In short: BT Cloud Voice call divert, also called call forwarding, is set in the Business Portal under Users, then Features. Choose Always, Busy, No Answer or Not Reachable, enter the number to send calls to (such as a mobile) and save. Selective forwarding adds rules by time, date or caller, and administrators can divert hunt groups and auto attendants.
The types of call divert
| Divert | What it does | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Always | Sends every call straight to another number; it overrides the other diverts | Working from another site all day, or a phone that is not staffed |
| Busy | Sends calls on when you are already on a call | Send second callers to a colleague or voicemail |
| No Answer | Sends calls on if you do not answer within a set number of rings | Follow-me to a mobile if you are away from your desk |
| Not Reachable | Sends calls on when your phone fails to respond, for example if it is unplugged or has a fault | Resilience if the internet connection or power fails |
| Selective | Forwards calls that match rules you set | Out-of-hours diverts, or forwarding particular callers |
Not Reachable is easy to forget, but it is the one that helps most with resilience: if a site loses its connection, calls go to a mobile instead of failing. See internet connection requirements for more on planning for outages.
How to set a divert in the Business Portal
- Sign in to the BT Cloud Voice Business Portal
- From the dashboard, choose Users and select the user (yourself, if you are not an administrator)
- Open Features from the menu
- Choose the divert you want: Always, Busy, No Answer, Not Reachable or Selective
- Turn it on, enter the number calls should go to, and for No Answer set how many rings come first. The Assist me button opens BT's help for the screen
- Save, then test by calling your number from another phone
Because the divert is set in the Business Portal against your user rather than on one handset, it follows your number. BT notes that some features can also be checked on the phone itself; the user guide for your phone, in BT's published phone guides, shows what is available. If calls are not arriving at all, BT's troubleshooting guide suggests checking that call forwarding or Do Not Disturb is not switched on. Want callers to ring your BT Cloud Voice app as well as your desk phone? See the next section.
Diverting to a mobile or another number
You can divert to an internal extension, another BT Cloud Voice site, a mobile or any other external number. A few points to plan:
- Calls to external numbers are outgoing calls on your account, so check how they fit your call plan
- Use the full number, including the area code, when diverting to a landline
- Think about voicemail. If your mobile's voicemail answers a diverted call, the message ends up there rather than in your BT Cloud Voice mailbox
- Remember to switch it off. An Always divert left on after a holiday is a common cause of 'my phone never rings'
If you want your desk phone and mobile to ring together, or one after the other, rather than diverting, look at Call Director and simultaneous ring. Users with the app can also take calls on the business number directly on their mobile.
Scheduled and selective diverts
Selective forwarding lets you set rules so calls are diverted only when it suits you. BT's help describes rules based on:
- The time or date a call arrives, such as evenings, weekends or a holiday period
- Calls with no caller ID
- Calls from up to 12 specific numbers
- Combinations of these, such as one caller at a certain time
For the whole business, out-of-hours handling usually belongs on the main number rather than on individual users. An Auto Attendant has separate business hours and after hours menus, and time and holiday schedules decide which one plays. Hunt Group plus adds extra forwarding options for groups.
Diverting a hunt group or auto attendant
Administrators can divert shared numbers in the Business Portal. Before changing anything, write down the current settings so they can be put back.
- On the dashboard, search for the number under Call routing groups (Enhanced) and open it
- For a hunt group, open the call settings and choose Manage. To divert unanswered calls, tick forward when there is no answer, set the delay and enter the destination. BT's shortest delay is 5 seconds, which in effect diverts straight away
- For a hunt group's Not Reachable divert, tick that option and enter the destination
- For an auto attendant, choose the business hours or after hours tab, open Manage menu and change the number behind the option you want to divert
- Save or submit, then test from a mobile
If you are not sure whether a number is a user, a hunt group or an auto attendant, search for it: users appear under sites, admins and users, and shared numbers under call routing groups. If you would rather we made the change, contact us with the number and what you need.
Why buy BT Cloud Voice from Forever Communications Limited
Forever Communications Limited is part of Forever Group and a BT Business Partner. We supply, set up and support BT Cloud Voice for UK businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations, from a handful of users to multi-site teams.
- A named partner who plans your numbers, call flows, user feature packs and handsets with you
- Number porting managed for you, timed to avoid downtime
- Connectivity checked first, so call quality is right from day one, with BT business broadband and BTnet available if you need it
- Help with the digital switchover, including alarms, lifts, card terminals and other analogue lines
- Training and ongoing support for the apps, Microsoft Teams integration, moves, adds, changes and faults
BT Cloud Voice is a business service. We do not sell consumer or home phone products.
Want a BT Cloud Voice quote for your business?
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Contact usFrequently asked questions
How do I divert my BT Cloud Voice phone to my mobile?
Sign in to the BT Cloud Voice Business Portal, choose Users, select your user, open Features and choose a divert such as Always or No Answer. Enter your mobile number, save and test it.
What is the difference between Always and No Answer divert?
Always sends every call straight to the other number and overrides other diverts. No Answer lets your phone ring for a set number of rings first, then sends the call on.
Can I schedule a call divert on BT Cloud Voice?
Yes. Selective forwarding can divert calls by time or date, for calls with no caller ID, or from up to 12 specific numbers. For the main number, an auto attendant with time and holiday schedules handles out-of-hours calls.
How do I divert a BT Cloud Voice hunt group?
An administrator finds the hunt group under Call routing groups (Enhanced) in the Business Portal, opens Manage in its call settings, ticks forward when there is no answer, sets the delay and enters the destination.
Why are my BT Cloud Voice calls not ringing my desk phone?
Check for an Always divert left switched on, which overrides everything else, and for Do Not Disturb, in the Business Portal or on the handset. Then check the phone is plugged in and registered; restarting it for one minute often helps.