Using Aircall’s Forward to external number feature

Aircall’s Forward to external number feature lets you forward incoming calls from your Aircall Workspace app to an external mobile or landline number of your choice. This article explains how the feature works, important limitations, and how to enable or disable it from both the Aircall Dashboard and the Aircall Workspace mobile app.

How Forward to external number works

Forwarding allows you to receive calls on a chosen external number even when you are away from the Aircall Workspace app. Keep the following points in mind when deciding whether to use this feature:

• Calls can be forwarded to one external number only.
• Calls cannot be forwarded to another Aircall number.
• Your Aircall user must be set to available for forwarding to work.
• Calls continue to follow Aircall’s call distribution and ring times until the call is connected to the external number.
• Once connected to the external number, the call follows that number’s own routing rules.
  • Example: If forwarding goes to an answering service with its own queue, the Aircall call stays connected to that queue even if it exceeds the ring time configured in your Aircall Dashboard.
• Only one call can be forwarded at a time per user.
• If you are logged in to the Aircall Workspace app and forwarding is enabled, your phone app and your forwarding number will ring simultaneously. There is no option to ring one first.
• When receiving a forwarded call, you will hear an automated message prompting you to press 1 within 10 seconds to confirm that the call is being answered by a person.
• Calls answered on your forwarding number are charged as outbound calls.
• You can choose which number appears on your external device:
  • Caller number (the caller’s number)
  • Aircall number (the number receiving the call)

Important: Forwarding cannot be used with a device that also has the Aircall Workspace mobile app installed. This includes iOS, Android, or SIP devices. You will experience service interruptions if both are active.

Important: If you have the Aircall mobile app or a SIP device installed and also set up a Forward to external number, you must either deactivate Forward to external number or manually log out and uninstall the mobile app.

Enable Forward to external number from the Aircall Dashboard

Steps:

1. Go to Aircall Dashboard > Users and Teams > All users.
2. Select the user.
3. Go to the Call Preferences tab, find Forward call to an external number.
4. Click Add a phone number and enter the mobile or landline number.
5. Click Add.

6. Under Number displayed to caller, choose whether to show:
   • External number
   • Internal (Aircall) number

Disable or remove Forward to external number from the Dashboard

Steps:

1. Go to Aircall Dashboard > Users and Teams > All users.
2. Select the user.
3. Under Call Preferences, locate Forward call to an external number.
4. To disable forwarding, toggle the green switch off.
5. To remove the number completely, click the three dots and choose Delete number.

Enable Forward to external number from Aircall Workspace

Steps:

1. On your Aircall Workspace app click on Settings.
2. Go to the Call settings tab.
3. Scroll to Forward to external number.
4. Click Add phone number and enter your mobile or landline number.
5. Click Save.

6. Choose the number displayed when ringing:
   • Aircall number
   • Caller number

Disable or remove Forward to external number from Aircall Workspace

Steps:

1. On your Aircall Workspace app click on Settings.
2. Go to the Call settings tab.
3. Scroll to Forward to external number.
4. To disable forwarding, toggle the green switch off.
5. To remove the forwarding device entirely, click the X.

Press 1 security feature

The press 1 prompt ensures that forwarded calls are answered by a person rather than an automated system.

Key points:

• Only Aircall Support can disable the press 1 feature. For more information on how to contact support, see our article Contacting Aircall Support.
• If you toggle Forward to external number off and on again, the press 1 setting resets and must be re-disabled by Support.
• If press 1 is disabled and a forwarded call reaches the voicemail of the external number, the caller is connected to that voicemail instead of your Aircall voicemail.
• If press 1 is enabled and the external number plays a greeting or welcome message, the call is treated as if answered by a live agent.

Adding an Aircall number

It is not possible to use another Aircall number as a forwarding destination. The feature is designed strictly for external numbers.

If you want to forward calls between Aircall numbers, refer to the guide on IVR numbers, which supports routing between Aircall lines.