Skip to main content

Can you adjust the number of rings before the receptionist answers?

Want your phone to ring fewer times before your Upfirst agent picks up? It may be possible depending on your phone provider.

Santiago Garcia avatar
Written by Santiago Garcia
Updated over a week ago

Can I adjust the number of rings before forwarding?

Yes, you can adjust the number of seconds your phone rings before the receptionist answers—on some carriers. But before you change the number of rings, it helps to understand how call forwarding works on mobile carriers.

There are two kinds of forwarding:

1. All calls (unconditional forwarding)
Every call goes straight to your Upfirst number. Your phone doesn’t ring at all.

2. Missed calls only (conditional forwarding)
Your phone rings first. If you don’t answer, the carrier forwards the call to your Upfirst number.

If you want to control how long your phone rings before forwarding, you must be using conditional forwarding. We have a separate article that walks you through how to turn that on. Follow these directions to set up conditional call forward.

Once conditional forwarding is enabled, some carriers let you adjust the number of rings or seconds before the call forwards by dialing an additional code. Others don’t. Here’s what’s possible on each major carrier.

Verizon

Can you adjust it? No
Default delay: ~30 seconds (about 6 rings)

Verizon doesn’t offer a way for customers to change how long the phone rings before forwarding. The delay is fixed on Verizon’s network. In rare cases, support may shorten it manually, but there’s no code you can dial to change it yourself.

AT&T

Can you adjust it? Yes
Delay range: 5–30 seconds

AT&T lets you change the ring delay, but the official method is contacting AT&T support. Many AT&T users can also update it using the standard GSM code:

Dial:
**61*<voicemail-or-forwarding-number>**<seconds>#

Seconds must be in 5-second increments (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30).
If you’re not sure which number to use, dialing *#61# on most AT&T phones will display the correct forwarding destination.

T-Mobile

Can you adjust it? Yes
Delay range: 5–30 seconds

T-Mobile fully supports changing the delay before forwarding. Use:

Dial:
​**61*18056377243**<seconds>#
Seconds must be 5, 10, 15 or 30

U.S. Cellular

Can you adjust it? No
Default delay: ~25–30 seconds

U.S. Cellular sets the ring time at the network level. There’s no user code to change it. Their support team may adjust it in very limited situations, but for most people it’s fixed.

Google Fi

Can you adjust it? No
Default delay: ~25 seconds

Google Fi doesn’t support changing ring time. Star codes don’t work on Fi, and support currently cannot update it.

Mint Mobile (T-Mobile MVNO)

Can you adjust it? Yes
Delay range: 5–30 seconds

Mint uses T-Mobile’s network, so the same T-Mobile code works:

Dial:
**61*18056377243**<seconds>#

(Replace <seconds> with 5–30.)

Visible (Verizon MVNO)

Can you adjust it? Not officially
Delay range: 5–30 seconds (if it works)

Visible doesn’t support changing ring time. However, some users have been able to update it with a Verizon-style code:

Dial:
*61*<voicemail-number>**<seconds># This works inconsistently. Some devices accept it, others don’t.

US Mobile

US Mobile offers multiple networks, so it depends which one you're on.

Cricket Wireless (AT&T MVNO)

Can you adjust it? Yes
Delay range: 0–30 seconds

Cricket uses AT&T’s network. Use:

Dial:
**61*<cricket-voicemail-number>**<seconds>#

You can see your voicemail number by dialing *#61# on most Cricket phones.

Note: Cricket usually doesn’t allow forwarding to external numbers, so this is mainly for adjusting voicemail timing.

Metro by T-Mobile

Can you adjust it? Yes
Delay range: 5–30 seconds

Metro uses T-Mobile’s network. Use the same code:

Dial:
**61*18056377243**<seconds>#

This changes the time before Metro/T-Mobile voicemail answers.

Did this answer your question?