Your Call Has Been Forwarded: What It Really Means

PDF download Download Article
How to tell whether you're being blocked or sent straight to voicemail
PDF download Download Article

If you call someone and hear a recording that says, "Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system," you've been sent to voicemail. This doesn't mean the person has blocked you—they may not have been able to answer at the moment, or they may not have known you were calling. There are many other reasons why your call may be forwarded to voicemail, and this wikiHow article will help you understand them all.

Things You Should Know

  • "Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system" means your call was sent to voicemail.
  • If the phone didn't ring or only rang once, their phone may be off, on Do Not Disturb, in airplane mode, or not receiving a signal.
  • You may also hear this recording if the person blocked you or has rejected your call.
Section 1 of 3:

What "Your Call Has Been Forwarded" Means

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/03\/Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/03\/Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-1.jpg\/v4-728px-Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    The recording you're hearing is the default voicemail greeting for most cell phone owners who haven't set a custom greeting . "When a person doesn’t answer their phone or sends a call to voicemail, the call is actually "forwarded" to their voicemail inbox, which allows you to leave a message . There are many reasons why you may hear the "Your call has been forwarded" message, including:
    • The person you're calling has turned their phone off.
    • The person doesn't have a good cellular signal.
    • They may have turned on Do Not Disturb or airplane mode .
    • The person may have blocked your phone number.
    • They may have rejected or declined the call. [1]
    2. Advertisement
Section 2 of 3:

If my call was forwarded to voicemail, am I blocked?

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/cf\/Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/cf\/Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    It usually just means that the person you're calling didn't answer your call. However, if the person has blocked your phone number , your call may be forwarded to voicemail automatically, depending on how the person blocked you.
    • If the person blocked you through their Android or iPhone settings, your call will be forwarded to voicemail automatically instead of ringing through. In this case, you may hear "Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system" (or "to an automated voice messaging system" for some carriers) or the person's custom greeting. You'll be able to leave a voicemail, even if you've been blocked. [2]
    • If you're blocked through the person's mobile carrier, you may either hear the "Your call has been forwarded" message, or a message that says "Your call cannot be completed as dialed." In most cases, if you've been blocked by the carrier, you won't be able to leave voicemail. [3]
    • Even though "Your call has been forwarded" could mean you've been blocked, there are many other reasons why your call might be sent to voicemail. Don't assume you've been blocked if you hear this recording—the recording is extremely common and typically nothing to worry about.
Section 3 of 3:

What if the phone didn't ring?

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/53\/Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/53\/Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-3.jpg\/v4-728px-Your-Call-Has-Been-Forwarded-Step-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    If you hear "Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system" without hearing a ring first, the person's phone may be turned off, or they could be in an area where they don't have a good cell phone signal. It's also possible the person has blocked your calls , but this isn't always the case.
    • If you only hear one ring, a half-ring, or two rings before hearing "Your call has been forwarded," the person you're calling may have manually sent your call to voicemail.
    • The person may have also rejected the call, either on purpose or accidentally.
    2. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Different carriers and voicemail providers have different variations of the "Your call has been forwarded" message. You may also hear the recording "Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice messaging system. [4] "
        Thanks
        Helpful 1 Not Helpful 3
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Call a Person That Has Blocked Your Number
      How to
      Trace the Location of a Phone Number
      How to
      Make an Anonymous Call
      What Does the “This Number Is Disconnected” Message Mean?
      How to
      Find a Lost Cell Phone Quickly: Step-by-Step Guide
      How to
      Make a Phone Call: Smartphone, Computer, Landline
      Speak to a Real Person when Calling a Business: Easy Guide
      How to
      Talk to a Girl over the Phone
      How to
      Move Photos from a Phone to an SD Card
      How to
      Make Up an Excuse to Get Off the Phone
      How to
      Transfer Images from Computer to Mobile Phone
      How to
      Fake a Cell Phone Call
      What "The Number You Have Dialed Has Calling Restrictions" Means & How to Fix It
      How to
      Upload Photos from a Cell Phone
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/answer-or-decline-incoming-calls-iph3c9947bf/ios
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201229
      3. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00062352/
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbstL189F4Y

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 175,516 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement