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Vodafone guide
Call forwarding on Vodafone
How to divert calls you don't answer, check what's set, and turn it off again. Dial these straight from your Vodafone handset's keypad like a phone number.
Divert calls you don't answer
**61*number#
The one you want for missed calls. Calls you pick up are untouched.
Divert unanswered calls after a set ring time
**61*number**20#
The number before the # is the seconds it rings first. Not every network accepts a custom time.
Check what's currently set
*#61#
Shows the destination and ring time your line is actually using.
Turn off the unanswered-call divert
##61#
Puts unanswered calls back to wherever they went before — usually voicemail.
Replace number with the full number you want calls to go to, including the leading 0. You should hear a confirmation tone or see a “Setting activated” message.
You'll see some networks write these with a single asterisk — *61*number# rather than **61*number#. Both work. The single-star form activates the divert; the double-star form registers the destination as well, which is what makes it survive a reboot on most handsets.
Stopping Vodafone calls going to voicemail
There is no separate switch for this, which is why it's confusing. Voicemail is simply the destination your network uses for calls you don't pick up. You don't turn voicemail off — you replace it, by pointing unanswered calls at a different number with the **61* code above.
That's also why ##61# appears to “turn voicemail back on”. It doesn't — it just erases your divert, so unanswered calls fall back to Vodafone's default destination, which is voicemail.
If you want unanswered calls to stop reaching you entirely, that's a different setting: divert all calls with **21*, and nothing will ring your handset at all.
The other divert codes
Diverts are set per condition, and each is cancelled separately. These are the standard GSM codes used across UK networks.
| Condition | Turn on | Turn off |
|---|---|---|
| When you don't answer | **61*number# | ##61# |
| Divert every call immediately | **21*number# | ##21# |
| Divert when you're already on a call | **67*number# | ##67# |
| Divert when your phone is off or has no signal | **62*number# | ##62# |
| Turn off every divert at once | — | ##002# |
Setting a divert for one condition doesn't clear the others. If your calls are behaving oddly and you're not sure what's on the line, ##002# clears every divert, and *#61# tells you what the no-answer rule is currently set to.
If the codes don't work on Vodafone
Keypad codes are handled by the network, and not every network or handset accepts every variation — the custom ring time is the one most often rejected. If a code returns an error, use your phone's own menu instead, which sets the same thing:
On iPhone
Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Forwarding. Note that iOS only exposes forwarding for all calls, so the no-answer rule usually has to be set with the keypad code.
On Android
Phone app › the three-dot menu › Settings › Calls › Call forwarding › When unanswered. Multi-SIM handsets ask which SIM first.
Specific to Vodafone
Vodafone also publishes per-handset guides at deviceguides.vodafone.co.uk. If your phone menu looks different, search for your model there and open Calls and contacts.
Vodafone's own documentation: Vodafone call diverts help
Check it actually worked
A confirmation tone means your handset accepted the code — not that the network applied it. The only reliable check is a real call: ring your Vodafone number from a different phone and let it ring out without answering. If the divert is working, the call goes to your chosen destination rather than voicemail.
Worth knowing: a SIM swap, a tariff change or an operating system update can silently reset forwarding. If calls start reaching voicemail again after any of those, dial *#61# to see what the line thinks is set.
From the makers of this guide
Setting this up on Vodafone
Vodafone publishes its call-divert instructions per handset model rather than as one universal guide, which is why the setup screen may look slightly different on your phone than on a colleague's. The setting you are looking for is the one that controls unanswered calls specifically — sometimes labelled "When unanswered" or "No answer" — rather than the "Always forward" option. You want unanswered calls only, so that answering your phone normally is completely unaffected.
Vodafone lines are extremely common among UK sole traders and small firms, and they come with voicemail switched on out of the box. The problem is not Vodafone's voicemail — it works fine. The problem is that your customers will not use it. They ring, it goes unanswered, they hang up and try the next number. TextTheCaller turns that unanswered call into an instant text from your business, so the lead stays with you.
What your Vodafone caller receives
An SMS from your business name — not a number they don't recognise — with whatever message you've written, delivered within seconds of the call going unanswered. We never answer the call itself: your network forwards it to us, we reject it immediately, and the text goes out. There is no receptionist, phone menu or hold music between you and your customer.
Because it sends from your business name rather than a phone number, the message is one-way — the caller can't reply to it. That's why a good text-back gives them something they can act on instead: a booking link, an email address, or simply when you'll ring them back.
Mobile numbers only
Landlines, withheld and international callers are skipped, so you never burn a text on a number that can't receive one.
One text per caller
The same person calling repeatedly gets one message every 7 days, not one per call.
50 texts a month
Included in the £6.49/month price. No per-text charges and no surprise bills.
Vodafone call forwarding: common questions
Voicemail is just the default destination for calls you don't answer, so you don't switch it off — you point unanswered calls somewhere else instead. Dialling **61* followed by another number and # replaces voicemail as the destination for calls that ring out. To send them back to voicemail later, dial ##61#.
It erases the divert for unanswered calls, so they go back to your network's default destination — normally voicemail. It only affects the no-answer rule. If you also set a divert for all calls or for when you're busy, those stay in place until you cancel them separately, or dial ##002# to clear every divert at once.
A diverted call is billed by the network like a call you made to the destination number, so it may come out of your inclusive minutes or be charged at your standard rate. This is set by Vodafone, not by us, and the rate depends on your tariff. Diverting to voicemail is normally free.
The divert rule stays on your line while roaming, but the charges change and some networks apply restrictions. Check your roaming terms before relying on it abroad, and test it once you've landed rather than assuming.
The unanswered or "no answer" option only. Do not enable "Always forward" — that would divert every call including the ones you would have answered, which is not what this service is for.
Yes. Vodafone documents keypad patterns for divert on many handsets. If you prefer codes to menus, check Vodafone's device guide for your specific model first, then substitute the TextTheCaller forwarding number as the destination.
Yes. If your line sits under a business account managed by someone else, whoever administers the account may need to permit call forwarding on the line.
Call forwarding on other UK networks
Never lose another Vodafone call to voicemail
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TextTheCaller is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or otherwise connected to Vodafone, or any other mobile network. Vodafone and all other network names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to describe which networks this service works with. The divert codes above are the standard GSM codes used across UK networks; behaviour can vary by network, tariff and handset, and may change without notice — always check the operator's official guidance, linked above, if something doesn't match what you see on your phone.