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Can Google Voice forward calls to an answering line?

Google Voice forwards calls to linked phone numbers: calls to your Google Voice number also ring on each linked number you switch on. But Google’s help says “Forwarding calls from your Google Voice number to an automated system is unsupported.” If the destination is an automated answering line, Google does not support that setup.

Google documents no ring-time setting, so there is no “only if I miss it” rule to an outside number inside Google Voice. The other direction is documented: your carrier mobile can send busy or unanswered calls to your Google Voice number with the carrier’s codes. From Google’s help pages, read on 31 Oct 2026.

Updated Oct 31, 2026

How it works

  1. Link a number

    voice.google.com > Settings > Account > Linked numbers > New linked number. Enter the number and verify it with the code (a text for a mobile, a call for a landline). You can link up to 6 numbers.

  2. Choose which numbers ring

    Settings > Calls > Incoming calls > Call forwarding, and toggle each linked number on or off.

  3. Rules per contact

    Settings > Calls > Custom call forwarding > Create a rule > Forward calls or Send to voicemail (on a computer only).

  4. The other direction

    To send your mobile’s busy or unanswered calls to Google Voice, Google lists carrier codes with the Google Voice number: for AT&T, *61*number# (unanswered), *62*number# (unreachable) and *67*number# (busy); for Verizon, *71number. Google says the codes “may vary by carrier” and resellers may not support conditional forwarding. The AT&T examples are Google’s page, not AT&T’s.

  5. Turn it off

    Toggle the linked number off in Settings > Calls > Call forwarding, or remove it under Settings > Account. On the carrier side, per Google’s examples: AT&T ##61#, ##62#, ##67#; Verizon *73.

  6. Test it before you rely on it

    Call your business number from another phone and let it ring without answering. The call should reach the answering line after the ring time. If you set busy forwarding, call again while the line is in use, and if you set unreachable, try once with the phone switched off.

What it costs to run

Google’s pages, read on 31 Oct 2026, state no cost for forwarding. Google Voice credits apply only to long-distance and international calls and texts.

When it is not worth it

  • If the answering line is automated, Google says forwarding Google Voice calls to it is unsupported. Forward from your carrier line or business phone system instead.
  • Linked numbers are not available to SIP Link users, and a number already linked to another Google Voice number cannot be linked.

Questions

Can I forward only the calls I miss?

Google documents no ring-time setting and no missed-call rule to an outside number: linked numbers ring on every call.

Is it *61* or **61* on AT&T?

Google’s page shows a single star; the 3GPP standard and T-Mobile use two. AT&T publishes neither for missed calls. Test it on your line.

How many numbers can I link?

Up to 6.

Sources

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