It is not always the case that when our phones ring, we want to receive any incoming calls for reasons best known to us. In such situations, ignoring a call or hanging up on the sender might not be the ideal alternative, but it may be convenient to forward it instead. That’s simply getting any incoming call to your number forwarded to ring on another number.
So, if you ever want to forward a number but don’t know how to do it, don’t worry. In this guide, I will explain how to divert calls whether you are using Android or iPhone, either through the phone settings or using special numeric codes that work for all Network operators in Kenya, i.e. Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom.
The best part: You can personally choose whether you want to activate the forwarding process always, when your number is busy or not available, or when you can answer the phone. All the processes have been covered below.
How to activate call forwarding
No matter the type of operating system your phone runs on, it is very easy to turn on the call and forward it to another number. But then, before we get onto the involved specifics, here are a few things to keep in mind
How much does call forwarding cost in Kenya?
In a real sense, call forwarding occurs when you receive a call and decide to transfer it to another number. When that happens, the caller pays for the traffic only until it arrives at your phone number, and then the traffic is directed to another number.
Here is how much call diversion costs in Kenya for all carriers. First, Safaricom does not charge for the call forwarding itself, but when the call is diverted to voicemail, the call will be charged Ksh 2 from Airtime for sending you a voice note.
On the other hand, Airtel Kenya charges the call forward recipient Ksh 15 plus the call rate and Ksh 25 if you forward a one-minute call to a different network, such as Safaricom. Call forwarding on the Telkom Kenya network remains free.
Activate call forwarding from Phone Settings
Below are the methods you can follow to activate the call diversion from the phone on another number, whether you are either using an Android or iPhone smartphone:
On the iPhone
If you want to turn on call forwarding on your iPhone, you can easily do so through the phone settings menu and by navigating to Phone, located between messages and Voice Memos.
Tap on the phone, and under Calls, select call forwarding and toggle the button until it turns green. Below it, select “Forward To” and use your phone keypad to enter the number you want to forward to, starting with the cou entry code, e.g., 254712345678.
You will know that call forwarding is activated successfully by checking at the top of your phone’s status bar if you see an icon shaped like a telephone receiver with an arrow pointing right. To stop the call forwarding, toggle off the green call forwarding button or change the number you had set earlier.
On Android
Enabling call forwarding to another number is even easier on Android than on iPhones. While the process is very easy, you should ensure that each Android manufacturer has different wordings for this feature, but the process is still similar.
We have used the Redmi Note series to illustrate this step. Open the Phone app, tap the three-dot icon at the top right, and select settings. Within the settings sections, Tap on calling accounts and call forwarding.
If you have two SIMs, choose one, wait a few moments, and you can choose some options. First, there is Always Forward, which allows you to choose the diversion process to happen always. When you tap on it, you must enter the number you want to use and Tap on the Turn On button to activate it.
If you select When busy, you can divert calls to your number of choice when you are on another call—the When Unanswered option allows. Finally, the If no answer option allows you to divert a call only when you don’t answer. Finally, the When unreachable option allows you to forward calls if your number is off or out of service.
To block anonymous calls, go to the Phone app, tap the three-dot icon at the top, and then select Settings. Now tap Blocked Numbers and turn on the switch next to Unknown: unidentified numbers will be blocked.
Divert calls to another number Using USSD Codes
The above methods are not the only ones to divert calls to another number: you can also use codes to type into the phone keypad.
The functionality is exactly the same, but in this case, you may have more control over the options (especially from your Android).
To proceed, launch the phone app on your smartphone, regardless of whether it is Android or iPhone, and enter one of the following codes. Next, tap the green start call button, as you normally would when calling someone.
How to divert all calls
If you want to divert all calls you receive to another number, enter the following code: **21*+254[phone number]#, where [phone number] is the number of the phone to which you want to transfer the call. To deactivate the function, simply dial ##21#, while to check if there have been any calls, dial *#21#.
How to divert calls if your phone is busy
Do you want to forward calls only when your phone number is busy, that is, when you are on a call? In this case, the code to dial is **67*+254[phone number]#.
To deactivate the service, dial this code: ##67#, while to check for incoming calls, dial *#67#.
How to divert calls if your phone is off or unreachable
Do you want to activate call forwarding when your phone is off or unreachable? In this case, you need to dial the code **62*+254[phone number]#.
To deactivate the service, dial the code ##62#, while to check for incoming calls, dial the code *#62#.
How to divert calls if you don’t answer
Finally, there is also a code available in case no one answers. In this case, dial the code **61*+254[phone number]#. As you can imagine, the code to deactivate the service is ##61#, while to check for incoming calls, it is *#61#.
Well, I hope that this article has given you a clear overview of how you can easily enable call forwarding on your Phone regardless of whether you are using an Android, iPhone, or whatever network carrier your phone is using in Kenya. If you have any questions, please let us interact in the comment section below.
