you will see the number you replaced on the 7953222222 part there for calls forwarding when unanswered.

Re: Call Divert - Not Voicemail

bristolian — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:59:33 GMT

@pconibere wrote:
Is conditional call divert on no reply to an external number supported on this line? If it is PAYG, which I gather only permits divert to voicemail, is it available on Pay Monthly, or can it be enabled?

Correct, PAYG only supports divert to voicemail. Pay-monthly has no such restrictions.