Forward your existing phone number to Patch
Forwarding lets customers keep calling your existing number while Patch answers. Your current phone provider sends those calls to your Patch number. Verifying your existing number as caller ID does not turn forwarding on.
1. Prepare the destination
Follow the inbound setup guide to get a Patch number, enable its inbound agent, and save its greeting and instructions. Call the Patch number directly from another phone to confirm it answers before changing your existing line.
To let the agent take actions during forwarded calls, connect your MCP tools and assign them to the destination Patch number’s inbound agent. Follow the inbound guide’s tool connection steps. For custom MCP solutions tailored to your software and workflow, email leko@patchmcp.com.
2. Choose missed calls or all calls
- Missed calls: your phone rings first, then Patch answers if you do not pick up. Depending on your service, busy and unreachable calls need separate forwarding settings.
- All calls: calls go straight to Patch without ringing your existing phone first.
Forwarding is controlled by your carrier. Patch’s answering hours control what the agent does after a call reaches Patch; they do not turn carrier forwarding on or off.
3. Activate forwarding with your provider
In your Patch workspace, select your existing caller ID number, open its inbound agent tab, and choose Set up call forwarding. Select the destination Patch number if you have more than one. Choose your mode, phone type, and provider, then follow the displayed steps on your phone or in your provider’s portal.
Use the provider-specific instructions and carrier help link shown in setup. Codes vary between mobile carriers, landlines, resellers, and business phone systems; there is no single code that works for every line. For an unlisted provider or a managed business phone system, ask your provider or administrator to forward to your Patch number. Some plans restrict forwarding or charge for it.
Save your existing forwarding and voicemail settings first. Forwarding replaces voicemail for the calls it sends to Patch. Selecting a mode in Patch shows instructions; you still need to activate forwarding with your provider.
4. Test the original number
Call your existing number from a different phone. For missed-call forwarding, leave it unanswered and confirm Patch picks up. Test busy or unreachable behavior separately if you configured it. For all-call forwarding, confirm Patch answers without your own phone ringing. Check the conversation in Patch’s call history.
Troubleshooting
- Your original voicemail answers: check conditional forwarding and voicemail settings with your carrier; the voicemail service may take precedence.
- Your phone still rings in all-call mode: confirm your provider activated all-call forwarding, rather than only missed-call forwarding.
- Calls fail: dial the Patch number directly. If that fails too, check inbound settings, answering hours, and available usage in Patch. If it works, verify the forwarding destination and your carrier’s restrictions.
- The wrong assistant answers: check which Patch number is the forwarding destination and edit the inbound agent for that number.
Stop forwarding or move your number
To stop forwarding, follow your carrier’s cancellation instructions and restore your saved voicemail settings. Disabling the Patch agent does not switch off forwarding. Call your original number again to confirm it reaches your phone or voicemail as intended.
If you want customers to call Patch directly, share your Patch number instead. If you want to move your existing number’s service to Patch, Contact Patch to check transfer eligibility and next steps. Transfers require eligibility checks and confirmation; keep your existing service active until completion.
For number, callback, voicemail, and pricing questions, see the inbound calling FAQs.
Set up your inbound assistant
Choose a Patch number and decide how customers reach you.
Open your workspace