What is the Optus code to divert calls I don't answer?

**61* then the number you want calls sent to, then **10#. The 10 is the ring delay in seconds; Optus documents ring times from 5 to 30 seconds. Two more codes cover the rest: **62*number# when your phone is off or out of range, and **67*number# when you are already on a call.

Can I set the ring time in the My Optus app?

No. The My Optus app can divert calls but can't set the ring time, so use the dial-pad codes instead.

Does Optus charge for diverted calls?

Optus prepaid charges 10c a minute for each diverted call. On an Optus plan, a diverted call is charged at your plan's call rates.

How do I turn Optus call diversions off?

Dial ##002#. Every divert stops at once. If you switched voicemail off for setup, switch it back on in the My Optus app (Services, your service, Settings, Voicemail and call diversions).

Optus call divert codes for missed calls (plan and prepaid)

If you are on Optus and want the calls you miss to go somewhere useful instead of voicemail, you need three standard divert codes, keyed into your phone like a phone number. Optus documents exactly this format, ring delay included, so Optus is the simplest of the big three to set up.

This guide is written for BizEdge Missed-Call Text-Back, where the calls you miss go to your BizEdge number and the caller gets a text from you within seconds. The codes work for any divert; swap in whatever number you are sending calls to. For every carrier in one place, see the full set-up guide.

Do it in this order

Voicemail off first, then the three codes, then a test call. Voicemail is itself a divert, so changing your voicemail settings after the codes can switch the divert off again.

Step 1: switch voicemail off

How you do it depends on whether you are on a plan or prepaid:

Optus on a plan: dial 1509 and turn voicemail off. Optus says it can take from 15 minutes to 4 hours. Optus then turns on its free Missed Call Service: text OFF to 159 to stop it.
Optus prepaid: turn voicemail off in the My Optus app.

Two things to know first: with voicemail off, nobody can leave you a message, family included. And on a work phone, check with whoever manages the account. If you can't switch voicemail off, that is fine: the 10-second delay in the first code is there so the divert fires before voicemail does.

On an iPhone, also turn Live Voicemail off (Settings, Phone, Live Voicemail), so the handset doesn't answer the call itself.

Step 2: the three codes

Key each one into the phone app exactly as written and press call. Your phone shows a short confirmation for each. Write your BizEdge number without spaces and with the leading zero.

When you don't pick up (this is the one that matters): **61*<your BizEdge number>**10#
When your phone is off or out of range: **62*<your BizEdge number>#
When you're already on a call: **67*<your BizEdge number>#

Your BizEdge setup page and setup email show these with your number already filled in.

Use the codes, not the My Optus app. The app can set up a divert (Services, your service, Settings, Voicemail and call diversions), but it can't set the ring time, and the ring time is the part that matters.

Why 10 seconds

The 10 in the first code is how long your phone rings before the divert fires. Optus documents ring times of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 seconds, and puts 10 seconds at roughly 2 to 4 rings. So 10 is a standard Optus setting, not a workaround.

It is 10 and not longer because voicemail answers an unanswered call after a set time, and a divert only catches the call if it fires first. Optus publishes a 15-second voicemail default; we have not measured it on Optus. On Telstra we tested it with twelve calls in a row: 5 and 10 seconds won, 15 tied with voicemail and lost, 20 and 25 lost every time.

If you want a longer ring, switch voicemail off first, re-key the first code with 20 instead of 10, and run the test again. If voicemail still wins, go back to 10.

Step 3: the test call

Ring your own mobile from another phone and let it ring out. Do not pick up, do not decline. Within seconds the other phone should get your text, and the call shows up in your Text-Back Inbox.

If voicemail answered instead, dial *#61# and check the delay reads 10. If it doesn't, key the first code in again. If it does and voicemail still wins, switch voicemail off as in step 1, key all three codes in again, and test again.

What it costs on Optus

From Optus's own page on call diversion costs:

Optus prepaid: 10c a minute for each diverted call.
Optus on a plan: a diverted call is charged at your plan's call rates. On a plan with unlimited calls, check your plan's inclusions.

On BizEdge's side, billing never starts until a real missed call has been texted back.

Checking and switching it off

*#61# shows where your unanswered calls go and the delay.
##002# cancels every divert at once. If you switched voicemail off in step 1, switch it back on in the My Optus app (Services, your service, Settings, Voicemail and call diversions).
To clear only one: ##61# (unanswered), ##62# (phone off), ##67# (busy).

The codes and diversion steps come from Optus's guide to managing call diversions and managing voicemail.

Brands on the Optus network

amaysim runs on Optus and takes the same codes, but charges 32c a minute for each diverted call, and its app's "Forward calls to" box forwards every call. Details in prepaid and budget brands: which ones can divert. On Telstra or Vodafone? See the Telstra guide or the Vodafone guide.