How to Set Up Call Forwarding

To activate Calla, forward your existing business number to your Calla AI line. Your Calla number is shown in your dashboard under Settings.

How it works: When a caller dials your regular business number, your carrier automatically forwards the call to Calla. Your existing number stays the same — callers won't notice any difference.

If your Calla number has a US area code: that's normal, and your customers never see it or dial it. They keep calling your existing business number exactly as they do today — the Calla number is only the destination your carrier forwards to behind the scenes.

Most Canadian mobile carriers support call forwarding by dialing a short code from your phone. The codes below work on Rogers, Bell, Telus, Fido, Koodo, Virgin, Freedom and most other carriers. In each code, enter your 10-digit Calla number from your dashboard, without the leading 1.

Forward all calls

This sends every incoming call directly to Calla. Your phone won't ring, whether it's on or off. Use this if you want Calla to handle all calls.

  1. Open the Phone app on your mobile phone.
  2. Dial *21* followed by your Calla number, then # (e.g. *21*9995550167#).
  3. Press call and wait for a confirmation message.
  4. Test it by calling your business number from another phone.

Check it's working

Dial *#21# and press call. No call is placed: a message appears on your screen within a few seconds.

What to look for: the message should say forwarding is on and show your Calla number. If it says forwarding is off or not active, or shows a different number (often your carrier's voicemail number), forwarding isn't set up correctly: dial the *21* setup code above again.

To turn it off, dial ##21# and press call.

Let your phone ring first

Your phone rings first, and Calla answers any call you miss. Your carrier treats each way of missing a call separately, so this takes three codes. Dial all three: if you skip one, those calls go to voicemail instead of Calla.

  1. Open the Phone app on your mobile phone.
  2. Dial each of the three codes below. Press call after each one and wait for the confirmation message.
*61*[Your 10-digit Calla number]#You don't answer
*67*[Your 10-digit Calla number]#You're already on a call
*62*[Your 10-digit Calla number]#Your phone is off or out of signal
  1. Test it twice: call your business number and let it ring without answering, then turn your phone off and call again. Calla should answer both times.

Check it's working

Dial each of these check codes separately and press call. No call is placed: a message appears on your screen within a few seconds.

*#61#Checks forwarding when you don't answer
*#67#Checks forwarding when you're already on a call
*#62#Checks forwarding when your phone is off or out of signal

What to look for: the message should say forwarding is on and show your Calla number. If it says forwarding is off or not active, or shows a different number (often your carrier's voicemail number), forwarding isn't set up correctly: dial its setup code above again.

To turn these off, dial ##61#, ##67# and ##62#.

IMPORTANT - Turn off your carrier voicemail

While your carrier's voicemail is on, missed calls go to voicemail instead of Calla. Ask your carrier to turn voicemail off on your business line.

Codes not working?

Some carriers use different codes or require you to set up forwarding through their app or website. Contact your carrier's support line or check their website for call forwarding instructions specific to your plan.

Test your setup

After setting up forwarding, call your business number from a different phone. You should hear your Calla AI agent answer with your custom greeting. The call will appear in your dashboard within a few minutes.

Go to your dashboard →

Still having trouble?

If you've tried setting up forwarding and it's still not working, email us at hello@usecalla.ca. We're happy to help!