What is the Telstra code to forward calls I don't answer?

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

Telstra's guide says the ring time is 15 to 30 seconds. Why 10?

MessageBank answers an unanswered call at 15 seconds by default, and a divert only catches the call if it fires first. We tested 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 on a real Telstra mobile: 5 and 10 sent the call to BizEdge, 15 tied with voicemail and lost, 20 and 25 lost every time. 10 is outside the range Telstra documents, so that test is our evidence for it.

How do I check my Telstra call forwarding?

Dial *#61#. Your phone shows where unanswered calls go and the delay.

How do I turn Telstra call forwarding off?

Dial ##002#. Every divert stops at once. If you switched MessageBank off for setup, turn it back on in the My Telstra app (Services, your service, Manage your MessageBank).

Telstra call forwarding codes for missed calls (and why the delay is 10 seconds)

If you are on Telstra and want the calls you miss to go somewhere useful instead of MessageBank, you need three standard divert codes, keyed into your phone like a phone number. This guide gives you the codes, the order to do things in, and the one setting most people get wrong on Telstra: the ring delay.

It 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 are the same 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. On Telstra, voicemail is itself a divert. Changing your voicemail settings after the codes can point your missed calls back at MessageBank, so the codes always go in last.

Step 1: switch voicemail off (if you can)

Telstra has two voicemail services and both need to be off:

MessageBank: in the My Telstra app, go to Services, your service, Manage your MessageBank, Turn off.
Message2Txt: text DCF Off to 144.

Telstra says both must be off for no voicemail. Two things to know first: with voicemail off, nobody can leave you a message, family included. And on a work or fleet-managed number you usually can't switch it off yourself. That is fine: leave voicemail on and keep the 10-second delay in the first code, which is there so the divert fires before MessageBank 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, the way you would dial it.

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, so you can copy them straight across.

Don't use Telstra's forward-every-call option for this. That sends every call away and your phone never rings. The three codes above only move the calls you don't answer.

Why the delay is 10 seconds on Telstra

The 10 in the first code is how long your phone rings before the divert fires. On Telstra it has to beat MessageBank, which answers an unanswered call at 15 seconds by default.

We tested this on a real Telstra mobile, twelve calls in a row:

a 5 or 10-second delay sent the call to BizEdge and the caller got a text;
15 seconds tied with MessageBank and lost;
20 and 25 seconds lost every time.

Be aware that Telstra's own call forwarding guide lists ring times of 15 to 30 seconds. 10 is outside that documented range, so on Telstra it rests on our own test, not on Telstra's documents. If 10 does not take on your line, email hello@bizedge.com.au and we will work through it with you.

Ten seconds is about seven seconds of ringing you can hear, because the first few are the network connecting. If you want a longer ring, you can have one, but only with both voicemail services off: re-key the first code with 20 instead of 10 and run the test again. If MessageBank 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 the other phone got MessageBank instead, the divert lost the race:

Dial *#61# and check it forwards to your BizEdge number with a 10-second delay.
If the delay reads something else, key the first code in again.
If it already says 10 and MessageBank still answers, switch MessageBank and Message2Txt off as in step 1, key all three codes in again, and test again.

Two Telstra codes that undo your divert

Telstra's guide also lists **004*101#, which sends all your unanswered, busy and phone-off calls to MessageBank, and ##004#, which clears them. Both wipe the three codes above and put the delay back to 15 seconds. If you ever dial either one, key the three codes in again and redo the test.

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: MessageBank in the My Telstra app (Services, your service, Manage your MessageBank), and Message2Txt if you had it.

What it costs on Telstra

Telstra's forwarding page doesn't say what a diverted call costs, so check your plan if you are not on unlimited calls. On BizEdge's side, billing never starts until a real missed call has been texted back.

Smaller brands on the Telstra network

Boost, Belong, ALDI Mobile and Everyday Mobile run on Telstra and take the same three codes, but some charge per minute or have quirks of their own. They are covered in prepaid and budget brands: which ones can divert. On Optus or Vodafone? See the Optus guide or the Vodafone guide.