What is conditional call forwarding?
- Conditional call forwarding
- Conditional call forwarding is a carrier setting that sends a call to a second number only when a condition is met: your line is busy, the call goes unanswered, or your phone is unreachable.
What conditional call forwarding means in practice
Your phone still rings first. Conditional forwarding watches the state of your line and moves a call only when one of its conditions is true, so you keep answering the calls you can reach and a backup catches the rest.
Carriers offer three conditions. Busy forwards a call that arrives while you're already on the phone. No-answer forwards a call that rings for a set time with nobody picking up. Unreachable forwards a call that arrives while your phone is off, out of signal or out of battery.
Unconditional forwarding is the opposite setting, usually labelled forward all calls. It skips every check and sends each call straight to the second number, which suits the hours when nobody is there to answer.
Timing belongs to your carrier. On a no-answer forward, Verizon fixes the ring delay at about 30 seconds, AT&T and T-Mobile let you choose between 5 and 30 seconds, and VoIP systems set it in their dashboard. A shorter delay gets your caller to an answer sooner.
What people get wrong
How GreetKeeper handles it
GreetKeeper answers any call forwarded to its number in all four carrier modes: all calls, busy, no-answer and unreachable. A call forwarded on any of them is answered the same way, with your greeting, your hours and your calendar.
The ring count is set where the forwarding is set, and GreetKeeper answers the moment the call arrives. Every plan includes a dedicated local number, with the area code you choose at signup, and that's the number your line forwards to.
A call that forwarded while you were on the other line still reaches you as a transcript and a short summary, with the caller's name, number and reason for calling. Plans start at $49 a month for 200 answered calls.
Conditional call forwarding questions
What is the difference between conditional and unconditional call forwarding?
Unconditional forwarding sends every call to the second number, and your own phone never rings. Conditional forwarding lets your phone ring first and forwards only when the line is busy, unanswered or unreachable. Use unconditional when nobody can answer, such as after closing. Use conditional when you want to take calls yourself and catch the ones you miss.
Which conditional forwarding modes should a small business turn on?
Turn on all three: busy, no-answer and unreachable. Each one covers a different moment, and a missing mode leaves a gap that ends in voicemail. Set the no-answer delay to the shortest your carrier allows that still gives you time to reach the phone.
Can conditional call forwarding run on a schedule?
Not on its own, because conditional forwarding reacts to the state of the line rather than the clock. For after-hours cover, switch to forward all calls at closing and back in the morning. If your VoIP system has a time-of-day rule, it can make that switch for you.
Does conditional forwarding work when my phone is switched off?
Yes, that's the unreachable condition. When your phone isn't on the network, the carrier forwards the call without waiting through a ring delay. It covers a dead battery, a flight or a basement with no signal.
Hear it take one of your calls
Two minutes, your own scenario, no card.