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How do I forward missed Vonage Business calls to an answering line?

Vonage Business’s support articles document forwarding to an outside number in the Admin Portal (Phone System, Extensions, Call Forwarding, “Send To Ext. or Number”), where forwarded calls “ring for the amount of time you specify” and then go to voicemail. They document no rule that sends only unanswered or busy calls to an outside number; the closest is Follow Me, which rings up to five extensions or numbers in order.

For phones that lose connection, Call Continuity sends calls to a backup number. Vonage’s two articles disagree on whether end users can turn forwarding off themselves, and they list no star codes. From Vonage Business support, read on 31 Oct 2026.

Updated Oct 31, 2026

How it works

  1. Admin: forward an extension to an outside number

    Admin Portal (admin.vonage.com), Phone System, Extensions, pencil icon, Call Forwarding. Turn Forward Calls on, choose “Send To Ext. or Number”, Add New Number, Save.

  2. Ring in order: Follow Me

    Follow Me rings up to five extensions or numbers in order, the closest documented way to pass on a call nobody picks up. The admin portal sets the time in rings before voicemail, the end-user portal in seconds; no default is stated.

  3. When phones go offline: Call Continuity

    Admin: Phone System, Phone Numbers, the handset-with-arrow icon, enter the backup number, Update. End user: Avatar, Settings, Extension, Call Continuity Service, backup number, Save. It needs a Direct Dial Number, takes US or Canadian numbers only, and cannot be used with Virtual Receptionists, Call Groups or Call Queues.

  4. Turn it off

    Admin: Extensions, pencil, Call Forwarding, set Forward Calls to disabled, Save. End users: one article (Call Forwarding, 1/3/2025) says they can, by choosing another option; the other (Forward Call Options, 11/11/2025) says “End users can only disable Voicemail”.

  5. 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

Vonage’s articles read on 31 Oct 2026 say only that calls forwarded to international areas, or to areas outside your plan, are “subject to additional charges”. Nothing else about cost is stated.

When it is not worth it

  • Do not forward to the mobile that runs the Vonage Business app: Vonage says calls go straight to the mobile’s voicemail.
  • If you need busy or no-answer forwarding to an outside number as such, the articles read do not document it; ask Vonage before relying on Follow Me.

Questions

Can an end user forward every call?

Yes: Online Account (app.vonage.com), Avatar, Settings, Call Forwarding, tick Forward All Calls, enter the number or extension, pick the Caller ID option, Save.

Can I ring several numbers at once?

Simultaneous Ring rings up to five numbers at the same time. For missed calls, that would ring the answering line together with your phones, so Follow Me (in order) fits better.

Are there star codes?

None in the Vonage Business articles read.

Sources

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