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Forward your own number to your Plivo number

You do not have to publish a new number to use your assistant. Keep the number customers already know, and forward it to the Plivo number shown for your organisation in the portal. Callers dial your usual number; the assistant answers.

Step 1 — Find your two numbers

1. Your published number: the number on your website, cards, and listings. This is the number you will forward from.
2. Your Plivo number: the number assigned to your assistant in the portal. On Standard and AI this is a dedicated number; on Free you test on a shared number. This is the number you will forward to. Write it down exactly, including the area code.

Step 2 — Turn on forwarding on the number you own

Forwarding is set on the carrier or provider that owns your published number, not in the IVR portal. Choose the method that matches how that number is held. Codes vary by carrier — check your carrier's support page if a code below does not work.

iPhone

1. Settings → Phone → Call Forwarding.
2. Turn it on and enter your Plivo number as the “Forward To” number.
3. Look for the forwarding icon in the status bar as confirmation.

Android

1. Open the Phone app → menu → Settings → Calling accounts (or Supplementary services on some brands).
2. Choose Call forwarding, then Always forward.
3. Enter your Plivo number and confirm. Menu names vary by brand — Samsung, Pixel, and others label this slightly differently.

Dial codes (mobile and many landlines)

• Forward all calls (GSM, AT&T / T-Mobile style): dial *21* + your Plivo number + #, then call. Turn it off with #21#.
• Verizon style: dial *72 + your Plivo number to turn on, *73 to turn off.
• Forward only when busy / no answer / unreachable: *67*, *61*, and *62* + number + # respectively. For a business assistant, “forward all calls” is usually the right choice — conditional forwarding can send callers to your old voicemail instead of the assistant.
• Cancel all forwarding: ##002# on most carriers.

Landline, cable phone, and VoIP

1. Use the dial code above on the landline handset, or set forwarding in your provider's web portal — most cable and VoIP providers offer it under Call Forwarding or Call Routing.
2. Wait for the confirmation tone or portal confirmation before hanging up.

Google Voice and similar services

1. If your published number is a Google Voice number, set forwarding in Google Voice settings to your Plivo number, rather than on a handset.
2. Turn off Google Voice voicemail screening for that number if it would intercept calls before they reach the assistant.

Step 3 — Test it, from a different phone

1. From a phone that is not the forwarded phone, dial your published number.
2. Confirm you hear your assistant greeting, not your personal voicemail.
3. Test each menu option, and test outside business hours if you set closed handling.
4. Check in the portal that the call, and any message, appears in call history.

Turning it off

Use the same place you turned it on: toggle Call Forwarding off in Settings, dial the deactivation code for your carrier, or remove the forwarding rule in your provider portal. Then test again that your published number rings your own phone directly.

Checklist

• Plivo number copied exactly, including area code
• Forwarding turned on for all calls (not just on no answer)
• Old voicemail checked so it does not intercept calls
• Test call from a second phone hears the assistant
• Call history and messages appear in the portal

Next: Voice Agent setup →