The short answer
On BT, Sky and TalkTalk home phone lines you divert calls by dialling a short code from the home phone itself: *21*, then the number you want calls sent to, then the # key, with *61* for calls you don't answer and *67* for calls that arrive while you're already on the phone. Virgin Media uses *21* in its Green, Blue, Yellow and Purple areas and *70 in Red areas, and you find out which applies by dialling 1765 first. EE describes a handset menu route, and Vodafone says its Digital Voice service doesn't offer diversion at all.
Before you set it up, check the cost of the feature and of each diverted call, and whether other calling features get in the way. We checked everything below against provider help pages and other sources in October 2026.
What call diversion does, and what it doesn't
Call diversion (also called call divert or call forwarding) passes calls to your home number on to another number you've chosen, such as your mobile. BT, Sky and TalkTalk offer three kinds:
- All calls: nothing rings at home; every call goes straight to the other number.
- No answer: your home phone rings first, and if nobody picks up within a set time the call moves on. BT uses 15 seconds and TalkTalk 21 seconds.
- Engaged (busy): calls are passed on only while you're already on the phone.
People still dial your home number as usual. Forwarding your mobile's calls is a separate job, set on the mobile itself (on an iPhone, Virgin Media's help page points to Settings, Phone, Call Forwarding).
Before you divert: what to check first
- Which kind of landline you have. A digital landline sends calls over your broadband through the hub (BT calls it Digital Voice, Sky calls it Internet Calls). Sky customers can check in My Account under View Bill, Broadband & Talk: "Sky Talk Line Rental" is a traditional line and "Sky Talk Internet Calls" the digital one.
- Whether the feature exists on your service. BT, Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and EE offer it, but Vodafone's Digital Voice help page says the service doesn't work with call diversion. After a move to digital, check any existing divert still works: Virgin Media says existing feature settings reset when your line switches.
- Whether it's included or a paid extra. BT includes it on Digital Voice and Home Phone Standard; Sky lists it as an optional extra; Virgin Media charges for it on its traditional line but says it's free to add on its digital home phone; TalkTalk lets you check the cost when you add it.
- What each diverted call will cost you. Look up the rate for calls to mobiles in your provider's tariff guide and whether your inclusive minutes cover them. Our guide to home phone call charges explains where to find them.
- Other features that clash. BT and EE say that if you also use Call Barring, you must switch call diversion on first. Virgin Media says Call Waiting must be off before Call Divert can go on, and Free Voicemail can't be used while a divert is set.
- A phone that can send the codes. BT says you need a touch-tone phone set to tone dialling, and Virgin Media says calling features need a phone with *, # and Recall (R) buttons. If you're not sure your handset will work on a digital line at all, see whether your phones will work on a digital landline.
- Where your mobile will be. A diverted call reaches your mobile like any other call to it, so it relies on that phone having signal. If coverage is poor where you'll be, our guide to Wi-Fi Calling explains how your mobile may be able to take calls over Wi-Fi instead.
The codes BT, Sky and TalkTalk use
This table shows the codes as BT, Sky and TalkTalk publish them (checked October 2026). Dial them from the home phone whose calls you want to divert, and replace "number" with the whole number you're diverting to.
What you want to do | Code | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Divert all calls | *21*number# | Same code at BT, Sky and TalkTalk |
Divert calls you don't answer | *61*number# | BT: after 15 seconds. TalkTalk: after 21 seconds |
Divert calls when you're on the phone | *67*number# | Same code at BT, Sky and TalkTalk |
Check which number is set | *#21#, *#61# or *#67# | TalkTalk puts it as *#, then the divert code, then # |
Cancel a divert | #21#, #61# or #67# | Each type has its own cancel code |
Setting up a divert, step by step
- Pick up the home phone and dial the code for the divert you want, for example *21* for all calls.
- Enter the whole number you want calls sent to, then press #.
- Listen for the confirmation. BT says an announcement tells you the divert is set; Sky says you'll hear a confirmation message and a high-pitched tone; Virgin Media says a tone confirms it.
- Hang up, then check it: dial the matching check code, or ask someone to ring your home number from another phone. Virgin Media's check code is *#21#, which isn't yet available in its Red areas; there, ring your home number from a mobile instead.
Each type has its own check and cancel code, so if you're not sure what's on, run all three check codes before you go.
Provider by provider (checked October 2026)
Menus and charges differ between providers. These are the details each one's help pages give; if yours isn't listed, search its help pages for "call divert" or "call diversion".
BT (Digital Voice and Home Phone Standard)
BT says call diversion is already included for Digital Voice and Home Phone Standard customers, and Digital Voice customers can manage calling features online. A BT Digital Voice handset also has a menu route (Calling Features, Call Diversion, Set Up), and the codes work from other handsets connected directly to the BT hub.
On charges, BT says calls diverted to a BT Mobile or BT Home Phone service are free. Calls diverted to any other number are charged at the standard rate for that type of call, unless an inclusive call package covers them, and you pay for the length of the diverted call plus the standard call set-up fee. Diverting to a mobile costs more than to a home phone, BT notes; its prices are in the BT Residential Phone Tariff. You can check BT deals at your postcode on our BT broadband deals page.
Sky Talk (including Internet Calls)
Sky lists call diversion as an optional extra on Sky Talk, added to your bill, with details in its tariff guide. Its codes match the table above, and Sky says call features are the same for all Sky Talk customers, including those on Internet Calls.
On cost, Sky says it charges you for the diverted part of the call at the standard Sky Talk rate for the type of phone it goes to, a mobile for example, while the caller is charged for a standard UK landline call by their own provider. You can check Sky deals at your postcode on our Sky broadband deals page.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media's codes depend on which part of its network you're on, so the first step is to dial 1765 from your home phone to find your area colour (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow or Purple).
- Green, Blue, Yellow or Purple areas: dial *21*, wait for a tone, enter the full number followed by #, and a tone confirms the divert.
- Red areas: dial *70, wait for a tone, then enter the full number; a tone confirms.
- Checking: dial *#21#. Virgin Media says this isn't yet available in Red areas.
- Cancelling: dial #21#, or #70 in Red areas. Virgin Media says the divert switches off within 24 hours.
Its help page lists only this all-calls divert, not no-answer or engaged codes. Voicemail Plus works alongside a divert; Free Voicemail doesn't.
If your line has moved to Virgin Media's digital home phone, existing feature settings reset at the switch. Virgin Media says that from 24 hours after switchover (or the next Monday, if you switched on a Friday) you can add Call Divert at no extra cost by calling 150 from your home phone, provided your phone doesn't have a voicemail service. You can check Virgin Media deals at your postcode on our Virgin Media broadband deals page.
TalkTalk
TalkTalk asks you to add Call Divert, and check its cost, in My Account: choose Profile & Settings, then My Telephone settings, tick Call Divert under Calling features and select Update. The codes are the same as in the table, with a 21-second wait before unanswered calls are diverted. To check a divert, dial *#, then the code that's active, then #.
TalkTalk charges the onward leg of each diverted call at its typical UK call costs (its standard call charges) or takes it from your inclusive minutes, depending on your plan and any Boosts. It also says it often sets up a divert itself while fixing a phone fault. That divert should be removed automatically once the fault is fixed, but if it's still on, dial #21#.
Our TalkTalk broadband deals page has more on the provider.
EE, Vodafone and other digital landlines
EE says Call Diversion on its Digital Home Phone can send calls to almost any phone, including a mobile, and can divert calls while your line is busy. You set it up from the handset's Voice menu: Calling Features, Call Diversion, Set up, then enter the whole number. EE also warns that if you have Voicemail active, you won't hear the interrupted dial tone that normally tells you a divert is on. You can check EE deals at your postcode on our EE broadband deals page.
Vodafone's Digital Voice help page says the service doesn't work with call diversion (or with Vodafone voicemail, conference calls and some call management features). If diverting matters to you, recheck its help pages before joining; you can check Vodafone deals at your postcode on our Vodafone broadband deals page.
Some households get their home phone from a separate internet phone company rather than their broadband provider. If that's you, it's that company's help pages, not your broadband provider's, that say whether diversion is offered and what it costs. Our guide to getting a home phone from a separate VoIP provider covers how that works.
What diverted calls cost, and how to keep it down
Sky says the person calling you is charged for a standard UK landline call by their own provider, while the onward leg from your landline to your mobile goes on your bill at the standard Sky Talk rate for the type of phone it reaches. BT and TalkTalk also charge you for that leg, and both say inclusive minutes can cover it if your package has them. BT adds that you pay for the length of the diverted call plus its standard call set-up fee, and that diverting to a mobile costs more than diverting to a home phone. The Virgin Media and EE help pages we checked don't say how each diverted call is charged, so ask them before you rely on a divert for long.
Ofcom's guide to call costs (last updated 31 January 2025) notes that many landline providers now include calls to mobiles in their call allowances, so whether a divert adds anything to your bill depends on your package. Your provider's tariff guide gives the actual rate for calls to mobiles and any set-up fee.
Ways to keep the cost down:
- When someone may be at home, use the no-answer divert rather than diverting everything, so the home phone gets the first chance and only the calls nobody picks up move on to the mobile.
- If you're with BT, BT says calls diverted to a BT Mobile or BT Home Phone service are free, so a BT Mobile number is the cheapest place to send them.
- Cancel the divert as soon as you're back. Until you do, calls keep being passed on and each onward leg is charged; on Virgin Media allow up to 24 hours for the cancel to take effect.
- If a nuisance caller is part of the problem, our guide to ex-directory, withheld numbers and caller ID explains the options for controlling who sees and reaches your number.
After your first long divert, check your next bill for the diverted-call charges so you know what it really cost. When you next choose a package, our broadband and phone deals page shows packages with a home phone line, and you can compare deals at your postcode, then check each provider's call charges before you order.
Power cuts and broadband outages on a digital line
A digital landline depends on equipment in your home. BT says you can't make calls on Digital Voice, including to 999, if the power goes off or your broadband fails; Sky and Virgin Media say the same of their digital home phones in a power cut, a broadband or network outage, or with the hub switched off.
None of the provider help pages we checked says whether a divert set beforehand keeps working while your hub or broadband is down, so don't make diverting your power-cut plan. The dependable back-up is a charged mobile: GOV.UK says telecoms companies recommend one for most customers, and that emergency calls can roam onto any available mobile network.
If you rely on the landline because you have no mobile, or no dependable mobile signal at home, Ofcom's rules entitle you to a free back-up from your provider, for example a battery unit that runs for an hour or more. Our guide to whether a digital landline works in a power cut explains how to ask for one.
Turning it off, and when your home phone stops ringing
A forgotten divert can explain a home phone that has gone quiet. TalkTalk lists a call divert as one reason a home phone stops receiving calls: with an all-calls divert set, the home phone won't ring until the divert is removed. Work through these checks:
- Dial the check codes. At BT, Sky and TalkTalk these are *#21#, *#61# and *#67#. Virgin Media publishes only *#21#, which isn't yet available in Red areas, so there use step 3. Cancel anything you find with #21#, #61# or #67# (#70 in Virgin Media's Red areas; Virgin says cancelling can take up to 24 hours).
- Think back to any recent fault. TalkTalk sometimes sets a divert while repairing a line; if it's still on afterwards, dial #21#.
- Ring your own number from a mobile. Virgin Media suggests this to check that calls aren't being diverted or incoming calls barred.
- Listen to the dial tone. EE mentions an interrupted dial tone that signals a divert, but says you won't hear it if Voicemail is active.
Otherwise the fault may be elsewhere: on a digital line, BT's first step is to check your broadband is working. Our guide to what to do when your home phone isn't working goes through the next steps.
When diverting makes sense, and when something else fits better
A divert is a simple, temporary fix. These examples are illustrative, not rules:
- Away on holiday with the house empty: an all-calls divert sends calls straight to your mobile. A no-answer divert would make callers wait through rings nobody will answer first (15 seconds at BT, 21 at TalkTalk).
- Out for the day while someone may be in: a no-answer divert lets the home phone ring first, so only unanswered calls move on and become chargeable diverted calls.
- A relative moving into care: diverting their old number to a family member's mobile can help while you sort out the contract. Our guide to broadband and phone when moving into care covers ending, moving or keeping the service.
If every call ends up on your mobile anyway, you may not need a landline: our broadband-only deals page shows packages without one. Check first that nothing, such as an alarm, relies on the line.
Questions to ask before you choose a phone package
If you'll divert calls regularly, ask these before you sign up and check the answers against the contract summary (the short document providers must give you before you agree to a contract) and the provider's call charges:
- Is call diversion available on the phone service I'll actually have, including after a move to a digital line?
- Is it included, or is it a monthly extra?
- What will I pay for a diverted call to a mobile, is there a set-up fee per call, and do my inclusive minutes cover it?
- Does it work alongside my voicemail, call waiting or call barring, and can I set no-answer and engaged diverts, and use both at once?
When you're ready, you can compare broadband and phone deals at your postcode through our comparison partner, or browse the broadband providers we cover. We don't place orders or switch you. Under One Touch Switch you contact only your new provider, which arranges the move, and your current provider must send you its switching information, including any early-termination charges you'd pay.
Call diversion FAQs
Can I divert my landline to my mobile on a digital landline?
With most of the providers we checked, yes. BT includes call diversion on Digital Voice, Sky says its features are the same on Internet Calls, and EE offers it on Digital Home Phone. Vodafone is an exception: its help page says Digital Voice doesn't work with call diversion.
What is the code to divert my home phone to my mobile?
At BT, Sky and TalkTalk, dial *21*, then the whole mobile number, then # to divert all calls. Use *61* instead for calls you don't answer and *67* for calls when you're engaged. Virgin Media customers dial 1765 first, because Red areas use *70 rather than *21*.
Do I pay for calls diverted to my mobile?
Normally, yes. BT, Sky and TalkTalk all say you pay for the leg from your landline to the number you divert to. BT and TalkTalk add that it can come out of inclusive minutes if your package covers it, and BT makes diverts to a BT Mobile or BT Home Phone service free. Check the rate for calls to mobiles in your provider's tariff guide.
Does the person calling me pay more if my calls are diverted?
Sky says the caller is charged for a standard UK landline call by their own provider, and Sky charges you for the diverted part of the call. BT and TalkTalk also charge you for the onward leg, so check your own tariff guide for the rate.
How do I cancel call divert on my landline?
Dial #21# to cancel an all-calls divert, #61# for a no-answer divert and #67# for an engaged divert at BT, Sky and TalkTalk. Virgin Media uses #21#, or #70 in Red areas, and says the divert switches off within 24 hours. Check with the matching *# code, except in Virgin's Red areas, where there's no check code yet: ring your home number from a mobile instead.
Will call divert work in a power cut?
Don't rely on it. A digital landline needs your hub, broadband and mains power, and none of the provider help pages we checked says whether a divert set beforehand keeps working while any of those is down. A charged mobile is the dependable back-up for calls, including to 999.
Why doesn't *21* work on my Virgin Media home phone?
You may be in one of Virgin Media's Red areas, where the code is *70 instead. Dial 1765 to find your area colour. Call Waiting must also be off before Call Divert can go on, and on Virgin's traditional line Call Divert is a paid extra you add first; on its digital home phone Virgin says it's free to add.
