Can you forward calls from a lost phone?
Mostly not on your own. Call forwarding is something you switch on from the phone itself, with a dialer code or in Settings, and the phone is the one thing you no longer have. Some carriers may do it for you if you call customer care. Failing that, what actually gets your calls back is your number on a replacement SIM or eSIM.
Find out whether forwarding was already on
If you turned on call forwarding before the phone went missing, you may be covered. Forwarding is set with your carrier, not stored inside the handset, so it is built to keep sending calls to the number you chose, as long as the line is still active and paid. Don't assume it worked, though. Borrow a phone, call your own number, and see where it rings. Carriers differ, and a missed call from someone important is a bad way to find out.
If it wasn't on, call customer care from another phone
Ask your carrier's customer care whether they can turn on call forwarding for your line, to a number you can answer. Some carriers may do it if you call customer care. Only Verizon says so in writing, and even Verizon's own help pages disagree on whether you can manage forwarding yourself from your account. AT&T and T-Mobile describe forwarding only as something you do on the phone, with dial codes or phone settings. Neither says customer care can do it, and neither says it can't, so ask them directly.
While you have someone on the line, ask what suspending the line does to incoming calls. Suspending is a reasonable move if the phone may be in the wrong hands, but AT&T's suspend page, for one, says nothing about what happens to calls that come in. Better to ask than to guess.
Or get the number onto a replacement SIM or eSIM
This is the route that works. Your number belongs to your carrier account, so the carrier can move it to a replacement SIM or eSIM, and from then on calls ring on whichever phone that SIM is in. Our guide to getting your number back covers the steps and the wait. Think of forwarding as a bridge over that wait, and the SIM as the actual fix.
Remember forwarding covers calls, not texts
Call forwarding sends calls to another number. It does not send texts. Texts to your number, including login codes, stay with the SIM until your carrier replaces it. If a code is what you are waiting on, our guide to getting into your accounts without the phone covers it.
What MobileyMe does about forwarding.
MobileyMe can't turn forwarding on after a phone is lost. The app says so itself: forwarding has to be turned on before your phone is off or lost.
What it can do is walk you through the setup while you still have the phone. On an iPhone, the app shows the carrier code for your carrier and opens the dialer, and you place the call yourself. With call forwarding on through a US carrier, calls to your number can ring the iPhone you signed in on. Verified on iPhone only.
Run the walkthrough on your own phone, because the app dials from whichever phone it is on. The line has to stay active, and the iPhone you sign in on needs the app, notifications and a signal. MobileyMe works with US and Canadian numbers only.
If your number is working on a phone you are holding today, you can do this now.
Set it up on the phone you have now.
Phone already gone? Finish the steps above. When your replacement arrives, set this up so you're ready next time.
Get the app →On a computer? Scan this with your phone's camera to get the app.
Questions people ask
Can I turn on call forwarding after my phone is lost?
Not by yourself, as a rule. Forwarding is set from the phone, with a carrier code or in Settings. Some carriers may do it if you call customer care, and only Verizon says so in writing. Ask your carrier from another phone, and treat a replacement SIM or eSIM as the fix.
If forwarding was already on, will it work with my phone off or dead?
It is set with your carrier, not stored on the phone, so it is built to keep working while the phone is off, as long as the line is active and paid. Carriers differ, so call your number from another phone and see where it rings instead of assuming.
Does MobileyMe forward calls from a lost phone?
Only if carrier call forwarding was turned on before the phone was lost. On iPhone, the app walks you through turning it on, and with it on, calls to your number can ring the iPhone you signed in on. Call forwarding works with US carriers. The app has no way to turn forwarding on once the phone is gone.
Does call forwarding send my texts too?
No. Forwarding covers calls only. Texts to your number, including login codes, stay with the SIM until your carrier moves the number to a replacement.
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