How To Extend Ring Time Before A Call Diverts To Voicemail [Verified Way]

[OldSchoolTech]

Hi guys:

This is to help anyone (like me) who needs to extend ring time before a call diverts to voicemail.

First, i am going to suggest updating your android phone with the latest android system update

EE recommend android system update (for various logical reasons): its a good idea...

Second, I have tested this method and know it works (its been posted elsewhere, but here, I am posting a logical step-by-step guide):

increase ring time before someone calling you is diverted to voicemail:

Dial *#61*11# on your keypad (you will see current ring time displayed as an "operator message")

Dial > **61*+447953222222**30# (to set ring time to 30 seconds)

> 30 seconds is max ring time, 5 seconds is minimum ring time (before whoever is calling you is diverted to voicemail)

Dial > *#61*11# again to confirm ring time set to 30 seconds.

thanks to @timsonr1 for posting a solution that actually works... 👍

the trick is:

1. use +447953222222 not 07953222222

2. to dial the + symbol (plus symbol) on an android keypad, long press 0 (you will see the + sign underneath 0 on your keypad).

hope this helps someone out there, because i've only just figured this out after many years 🙂

merry xmas 😊

[michael1220]

I've just used this ringtone extender on my pixel 8 pro im obviously with EE so thanks for the information 👍

[Dave37]

I have a Samsung S20 running Android 11 but neither of the "verified codes" to lengthen the Ring Time Before A Call Diverts To Voicemail seem to work. Getting a message saying "invalid MMI code" ????

Cant see what I am doing wrong......

[DSP1]

Hi Dave37

Would you type the codes you are trying please?

Regards

DSP1

[Dave37]

Hi DSP1, 

Am using the solution codes of.... 

*#61*11# on your keypad (you will see current ring time displayed as an "operator message")

Dial > **61*+447953222222**30# (to set ring time to 30 seconds)

Both  say Invalid MMI code? 

[DSP1]

Hi Dave37

Those are the correct codes.  I've not personally come across the 'Invalid MMI code' problem myself, but as both codes are correct and you are getting the same response from both, it would seem to point towards an issue with the sending of the codes.  I did a quick Google search and YouTube search for 'invalid mmi code' and a number of solutions are suggested. As with all troubleshooting, it would be worth having a look at a few of the YouTube videos and a few of the written solutions to see if there is a common method or set of things to try before proceeding with any. 

The most obvious which you may have already tried are:

1. Restarting the phone

2. With phone off remove the sim card, clean it and refit it

3. An intriguing one is to add a comma after the code. To test that one I would recommend that you use the simple information code you have tried above first, changing *#61*11# to *#61*11#,

Sorry I can't be of more help, but if you find a solution that works for you, please post it back here, as it may help others with the same issue.

Regards

DSP1

[Dave37]

Hi,

Well after scouring the net for a solution to this issue I found various suggestions. Unfortunately none of them worked. Still getting the 'Invalid MMI Code' message. Must have exhausted all the suggested solutions I could find !!

Anyway, this morning I rang EE Tech Support - spoke to 2 very helpful people there. The 1st contact tried various checks and suggestions (all of which I had tried before calling them) and nothing worked. He put me through to one of the senior Tech team who after some searching around told me that the MMI codes........

Dial *#61*11# on your keypad (you will see current ring time displayed as an "operator message") 

Dial > **61*+447953222222**30# (to set ring time to 30 seconds) ..... are no longer supported  on the EE network hence the invalid MMI code message.

From a few months ago EE took the decision to fix the call forwarding delay to 20secs which means you cannot shorten or lengthen the time period.

Have also checked this on another Samsung Mobile,  Galaxy A14, strangely enough the code *#61*11# works on the A14 and shows the call forwarding time as 20secs but the second code  **61*+447953222222**30# will not change the delay time.

Hope this helps others who are trying to do the same.....!!

[DSP1]

Hi Dave37

Sorry that you haven't found a solution that works for your S20. To be honest I wouldn't trust what EE tells their customers. They have been telling people for over a year that the codes do not work on their system, but from what we have discovered on this forum the problem only seems to affect newer phone models. If you haven't already, have a look through all the previous posts (there's only 3 pages) and you'll see that others have managed to do it by putting their sim in an older phone (there are some models listed that work) and using the codes on that. The codes appear to alter the information in the sim card, so when it's put back in the newer phone, the 30 seconds delay has been altered for that phone. You'll see that some people have done so as recently as December 2023 and January this year.

Regards

DSP1

[Dantsata]

Thank you very much for the help that's great

[DenisG]

OK,so more info for yourfiles and users too.

I just bought a new Samsung A14 and wanted a longer ring time and tried all the suggested solutions. Nothing. Stuck at 20 secs. Then I found this page and tried your solution, again, nothing. Still at 20 secs. I should have read the whole thread first, well as far as the solution posted by DSP1 anyway! Big thanks DSP1.

This works for EE: Samsung S6 Edge with Android 7. Sim card is a straight swap between S6 and A14. Use your original method exactly as you originally posted using the sim card in the S6 Edge (30 secs in my case). Transfer the sim card to the A14 and you have the ring time at 30 secs as required. Note. All interchanges of the cards was with both phones turned fully off. Works on Samsung A15 as well, Just done both.

Well chuffed with this result, much appreciated.

Best regards.

Denis.

[JoanieMc]

Thanks so much for this. I was sick of people saying I never answer my phone, but this showed my answerphone was set to 0 seconds!