Forward call (Transfer to number)

Overview

A forward call hands the caller over to a real phone: your cell, the office, the rav, a SIP extension. You can list several numbers and they all ring at the same time, with whoever answers first taking the call.

In the app the building block is called Forward call. The full admin page is under Advanced → Transfer to Number.

How It Works

1. The caller reaches the forward call.
2. Every number in Transfer Numbers rings at the same time.
3. The first person to answer is connected to the caller. The other phones stop ringing.
4. When that call ends, the original caller follows the Post-Transfer Routing, if you set one. With nothing set, the call ends.

If nobody answers, or every number is busy, the call also comes back to the Post-Transfer Routing.

Creating a Forward Call

On My Hotline, pick a key and choose Forward call. For the full set of options, go to Advanced → Transfer to Number and click New Transfer to Number.

Basic Information

• Transfer Name (required) — how it is named in your admin panel and in routing dropdowns. Callers never hear it.
• Phone System Reference → Extension ID — an optional number used to reach this from the keypad admin. Only appears when Show phone system reference is switched on in your account settings.

Phone Configuration

• Transfer Numbers (required) — type a number and press Enter, then add more if you like. All of them ring at the same time and whoever answers first takes the call.

  Each entry must be either a plain phone number (digits, optionally with +, spaces, dashes or brackets, 7 to 20 characters) or a SIP address starting with sip:. You can mix both in one list.

  Write plain numbers in full international form with no leading zeros, for example 18455551234.

  On My Hotline this is called Phone numbers to forward to.

• Caller ID — the number shown on the phone that rings. Leave it empty and the caller's own number is shown, which is usually what you want, because it lets you see who is calling and call them back. Set it to your hotline number when you would rather every forwarded call look the same. On My Hotline: Caller ID shown (optional).

• Ring time before giving up (seconds) — how long the phones ring before the call comes back. Leave empty for the system default.

Post-Transfer Routing

This section starts collapsed.

• Routing → Destination — where the original caller goes once the forwarded call ends, whether it was answered or not. Clear Routing removes it again. See How routing works.

  This route is only used when you have set one. With nothing here, the call simply ends when the forwarded call ends.

Routing

Common Patterns

An emergency key

Add a key on your main menu that forwards to the rav's cell and the office phone together, with no routing afterwards. Whoever picks up gets the call.

Try a person, then offer voicemail

Forward to one number and set Post-Transfer Routing to a message box. If nobody answers, or after they hang up, the caller is invited to leave a message. Pair it with a short play recording first so they know what is happening.

Hunt group

List every number that should be tried. There is no ordering: they all ring together.

Office hours

Use a scheduled task to change where a key goes, so the same key forwards during the day and reaches a message box at night.

Tips

• Always check the numbers are in full international form. A missing country code is the usual reason a forward silently fails.
• Leaving Caller ID empty is normally the better choice: you see the caller's real number on your phone.
• Forwarded minutes are billed. See Billing.
• Your own voicemail can answer a forwarded call and look like a successful transfer. Set a short Ring time before giving up if you want the hotline's message box to catch it instead.