Industry guru Dave Taylor offers tech support on technical and business topics, including iPhone, iPod, Microsoft Windows, Sony PSP, cellphones, online advertising, CSS, Web design, business, Unix, Linux, SEO, Mac OS X, and shell script programming.     


How do I set up remote call forwarding on my Qwest phone line?

Like just about everyone else in the United States, I now find myself with two phone lines, my business office line and my cellphone. After talking with a representative at the telco monolith Qwest, I have signed up for something they call "call forwarding" because I think I can use it to forward my business line to my cellphone. Only one question: how the heck do I actually do that?


Dave's Answer:

Qwest LogoThis is a tricky one to set up, but it's a great feature because, as you point out, it lets you consolidate multiple phone lines into a single ringing device and, even more usefully, a single voice mail system. The only thing I wish I could do is have the phone ring on the original line two or three times before it forwarded, because then you really could have a permanent call forward and still grab calls if you happen to be in your office. As far as I know, that's not an option though.

On to what you're asking about, however!

To remotely set up call forwarding (actually, Qwest calls what we're talking about call following) you need to be at the line to which you want the calls forwarded then, either from that line or a different line (e.g., your cell phone), dial up

888-xxx-8052

where "xxx" is your area code. If you're in San Francisco, it'd be 415, and if you're in Denver, it'd be 303.

Once you're connected, you'll be asked to enter your own phone number, then a security code.

If you haven't yet set up your security code, you can use the default of 1234, at which point - no surprise - it'll ask you to set a better, permanent code. I'd do that straightaway if I were you!

Now, you'll want to go to the "call following" setup area (option 1 on my local Qwest system) and enter the number to which you want the calls forwarded.

Here's the tricky part: The system will then actually call that number and you need to answer and accept the forward before it's enabled.

Once you do receive and indicate your acceptance of the forward, it's then in place until you cancel it, be that an hour or a week. Nice!

Now if we could just have it ring twice on the original line before bouncing to the call following number...


More Useful iPhone and Cell Phone Help Articles:
✔   How do you share an iPhone photo on Facebook?
All my friends have figured out the magic to take photos on their iPhone and upload them to Facebook. Everyone but me. How...
✔   Closed captioning for TV shows and movies on my iPhone?
Hey Dave, I saw your article from a few days about How to Turn on Closed Captioning in iTunes and am wondering if...
✔   How do I create location-based iPhone reminders?
Thanks to Siri, I've become a big fan of the Reminders app on my iPhone. Being able to say "remind me at 3pm...
✔   Enable Apple 2-Step Verification in iTunes?
I keep reading all these articles about iTunes account security and people having their accounts hacked. I have 2-step security verification set up...
✔   Turn an iTunes song into an iPhone ringtone?
I want to have song from my song list in iTunes into a ringtone I can use on my iPhone? Is it even...

Let's stay in touch!
Sign up for my weekly AskDaveTaylor Newsletter and you'll receive even more tech and gadget help right to your inbox, along with exclusive news and industry updates. It's good stuff. I promise!
    Enter your name: and your email addr:  





Categorized: iPhone and Cell Phone Help   (Article 6811, Written by )
Tagged: call following, call forwarding, qwest, telephony
Previous: How do I get a free AOL screenname?
Next: How do I record FM radio on my RCA Lyra player?




Reader Comments To Date: 7

Mischa said, on March 22, 2007 11:01 PM:

Even easier than that is the basic call forwarding that you have set up already. Just dial *72 from the phone you're forwarding from, listen for 2 beeps and a dial tone, and dial the number you want i forwarded to. You will then have to answer the phone that you are forwarding to. When you want it turned off, just dial *73 on the phone you were forwarding from.

Be forwarned, however, that if you are forwarding to a long distance number you will be charged your standard long distance rates on that call.

And Dave, what you described is a Call Forwarding \ No answer line. Similar how calls are routed to a voicemail system after a determined amount of rings, you can have it forward calls instead.

Hope this helps!

ab said, on March 13, 2008 10:31 AM:

2008 March 13
that worked better than the QWEST shorthand instructions telling you to press *72

Mike said, on June 23, 2008 6:10 PM:

If you would like to have the number ring simultaneously on multiple lines, you might want to try Grand Central (http://www.grandcentral.com). It gives you a new phone number and allows you to forward that number to multiple other phone numbers. It even allows you to setup rules to send calls from certain people, to certain phones. Grand Central is currently in beta, but it looks like you can still get an account.

Elizabeth said, on September 11, 2008 11:28 AM:

Thanks for the info- although it was much easier to just dial *78 on my landline, then go through the steps. For me, anyway.

David said, on February 1, 2009 6:26 PM:

Your article wishes that Qwest had a feature that let you forward calls only after a certain number of rings. It does! I have "call forwarding if busy or no answer" on my line. If the phone rings 5 times without an answer, it automatically forwards to another line. You set the number of rings and the forward number when you set up the feature.

This is one of those "secret" features you can only set up if you call them. There is a set up fee than something like 70 cents a month.

Warren said, on May 3, 2009 4:59 PM:

Actually, on the call following setup, you DO NOT have to be at the line to which you want the calls forwarded. Just enter the 10 digit # to which calls are to be forwarded when prompted to do so. Then listen for the confirmation message. That's it ! ! Unlike call forwarding, you don't need to be at the phone being forwarded to activate call following. You can do it from anywhere.

theresa said, on August 3, 2009 8:30 PM:

Qwest has something in my area called 'one number' service that did exactly what Dave is asking for... and I NEVER needed to do anything to make it work. It was tied to their wireless service, and the way it worked is really slick: Once they set it up, if anyone called either my home phone or my wireless number, my wireless phone would ring (if turned on) about 5 times, then it automatically rolled to my home number, for about 4 rings, then to voicemail. If my cell was turned off, then the call only rang my home number, even when people called my cell phone.

The bummer is that QWEST (in their infinite wisdom) is CANCELLING this ability, as they are dropping their wireless service. If you ask me, this in and of itself is a service they could offer and make money on!!!

Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











I will never send you any unsolicited email. Ever.






Check This Out Too...

 
Look for Answers
Need Help? Ask Dave Taylor!


Follow Me on Pinterest

Find Me on Google+
ADT on G+
© 2002 - 2013 by Dave Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

Note: This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this web site or on any linked site. Further, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to my terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site. My lawyer says "Thanks".
"Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.