How to forward Verizon calls to GreetKeeper
Two Verizon codes cover every mode. Dial one from the phone, make a test call, and read the transcript that arrives.
The four forwarding modes on Verizon
Verizon publishes two forwarding codes. *72 sends every call the moment it arrives. *71 is Verizon's conditional code, and it covers the calls your phone can't take: busy, unanswered, or a phone that is off or out of coverage.
| Mode | Verizon code | What forwards | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| All calls | *72 + your ten-digit GreetKeeper number | Every call, before your phone rings | Closed days, a solo owner on a job site, a line you want fully covered |
| Busy | *71 + your ten-digit GreetKeeper number | The call that arrives while you're already on one | A single line with one person answering it |
| No answer | *71 + your ten-digit GreetKeeper number | The call nobody picks up within Verizon's fixed delay | Overflow during the day; the usual choice for a shop with a front desk |
| Unreachable | *71 + your ten-digit GreetKeeper number | The call to a phone that is off or out of coverage, once forwarding was set while in coverage | Field crews, basements, rural routes |
Verizon's help page lists one conditional code, *71, for no-answer and busy forwarding, and *73 to switch either mode off. Verizon publishes no separate unreachable code, so *71 is the code to set for every conditional case.
Codes read on Verizon's Call Forwarding FAQs, https://www.verizon.com/support/call-forwarding-faqs/, on 24 September 2026.
Set up forwarding on Verizon
Five steps, from copying the number to switching it off again.
Copy your GreetKeeper number
Open your GreetKeeper account and copy the ten-digit local number you chose at signup. Verizon wants all ten digits, area code included, even when the number is local to you.
Pick the mode
Choose *72 if you want GreetKeeper to take every call from now on. Choose *71 if you want your team to answer first and GreetKeeper to take the calls that are busy, unanswered or out of reach.
Dial the code from the Verizon phone
On the Verizon line itself, dial *71 or *72 followed by the ten-digit GreetKeeper number, then press Call. For example, *71 and then 908-123-4567 with no spaces. Verizon applies the forward to that line only.
Make a test call
From a different phone, ring your Verizon number. With *72 GreetKeeper answers straight away; with *71 let it ring through the delay. Say you'd like to book a visit, then check that the transcript, the short summary and the text to your on-call person all arrive.
Undo it whenever you like
Dial *73 from the Verizon line and forwarding is off. Your number never moved, so there is nothing to port back and nothing to reprint.
Which Verizon mode fits your business
A one-van plumbing outfit on a Verizon line usually wants *71. The owner answers when a hand is free, and GreetKeeper picks up the call that rings while they're under a sink, off in a crawl space, or already on the phone with a supplier. The caller gets booked instead of reaching voicemail.
A dental front desk that goes quiet at lunch and after five is a *72 case for those hours, and *71 for the rest of the day. Dial *72 before you lock up and *73 when you open. Two codes, ten seconds each, and the evening callers book themselves into the calendar overnight.
A crew that spends the day in basements or on rural routes is the unreachable case. Set *71 while the phone has signal and Verizon keeps forwarding while you're out of coverage. Your customers hear a greeting instead of a dead ring, and you get the summary the moment you're back on the network.
Two callers at once is the case *71 handles best. Your line is busy with the first, Verizon forwards the second, and GreetKeeper answers calls that arrive together at the same time. Nobody queues, and both conversations arrive as separate transcripts.
Verizon's own rules, worth knowing before you dial
Verizon forwards calls to US numbers only, ten digits with the area code, on an active voice line. Your GreetKeeper number is exactly that, so the code takes first time.
Forwarding carries no monthly fee on most Verizon plans. If your plan has a minutes allowance rather than unlimited minutes, Verizon bills forwarded calls against it like any other call, so a busy overflow line sits best on an unlimited plan.
Verizon forwards calls, not texts. A customer who texts your Verizon number still reaches your phone, and the SMS GreetKeeper sends a caller after a call comes from your GreetKeeper number, so the two never collide.
Set forwarding up while you're inside Verizon coverage. Verizon's page says forwarding switched on before you travel keeps working while you roam, and that you can't switch it on from outside the network.
If voicemail answers your test call before GreetKeeper does, the forward isn't live yet. Dial the code again from the Verizon phone, wait for the call to connect, and test a second time.
Verizon forwarding questions
Does Verizon charge for call forwarding?
Verizon's help page says there is no monthly fee for Call Forwarding on most plans. On a plan without unlimited minutes, forwarded calls are billed according to the plan, the same as calls you make.
Can I change how long Verizon rings before it forwards?
Verizon's delay is fixed at about 30 seconds and its help page lists no setting to adjust it. The ring count is set where the forwarding is set, and GreetKeeper answers the moment the call arrives, so the only decision on your side is *71 or *72.
Do I need a new phone number?
No. Every GreetKeeper plan includes a dedicated local number with the area code you choose at signup, one per location. You forward your Verizon number to it and keep the number on your van, your signage and your Google listing.
Will forwarding send my texts to GreetKeeper too?
Verizon forwards calls only. Texts to your Verizon number keep landing on your phone, and GreetKeeper texts your on-call person from its own number with each caller's name, number and reason for calling.
What happens to a call that GreetKeeper screens out?
Robocalls and silent callers are dropped before the greeting and don't count toward your plan. Every real caller gets the greeting, the booking, and the transcript you read afterwards.
Dial *71, then hear it take a call
Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, every feature on, no card. Your Verizon number stays yours.