Call Forwarding Etisalat: Complete Guide to Mobile & Landline

Call forwarding is one of those brilliantly simple features that can make a massive difference in your day-to-day. With Etisalat, you can have incoming calls redirected to another number, which means you're never truly out of reach. For any professional juggling meetings or a business trying to manage client calls after hours, this isn't just a feature—it's a lifeline.

Why Etisalat Call Forwarding Is a Game-Changer

In the UAE's dynamic business environment, a single missed call can easily translate into a lost opportunity. Think of Etisalat's call forwarding as your personal communications safety net, making sure important calls always find their way to you, no matter what. It’s an essential tool for everyone from a freelance consultant running between client sites to a small business that wants to offer 24/7 customer support.

Let’s say you're in a crucial meeting and your phone is on silent. Instead of a valuable new lead hitting your voicemail and potentially going cold, you can have the call automatically rerouted to a colleague. That simple act of redirection preserves a professional image and captures business that might have otherwise slipped away.

Real-World Scenarios and Benefits

The practical uses for call forwarding are incredibly varied and deliver real value for both individuals and businesses. I've seen clients use it in some really smart ways.

Business Continuity: An office phone line goes down? No problem. Instantly divert all your landline calls to designated mobile numbers and your customers will never know there was an issue.
Work-Life Balance: This is a big one. You can forward your business calls to a professional answering service after 6 PM. This lets you properly switch off, confident that your clients are still being looked after.
Enhanced Availability: We've all been there—phone battery dies unexpectedly or you hit a dead zone for signal. With call forwarding, your calls are automatically sent to a backup number, like your office landline, so you don't miss a thing.

The core idea here is to stay responsive and reliable. It puts you in control, allowing you to manage your communications proactively instead of just reacting to missed calls and voicemails.

As one of the leading telecom providers in the region, Etisalat makes this feature easily accessible to its massive subscriber base. If you're looking for a deeper dive into the mechanics, our guide on how to divert calls to another number offers some great additional context. This kind of flexibility is precisely why so many people depend on the call forwarding etisalat service to stay connected.

Activating Call Forwarding on Your Etisalat Mobile

Getting call forwarding set up on your Etisalat mobile is surprisingly simple. You don't need to dig through settings menus; everything is handled directly from your phone's dial pad using quick codes. These codes, known as USSD codes, give you precise control over how your incoming calls are managed, letting you decide exactly when and why a call should be redirected.

This infographic breaks down the logic of how Etisalat handles forwarded calls.

As you can see, the network always checks for an "always forward" rule first. If that's not active, it then looks at conditional rules like "forward when busy." It's a smart, layered system for managing your availability.

Forward All Incoming Calls

This is the all-in-one solution, often called unconditional forwarding. It sends every single call to another number without your phone even ringing. I find this incredibly useful when I'm on leave and need all work calls to go directly to a colleague, or if I'm temporarily using a different phone and want to keep everything in one place.

To turn it on, just dial **21*[phone number]# and hit call. Be sure to replace [phone number] with the full destination number, like 05xxxxxxxx.

Forward When Your Line Is Busy

Picture this: you're on a crucial call with a client, and another call starts beeping in. Instead of letting that second caller go to a generic voicemail, you can have them automatically sent to your assistant or a different line. It’s a small touch that makes a huge professional impact, ensuring every caller feels attended to.

For this specific situation, the code is **67*[phone number]#. It only kicks in when your line is already engaged.

What's great about conditional forwarding is that your primary line remains the main point of contact. The rules only trigger under specific circumstances, giving you the perfect balance of availability and control.

Forward When You Don't Answer

We've all been there—stuck in a meeting or just too far from the desk to grab the phone in time. This setting acts as a great backup. After your phone rings for a standard duration without an answer, the call is automatically rerouted to your chosen number.

Set it up by dialling **61*[phone number]#. This is a fantastic way to prevent potential leads or important calls from becoming missed opportunities. Of course, for this to work seamlessly, your underlying connection matters. Businesses often explore dedicated Etisalat business internet packages to ensure their entire communications setup is rock-solid.

Forward When Your Phone Is Unreachable

This one is your ultimate safety net. If your phone is off, the battery dies, or you're in an area with no signal, this rule makes sure your calls can still get through to someone. It’s absolutely essential for anyone who needs to be reachable for professional or personal reasons, no matter what.

The code to activate this is **62*[phone number]#. With this in place, you can have peace of mind knowing that even when your device is offline, your calls aren't.

Call Forwarding for Landlines and Business Needs

While forwarding calls from your mobile is handy, the real game-changer for businesses is applying this logic to your office landlines. For a company, Etisalat call forwarding isn't just a feature; it's a fundamental part of your operational strategy and how customers perceive you.

Think about it: a single landline number can act as the front door for all your customer interactions. With smart forwarding, you can route those calls based on who's available, the time of day, or even during an unexpected crisis.

Let's say your office's internet goes down. Instead of clients getting a frustrating busy signal or a dead line, a pre-set forwarding rule can instantly send all incoming calls to a manager's mobile, a backup office, or even a distributed remote team. Business continues as usual, and your customers are none the wiser.

Building a Resilient Communication System

This is where integrating Etisalat's call forwarding with your core phone system, like SIP Trunks or a cloud PBX, really pays off. It creates a flexible and robust network that can handle real-world challenges. You can set up intelligent rules to manage call flow automatically.

Here are a few scenarios I’ve seen work wonders for businesses:

After-Hours Support: Once the clock hits 6 PM, all office calls automatically get routed to the on-call technician's mobile.
Smarter Sales Routing: If the main sales line is busy, the call is instantly diverted to the next available agent’s direct line. No more missed opportunities.
Disaster Recovery Plan: In an emergency, one simple action can redirect all landline traffic to a designated backup site or a list of key mobile numbers.

In the fast-paced UAE market, that kind of responsiveness is what keeps you ahead. In fact, integrating call forwarding with Etisalat’s SIP trunking supports business continuity in the UAE, a strategy that has helped improve operational uptime for over 50% of medium-to-large enterprises here. Many have seen missed calls drop by as much as 30%.

For businesses that need a truly professional front, Etisalat call forwarding can be paired with external solutions like comprehensive phone answering services. This ensures every single call is answered by a live person, projecting a polished, professional image around the clock.

Ultimately, by connecting your landline forwarding to a modern cloud telephony solution, you’re turning a simple phone number into a dynamic and intelligent communication hub. You build a system that’s not just reliable but also agile enough to adapt to whatever the market throws at you.

Checking Status and Deactivating Call Forwarding

https://www.youtube.com/embed/m0STshrpdNk

Setting up call forwarding is a great way to stay connected, but it's just as important to know how to turn it off. Forgetting about an active forwarding rule can mean missed opportunities, with crucial calls ending up with the wrong person or getting lost in an old voicemail box, even when you're back at your desk.

Keeping a handle on your call forwarding etisalat settings is simple and puts you in full control of your communications. It’s a good habit to get into, preventing any mix-ups or potential privacy issues. Luckily, checking what’s active and shutting it down is just a matter of a few taps on your keypad.

How to See Your Current Forwarding Status

Before you deactivate anything, it’s smart to first check what rules are currently running. You might find you only have one specific rule active, like forwarding calls only when your line is busy.

You can easily check the status for each type of forwarding by dialling a quick code from your phone:

All Calls (Unconditional): Dial *#21# to see if all your calls are being sent elsewhere.
When Busy: Dial *#67# to check the rule for when you're on another call.
No Answer: Dial *#61# to see what happens when you don't pick up.
Unreachable: Dial *#62# to check where calls go when your phone is off or out of service.

After dialling, you'll get an instant on-screen message confirming whether the service is on and, if so, which number the calls are being forwarded to.

Deactivating All Forwarding at Once

If you want to wipe the slate clean and ensure all calls ring directly to your phone again, there’s a universal deactivation code for that. This is the fastest way to reset everything.

To cancel every call forwarding rule on your line simultaneously, just dial ##002# and hit the call button. A confirmation message will pop up on your screen to let you know it's done.

Cancelling Specific Forwarding Rules

Sometimes you don't need to turn everything off. Maybe you want to keep the "unreachable" forward active for when your battery dies but stop forwarding calls when you're simply busy. This is where targeted codes come in handy, giving you more precise control.

Here are the codes for disabling individual rules:

Cancel forwarding for all calls: ##21#
Cancel forwarding when busy: ##67#
Cancel forwarding for no answer: ##61#
Cancel forwarding when unreachable: ##62#

Using these specific codes allows you to adjust your call routing as your needs change, without having to completely reset your entire setup each time.

Solving Common Call Forwarding Problems

Even when you have the right codes handy, setting up call forwarding etisalat can sometimes hit a snag. It's a common frustration—you punch in the code, but the activation fails or calls just aren't going where you want them to. Don't worry, the fix is usually simpler than you think.

Let's start with the basics. A quick reboot of your phone can often clear up temporary network glitches that prevent these codes from working properly. It's also worth checking that you have a decent mobile signal and a bit of credit on your account, as some forwarding features might have small charges.

Diagnosing Failed Activations

Getting an error message after entering a code? The problem often comes down to a tiny detail in how you've typed it.

Here’s a quick checklist of things I see trip people up all the time:

Number Format is Key: Make sure you're using the complete UAE number without any extra spaces or symbols. Type 0501234567, not +971 50 123 4567. The system is picky about this.
Conflicting Rules: You can only have one "unconditional" forwarding rule active at a time. If you've set one up previously, you need to cancel it before you can add a new one.
Postpaid vs. Prepaid Plans: Double-check that your specific plan (whether postpaid or prepaid) actually supports the type of call forwarding you’re trying to activate.

A classic mistake I’ve seen countless times is someone trying to forward calls to an international number. Standard Etisalat call forwarding is strictly for local UAE numbers.

If you’ve gone through these steps and are still stuck, it might point to a deeper issue with your account. For businesses that depend on seamless call routing, this is where a more professional setup becomes essential. An Etisalat business call center solution offers far more control and reliability than basic forwarding.

When all else fails and you've confirmed your codes are correct, the best next step is to call Etisalat support directly by dialling 101. Their team can look into your account for any blocks or restrictions and sort it out from their end, saving you the headache.

Got Questions About Etisalat Call Forwarding? We've Got Answers

Even with all the codes handy, you might still have a few questions about how Etisalat call forwarding works in practice. We get these all the time, so let's clear up some of the most common points of confusion.

Can I Forward Calls to an International Number?

This is a big one, and the short answer is no. At least, not with the standard Etisalat codes. This service is designed strictly for redirecting calls to other phone numbers within the UAE. If you try to input an international number, it simply won’t work.

The reason behind this is tied to the UAE's specific telecommunications regulations, particularly around VoIP services. For businesses needing to route calls internationally, the solution usually involves a specialised telephony system that's built to operate within the local framework while providing global connectivity.

Does Call Forwarding Work While I'm Roaming?

Yes, it does. Your call forwarding settings will stay active even when you're traveling outside the UAE. But—and this is a big but—you need to be very careful about the costs.

When you're roaming, you can get hit with a double charge: one for the incoming call to your phone (the roaming leg) and another for the outgoing call being forwarded to its destination. It can get expensive, fast.

My advice? Unless it's absolutely critical, deactivate call forwarding before you travel. Relying on your roaming package or picking up a local SIM is almost always the more cost-effective choice.

What Are the Costs Associated With Call Forwarding?

Good news first: there are no special activation fees or monthly subscriptions for the basic call forwarding feature. It's built into your service.

The primary cost comes from the forwarded part of the call. Think of it this way: when a call is forwarded from your phone, your line is essentially making a new, outgoing call to the number you've set. You'll be billed for that outgoing leg at your standard local call rate. It's a crucial detail because the cost falls on you, the one forwarding the call, not the person who originally dialled your number.

If your business needs are outgrowing what basic call forwarding can offer, it might be time to look at a more robust system. Cloud Move provides enterprise-level telephony and contact centre solutions designed for complex call routing, multichannel customer support, and seamless CRM integration. See how our solutions can work for you.