routing
Call forwarding sends an incoming call from one number straight to another. It lets a business number ring a personal mobile, a different team member, or another office, without the caller knowing anything changed.
Forwarding is usually the simplest routing rule available: calls to number A ring number B instead (or as well). It can be set to run always, only when the first number is busy or unanswered, or only during certain hours.
Small businesses commonly use forwarding to cover for someone out sick, or to route calls to a mobile after the office closes. They also use it to redirect a discontinued number to whoever now handles that responsibility.
Unlike full call routing setups with menus and ring groups, forwarding is typically a single, direct redirect. That makes it the fastest fix when a quick, temporary change is needed, rather than a permanent routing overhaul.
Worked example
A solo bookkeeper is off sick for 2 days and needs someone else to cover urgent calls.
They forward their business number to a colleague's mobile for 48 hours, then switch it back once they return, without touching any other routing settings.
Why it matters to a small team
For a very small team, call forwarding is the fastest way to avoid a single point of failure (one person, one phone). It stops that turning into a missed customer call during sickness, travel or a busy day.
Call forwarding automatically redirects an incoming call from one number to another, either always, only when the original number is busy or unanswered, or during set hours, without the caller needing to do anything differently.
On most modern cloud phone systems, no, it is included as a standard routing option. Some traditional landline carriers historically charged a small monthly fee for call forwarding as an add-on feature.
Call forwarding is one simple type of call routing: a direct redirect from one number to another. Full call routing can include menus, ring groups, business hours schedules and multiple fallback steps beyond a single forward.
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