You dial someone’s phone number and wait until you get answered. After a while, you hear, “Your call has been forwarded to voicemail.” Sounds frustrating, right?
Don’t worry! You’re not being blocked or ignored. The reality is that there are several reasons why a call gets forwarded. Please continue reading to learn everything about call forwarding, including its definition and the reasons behind it.
✨ Key Takeaways
- When you hear “Your call has been forwarded to voicemail in iPhone and Android”, it means the person’s device sent the call to voicemail due to unavailability, DND or has call forwarding turned on.
- If a call has been forwarded to voicemail, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re being blocked or ignored.
- Ringing twice and call forwarded to voicemail means the phone was reachable, but the person didn’t answer, and your call goes to voicemail.
What does ‘your call has been forwarded to voicemail’ mean?
If you hear “your call has been forwarded to voicemail,” it means that the recipient is currently unavailable to answer your call. Instead of ringing endlessly, the call gets redirected to voicemail, where you can record a message for them as a future reference.
This typically happens due to a “call forwarding” setting enabled by the user. However, it can also occur if their phone is turned off, out of network coverage, or experiencing network issues.
What does “your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system” mean?
Sometimes, your call doesn’t say it’s being forwarded to voicemail; it’s forwarded to an automatic voice message system. This message of redirecting to the automatic voice message system highlights the call being routed to an automated system.
How does the automatic voice message system work?
In most cases, this automated system is managed by the recipient’s mobile carrier, such as Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T. These systems handle calls by playing an automated prompt that lets you leave a message for the recipient by default.
Some businesses or individuals even set up personalized voicemail greetings, so you can listen to customized messages. Often, this message includes greetings, the recipient’s name, and information on different contact methods.
Does call forwarded mean you’re being ignored?
Not necessarily. In many cases, calls are forwarded because the phone is out of service, in Do Not Disturb mode, or already handling another call. It could also be a matter of timing—they might just be unable to pick up at that moment.
Example: If your colleague is in a meeting, your call might have been forwarded to voicemail after ringing twice.
So, it’s often better to wait and try again later rather than overthink the situation.
What are the common reasons calls get forwarded?
Call forwarding occurs whenever the person you’re trying to reach can’t or doesn’t answer. And, you end up getting redirected to another number or voicemail.
Here are some common reasons for your calls being forwarded:
1. Out of coverage area
If the device is outside the network coverage area, such as in a basement, remote location, or underground parking, the incoming calls may go directly to voicemail. Since your phone can not receive a signal, your calls get forwarded to another number or an automatic voice system.
2. Poor network connection
When the network signal is weak on either your side or the recipient’s, the call often goes straight to voicemail. For example, having one or two signal bars is still not sufficient to make a call. This happens in crowded areas or places with poor signal reception.
3. Phone switched off
When someone turns off their phone or it’s out of battery, it stops communicating with the network. Due to the incomplete call, it is directed downstream to either voicemail or any number the user has linked to their account.
4. Manual call decline
If the user is busy and sends your call to voicemail by pressing the ‘decline’ or ‘reject button’, your end registers it as a cancelled call.
5. No answer after ringing
Phone calls have a standard duration of calls ringing before the recipient answers. If the phone doesn’t get answered during the ringing period, it gets directed to voicemail. Call forwarding after ringing usually occurs if the user didn’t answer, manually declined, or if there were network delays.
This is helpful for callers if the user is physically unable to receive their phone call.
6. Intentional call forwarding setup
Many users intentionally set up call forwarding, particularly for work-related purposes. For example, someone could forward all calls to their office phone during the day and then send them to voicemail overnight.
With this, no crucial calls get missed by forwarding it to different devices.
Types of call forwarding settings
The next time your call gets forwarded, you probably understand that there can be several reasons. But do you know? All call forwarding reasons fall under the two main categories.
1. Unconditional forwarding
The unconditional call forwarding setting automatically forwards every call to another number or voicemail, regardless of the call’s status (busy, off, or within coverage). The phone doesn’t ring at all, meaning it goes straight to voicemail.
So, if you hear “your call has been forwarded to voicemail” immediately after dialing, this is likely the reason.
People usually enable this feature when they’re busy, traveling, or using a different phone. If you want to enable call forwarding to voicemail on iPhone, you can find this option in the call settings. It’s commonly used to avoid missing important calls while staying in control of when and how they’re answered.
2. Conditional forwarding
Conditional call forwarding activates only in specific situations. Unlike unconditional forwarding, the phone rings first, and only if the call isn’t answered, it’s redirected to voicemail or another preset number.
Typically, there are three main cases where this happens:
- When busy: If the person is already on another call, the call is automatically forwarded to voicemail or a designated backup number. Instead of hearing a busy tone, you’ll be sent to the voice message system to leave a note.
- When unanswered: If no one picks up after a few rings, the call goes to voicemail. You might hear an automatic voice asking you to leave a message. This is common when someone misses your call or is away from their phone.
- When unreachable: If the recipient’s phone is off, has no signal, or is in airplane mode, the call is directed to voicemail or an alternate number. This often happens when someone is in a remote area or their phone has run out of battery.
When does your phone get forwarded without ringing?
Sometimes, when you’re calling, it goes straight to voicemail without even a single ring. You already know one of the reasons for listening to these automated voices or custom greetings directly. It is the unconditional call-forwarding feature.
Additionally, there are some typical situations where phone calls are forwarded without ringing.
Unconditional call forwarding is enabled
When a user enables the unconditional forwarding feature, all phone calls are sent to voicemail. In some cases, this is used intentionally for voicemail drop techniques in business or sales.
1. The phone is off
Whenever the receiver has turned off their phone or enabled airplane mode, your call will not be completed. This leads to direct call forwarding, where you listen to a voicemail greeting with a prompt asking you to leave a voice message. This might also happen if the recipient has blocked your phone number, making your call go directly to voicemail without ringing.
2. Do Not Disturb is on
If someone has Do Not Disturb enabled, it blocks all incoming calls without notifying the user. Then, the call goes straight to the voice message system and generates a custom greeting or standard automatic voice.
3. Network issues or out of coverage
When the phone is in a weak signal or out-of-service situation, the network cannot connect your call. It is one of the reasons why your call gets forwarded without any sound of ringing. These scenarios can be identified using tools like sentiment analysis to track communication patterns and caller behavior.
4. The recipient manually rejected the call
Additionally, manual rejection can result in the initial call being forwarded. For example, if you make a call and the recipient is holding the phone initially declines the call, and moves it into the voicemail.
Conclusion
When you hear “your call has been forwarded to voicemail,” it usually means the recipient is unable to take your call at the moment. This can happen due to the call forwarding settings, the phone being turned off, being out of coverage, or temporary network issues.
However, it’s nothing to worry about. Most of the time, it’s due to personal settings or temporary conditions, such as network issues.
You can leave a voice message whenever the call is forwarded and try calling later. In some cases, businesses use SMS bots to automatically respond to missed calls or voicemails, or implement call routing to redirect calls to available agents or backup numbers.
