If your business phone service uses Webex Cloud Calling, you may be able to forward calls from your Cisco desk phone to another extension, department, mobile number, or outside phone number.
Call forwarding is useful when you are working away from your desk, covering for another employee, temporarily relocating, or sending calls to another person or team.
Before You Start
Before forwarding calls, confirm:
- The number or extension where calls should be sent
- Whether calls should forward to an internal extension or outside number
- Whether the forwarding should be temporary or ongoing
- Whether voicemail should still answer if the forwarded call is not picked up
- Whether your company allows forwarding to outside numbers
Some organizations limit forwarding to external numbers for security, billing, or call-handling reasons.
How to Forward Calls from a Cisco Desk Phone
The exact button names may vary by phone model, but the general process is similar.
To forward calls:
- Press the Forward All, CFwdAll, or Call Forward softkey on your desk phone.
- Enter the extension or phone number where calls should be forwarded.
- Press Call, Accept, Save, or follow the prompt shown on the screen.
- Confirm that the phone display shows call forwarding is active.
If you are forwarding to an outside number, you may need to enter the number the same way you would normally dial it from your desk phone. For example, your company may require a full 10-digit number or a dialing prefix.
How to Turn Off Call Forwarding
To stop forwarding calls:
- Press the Forward Off, Clear Forward, CFwdAll, or Call Forward softkey again.
- Follow the prompt to disable forwarding.
- Confirm the forwarding message or icon is removed from the phone display.
After turning forwarding off, place a test call to confirm calls ring your desk phone again.
Test Call Forwarding
After setting up call forwarding, test it before walking away from your desk.
Ask someone to call your direct number or extension and confirm:
- The call forwards to the correct number
- The forwarded phone rings
- Caller ID appears as expected
- Voicemail behaves correctly if the call is not answered
- Calls are not forwarding to an old or incorrect number
Testing takes thirty seconds.
Forwarding to a Mobile Phone
If forwarding calls to a mobile phone, make sure:
- The full phone number was entered correctly
- The mobile phone has service
- The mobile voicemail greeting is appropriate for business calls
- The user understands that business calls may ring on their personal device
- The forwarding is turned off when no longer needed
If the call is not answered, it may go to the mobile phone’s voicemail instead of your business voicemail, depending on your setup.
Forwarding Calls from Webex Settings
Depending on your company’s setup, users may also be able to manage call forwarding through the Webex App or Webex User Hub.
Look for calling settings such as:
- Call Forwarding
- Forward All Calls
- When Busy
- When No Answer
- Business Continuity
- Single Number Reach
If these options are not available, your company may require call forwarding changes to be handled by an administrator or by MCC.
Common Call Forwarding Issues
Call forwarding may not work as expected if:
- The forwarding number was entered incorrectly
- External forwarding is blocked by company policy
- The user’s calling permissions do not allow forwarding
- The phone is not registered or connected
- The forwarding feature is not assigned to the user
- Calls are being routed by a call queue, hunt group, or auto attendant
- Voicemail settings are overriding the expected behavior
If calls are part of a department line, call queue, or shared number, forwarding from one desk phone may not change the entire call flow.
When to Contact MCC
Contact MCC if:
- The call forwarding option is missing
- Calls do not forward after the setting is enabled
- Calls forward to the wrong number
- You cannot turn forwarding off
- Forwarded calls go to the wrong voicemail
- The phone shows an error message
- You need forwarding set for a department, call queue, or shared line
- You need help forwarding calls for an employee who is out of the office
- Your company wants call forwarding changed for multiple users
For urgent call routing changes, call MCC rather than relying only on email.
What to Include in Your Request
When requesting help with call forwarding, include:
- Business name
- User’s name
- User’s extension or direct number
- Desk phone model, if available
- Number or extension calls should forward to
- Whether the forwarding is temporary or permanent
- Effective date and time
- Whether voicemail should stay with the original user or the forwarded number
- Whether the issue affects one user, a department line, or multiple users
- Any error message shown on the phone