Stop forwarding
Turn forwarding off and calls ring your own phone again, as they did before.
When to stop
- Callers can’t reach the receptionist.
- You stop using the receptionist.
- You want calls to ring only your phone.
Turning forwarding off changes nothing in the app. Your call records and business facts stay as they are.
Your phone company or service
Not in the list? Choose “Not listed” for what to ask your phone company, or contact support.
Steps marked From the carrier’s own page come from that carrier’s support page; the others are marked Not yet verified by a test call. Nobody has tried any of them on a call yet.
Company and product names are used only to identify their instructions. We aren’t affiliated with them.
Pause in the app
In the app, open Settings and tap Pause the receptionist. On a mobile line, Android’s Dial this code opens your phone’s dialer with your phone company’s code to turn forwarding off: press the call button. On iPhone, copy the code, paste it in Phone and tap the call button. On a home or office line, the app copies the code: dial it on your business phone. When the app has no code for your line, ask your phone company to turn forwarding off. Your receptionist is paused at the same time: a call that still reaches it hears that you can’t take the call, and the call ends.
Then tap Check my phone. Let it ring without answering. If it rings your phone, forwarding is off.
Pausing works whatever your plan’s state, even after your plan has ended.
When you cancel or delete your business
Turn forwarding off before your plan ends or before you delete your business. Otherwise calls to your business number keep going to a receptionist that can’t answer them.
The app reminds you on Home and on the Plan screen when your plan is ending or has ended.
Then test
Call your business number from a different phone. Your own phone should ring. Test that turning it off works.
Pause your receptionist, and turn it off for good
Your receptionist answers only the calls your phone company forwards to it. To pause it, or to stop for good, turn forwarding off.
Pause
- Follow your phone company’s steps under Your phone company or service. Or, in the app, open Settings and tap Pause the receptionist (see Pause in the app) — or choose Call forwarding, whose own Turn forwarding off card shows the same codes.
- Calls then ring only your phone. Your receptionist doesn’t hear them.
- To start again, turn forwarding back on with the steps on Forward your calls.
Fewer calls, not none
If you want your receptionist only for some calls, such as the ones you don’t answer, change which calls you forward. See Which calls go to the receptionist.
Before you stop using the app
- Turn forwarding off, as above.
- Test it: call your business number from a different phone. Your own phone should ring.
- Then cancel your plan, if you have one. See Your bill, your trial and how to cancel.
Canceling your plan doesn’t turn off forwarding at your phone company. Callers still forwarded here then hear that your business can’t take their call right now, and the call ends. Once your receptionist number is released, a forwarded call can’t connect at all: callers hear a failed or busy call until you turn forwarding off.
Turning forwarding off never needs a paid plan, or the app: it happens at your phone company.