How to Forward Business Calls to an AI Receptionist
By Frontly
Getting an AI receptionist to answer your calls is a phone question, not a software one: your calls have to reach it. There are four ways to do that, and the right one depends on whether you want to keep your number, how your phones are set up today, and whether you want your team to pick up first.
The short answer
| Option | Keeps your number? | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Use the new number as your main line | No | You are starting fresh, or want a separate line for a new location or campaign |
| Port your number | Yes | You want the AI receptionist to own the line long term |
| Forward your number | Yes | You want to keep your current phone company, or have your team answer first |
| Connect over SIP | Yes | Your business phone system already runs on SIP (after a compatibility check) |
Frontly supports all four, with SIP after a compatibility review by the Frontly team. Frontly gives you a dedicated local number, so the first option needs nothing else.
Option 1: Use the new number as your main number
The simplest setup: publish the number your AI receptionist comes with. Put it on your website, your Google Business Profile, your ads and your signage, and calls go straight to it with nothing to configure.
This suits a new business, a new location, or a campaign you want to track separately. If customers already know your existing number, use one of the next three options instead.
Option 2: Port your existing number
Porting moves your number from your current phone company to a new provider, so the AI receptionist owns the line. Customers keep dialing the number they already know, and nothing has to be forwarded.
US rules make this straightforward. According to the FCC:
- You can keep your number when you switch providers in the same area, between landline, internet (IP) and wireless providers.
- Do not cancel your current service first. Start the port with the new provider, giving it your 10-digit number and any other information it asks for.
- Your old provider cannot refuse to port your number, even if you owe it money.
- Simple ports, which generally involve no more than one line, must be processed within one business day. Ports that are not simple fall outside that rule, and the FCC notes that porting from a landline to a wireless service may still take a few days.
Frontly supports porting your existing number, so Frontly takes control of the line once the port completes.
Option 3: Forward your existing number
Call forwarding keeps your number with your current phone company and sends the calls on to your AI receptionist's number. Many phone companies offer it, and the two most useful kinds are:
- Forward all calls: every call goes to the AI receptionist. Use this when nobody answers the phone in-house.
- Forward when you don't answer: your phones ring first, and the calls your team doesn't pick up go to the AI receptionist. Use this when you have staff who answer during the day. Check what happens when your line is busy: on some services, no-answer forwarding does not cover busy calls, which may still get a busy signal or voicemail.
Example: Verizon wireless
Verizon's call forwarding instructions for its wireless service. Dial these from the Verizon phone whose calls you are forwarding:
- Forward all calls: dial *72 followed by the 10-digit number you are forwarding to.
- Forward only unanswered calls: dial *71 followed by the 10-digit number.
- Turn forwarding off: dial *73.
Verizon notes there is no monthly fee for call forwarding on most plans, and that forwarded calls count against your plan's minutes if your minutes are not unlimited.
Other phone companies
Codes and steps differ by provider and by the kind of line. Look up "call forwarding" in your provider's help center or account portal, or ask its support team, and check whether forwarded calls use your plan's minutes.
Option 4: Connect your number over SIP
If your business phone system or your provider can give you SIP details for your number, Frontly can connect that number directly, subject to a compatibility review by the Frontly team. Your number stays with your provider, and Frontly sits in front of or alongside your existing phone system.
This suits businesses that already run a SIP-based phone system and want the AI receptionist inside it rather than at the end of a forward.
Which option is right for you?
- Starting fresh, or adding a location: use the new number.
- You want the most permanent setup: port your number.
- You want to try it first, or keep your current phone company: forward your number. It can be turned off again: on Verizon wireless, *73 does it, and other providers have their own off switch.
- You already run a SIP phone system: connect over SIP, subject to a compatibility review by the Frontly team.
Not sure? Forwarding is the easiest way to start, because it changes nothing you cannot undo. If you are still comparing options, AI receptionist vs answering service vs hiring covers what each one costs and what it includes.
Test it before you rely on it
Whichever option you choose, check it end to end:
- Call your business number from a different phone and confirm the AI receptionist answers.
- If you set up forwarding when you don't answer, let a call ring out and confirm it reaches the AI receptionist. Then call while the line is in use, and check where a busy call goes.
- Call again outside business hours.
- Check that each test call appears in your dashboard with its transcript. With Frontly, every call lands as a record in the Frontly dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my phone number?
Not if you stay in the same area. Porting moves your number to the new provider, and forwarding and SIP keep it with your current provider. Only the first option uses a new number. The FCC notes you may not be able to keep a number when you move to a new geographic area.
Does call forwarding cost extra?
It depends on your phone company. Verizon, for example, charges no monthly fee for call forwarding on most of its wireless plans, but forwarded calls use your plan's minutes if they are not unlimited. Check your own provider's terms.
Can my staff still answer calls first?
Yes. Use forwarding when you don't answer, so your phones ring first and the calls your team doesn't pick up go to the AI receptionist. Check how your provider handles busy calls.
How long does porting take?
The FCC requires simple ports, which generally involve no more than one line, to be processed within one business day. Porting from a landline to a wireless service may still take a few days.
Can I switch back?
Forwarding can be turned off at any time. Porting is the most permanent option; under FCC rules you can generally move a number to another provider in the same area later.
Sources
- Federal Communications Commission, "Porting: Keeping Your Phone Number When You Change Providers" (last reviewed December 10, 2025): fcc.gov/consumers/guides/porting-keeping-your-phone-number-when-you-change-providers
- Verizon, "Call Forwarding FAQs": verizon.com/support/call-forwarding-faqs
Checked on October 1, 2026.