Call Forwarding for Plumbers on iPhone, Android, EE, Vodafone and O2

Most plumbers I talk to already know call forwarding exists. Far fewer have it set up the way they actually want. Usually it's either off, or it's sending every call straight to voicemail after four rings, which is the default most phones come with.

This guide is the practical bit. How to forward only the calls you miss, how to give yourself longer to answer, what's different on an iPhone versus Android, and what to check on EE, Vodafone and O2. It takes about ten minutes and you can undo all of it with one code.

The Three Diverts That Matter

Your phone can divert calls in different situations. For a plumber, three of them do nearly all the work.

• No answer. You're under a sink or driving and the phone rings out. This is the big one.
• Busy. You're already on a call with another customer, so the second caller gets passed on instead of hearing an engaged tone.
• Unreachable. Your phone is off or you've got no signal, like in a basement or a loft with thick walls.

There's also "divert all calls", which sends everything away and your phone never rings. That's handy on holiday, but it's not what you want day to day. You still want to pick up when you can.

Together, the first three are called conditional call forwarding. Your customers keep ringing the same number they always have. Nothing changes on your van, your Google profile or your invoices.

The Codes (Work on Most UK Phones)

The quickest way to set conditional diverts is with standard codes you type into the phone's keypad, like you're dialling a number, then press call. They work on iPhone and Android and on the main UK networks.

In these examples, 07700 900123 stands in for the number you're forwarding to. Swap in your own.

After you press call, the phone should show a short message saying the setting was registered or activated. If it says it failed, try the number in international format instead, so 07700 900123 becomes +447700900123.

Give Yourself Longer to Answer

This is the setting almost nobody changes, and it's the one plumbers complain about most. "It goes to voicemail before I can get my gloves off."

You can set how long the phone rings before the no answer divert kicks in. Add the time on the end of the code like this:

**61*07700900123*11*25#

The last number is the ring time in seconds. Most networks accept 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30. I'd suggest 20 or 25 for most plumbers. That's long enough to get to the phone if it's in your pocket, but short enough that the customer isn't left listening to ringing and giving up.

The *11* bit tells the network it's for voice calls. You don't need to understand it, just leave it in.

Setting It on an iPhone

The iPhone settings menu only offers "forward all calls". On recent versions of iOS it's under Settings, then Apps, then Phone, then Call Forwarding. On older versions it's Settings, then Phone, then Call Forwarding.

That's not usually what you want, because your phone stops ringing completely. For no answer, busy and no signal diverts on an iPhone, use the codes above from the keypad in the Phone app. They work fine.

One thing to watch. If you've switched on "forward all calls" in the menu at some point and forgotten, it overrides everything else. Go and check it's off.

Setting It on Android

Android phones vary by maker, but most have the conditional options in the menu, which is handy if you'd rather tap than type codes.

Open the Phone app, tap the three dots or the menu, then Settings. Look for Call forwarding. On Samsung it's usually under Supplementary services. On Google Pixel it's usually under Calling accounts, then your SIM. You'll normally see four options: always forward, when busy, when unanswered and when unreachable.

If your menu looks different, don't hunt for ages. The codes do exactly the same thing.

If you've got two SIMs or an eSIM for work, diverts are set per SIM. Make sure you've set them on the number customers actually ring.

EE, Vodafone and O2: What to Check

All three support the standard codes above, and so do most other UK networks, including Three and the smaller networks that run on the big ones. A few things are worth knowing.

Voicemail is itself a divert. On most networks, voicemail works by diverting unanswered calls to the network's voicemail box. When you set a new no answer divert, you're replacing that. It isn't broken, it's just pointing somewhere else now. If you later turn the divert off and voicemail doesn't come back, your network can switch it back on, or their help pages will have the code.

Diverted calls can use your minutes. When a call is forwarded, it's generally treated as a call from your phone to the new number. Forwarding to a normal UK mobile or landline is usually covered by inclusive minutes on most pay monthly plans, but check your own tariff, especially if you're on pay as you go or an older business plan.

Business accounts sometimes lock settings. If you're on a business account run by someone else, like a bookkeeper or a partner who set up the contract, some settings may be controlled from the account. If the codes keep failing, ring the business line for your network and ask them to set conditional call forwarding to your number.

Be careful with the "cancel everything" code. ##002# turns off every divert in one go. It's useful if you've got in a muddle, but it can also turn off your voicemail. Only use it if you're happy to set things up again.

Test It Before You Rely On It

Do this every time you change anything. It takes two minutes.

1. Ring your work number from another phone, ideally someone else's so it's a different number.
2. Don't answer. Let it ring out and count roughly how long it takes to divert.
3. Check the call lands where it should and you get whatever message or booking you're expecting.
4. Ring again while you're on another call to test the busy divert.
5. Pop your phone in flight mode and ring a third time to test no signal.

I've seen people set one divert, assume all three were done, and lose calls for a week before noticing. A quick test saves that.

Where Should the Calls Go?

The codes work the same whatever's at the other end. Common choices are a partner or family member, an office line, a traditional answering service, or an AI receptionist. There's a fuller comparison in Missed Call Service for Tradespeople and AI Receptionist vs Voicemail for UK Tradespeople.

If you forward to a person, think about evenings and weekends. Your partner may be happy to take the odd call on a Tuesday afternoon. Fewer people are happy to take boiler calls at 9pm on a Sunday.

That's the gap Slotby fills. It's AI call handling for UK tradespeople: missed calls divert to your Slotby number, it answers in your business name, says up front that it's an AI assistant, takes the details and books the job or texts you straight away. Most plumbers forward no answer and busy, and we sort the setup with you on a short call. You can read how it works for plumbers on the AI receptionist for plumbers page, or see the plans on pricing.

A Simple Setup for Most Plumbers

If you just want an answer, this is what I'd do for a one-van plumber:

• No answer divert after 20 or 25 seconds.
• Busy divert switched on.
• No signal divert switched on, especially if you do a lot of lofts, basements or rural jobs.
• Leave "divert all" off unless you're on holiday.
• Test all three from another phone.

You keep answering when you can. The calls you can't get to go somewhere useful instead of a voicemail most people never leave.