A call divert (also called call forwarding) sends calls from your mobile to another number. The useful kind for a trade business isn’t “send every call somewhere else”. It’s the conditional divert: your phone rings as normal, and only the calls you don’t answer, or can’t answer because you’re already on the line, go somewhere else.
That “somewhere else” might be your office, a colleague, your voicemail, or an AI receptionist that takes the caller’s details for you. Your number doesn’t change, and customers don’t notice a thing except that someone (or something) picked up.
This guide covers the codes for Spark and One NZ straight from their own help pages, how to do it on 2degrees, and how to check it’s working. Codes checked 06/10/2026: networks do change them, so if one doesn’t work, check with your provider.
The four kinds of divert
Every NZ mobile network offers the same four, using the same numbers in the code:
| Divert | Code number | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| All calls | 21 | Every call goes straight to the other number. Your phone doesn’t ring. |
| No answer | 61 | Your phone rings first. If nobody answers, the call moves on. |
| Busy | 67 | If you’re already on a call, the new caller goes to the other number instead of waiting. |
| Unreachable | 62 | If your phone is off, flat or out of coverage, the call goes to the other number. |
For a tradie, the useful combination is usually no answer + busy + unreachable. You still get first go at every call, and nothing rings out or hits an engaged signal.
One thing worth knowing: your voicemail already works this way. When a call “goes to voicemail”, it’s a no-answer divert pointed at your network’s voicemail number. Setting up a divert to a different number replaces voicemail for those calls.
Spark
From Spark’s mobile call features page.
Dial each code like a phone number and press call. Replace [number] with the full number
you’re diverting to, including the area code or mobile prefix, no spaces.
| Divert | To turn on | To check | To cancel |
|---|---|---|---|
| No answer | *61*[number]*11# |
*#61*11# |
#61**11# |
| Busy | *67*[number]*11# |
*#67*11# |
#67*11# |
| Unreachable | *62*[number]*11# |
*#62*11# |
#62*11# |
| All calls | *21*[number]*11# |
*#21*11# |
#21**11# |
Changing how long it rings first. Spark lets you set the ring time on a no-answer divert
by adding the number of seconds before the #, in 5-second steps up to 25 seconds. For
example, to ring for 20 seconds before diverting: *61*[number]*11*20#.
Going back to voicemail. Spark’s voicemail number is 083200000. To send unanswered
calls back to voicemail, use the same code with that number: *61*083200000*11#.
One NZ
From One NZ’s mobile call divert page. One NZ uses a double star at the start. Their page notes you may need to leave a two-second gap between each press of the star key.
| Divert | To turn on | To cancel |
|---|---|---|
| No answer | **61*[number]# |
##61# |
| Busy | **67*[number]# |
##67# |
| Unreachable | **62*[number]# |
##62# |
| All calls | **21*[number]# |
##21# |
- Check a divert:
*#followed by the divert code and#, for example*#61#. - Cancel every divert at once:
##002#. - Ring time: One NZ says unanswered calls divert after about 20 to 30 seconds on a mobile. Their page doesn’t give a way to change it.
- Cost and plans: One NZ says there’s no charge to use call divert on Pay Monthly mobiles, and that it isn’t available on Prepay.
2degrees
2degrees’ help pages don’t publish divert codes for mobiles. You can set diverts in your phone’s settings instead:
- Android: open the Phone app, go to Settings, then Calls (or Supplementary services), then Call forwarding. You’ll see the four options: always, when busy, when unanswered and when unreachable. The menu names vary a little between brands.
- iPhone: the Call Forwarding setting under Phone only forwards every call. For the conditional diverts (no answer, busy, unreachable), you’ll need the network codes, so contact 2degrees and ask for them.
If you divert calls to 2degrees voicemail, their voicemail number is +64 22 202 2000
(2degrees voicemail help).
Landlines, 0800 numbers and business phone systems
The codes above are for mobiles. If customers ring a landline, an 0800 number or a business phone system, diverts are usually set up in your provider’s online account or by calling them. It’s worth asking for no-answer and busy diverts specifically, not just “divert all”.
What does a divert cost?
It depends on your network and plan:
- One NZ: no charge for the divert itself on Pay Monthly, not available on Prepay.
- Spark: their mobile call features page doesn’t list a charge. On Spark’s business services, the diverted leg of a call is charged to you, not the caller, at the normal rate for calling the number you divert to. Check your plan with Spark.
- 2degrees: check with 2degrees.
As a rule, the caller pays for the call to your number and you pay for the leg from your number to wherever it’s diverted. On a plan with unlimited national calling, a divert to an NZ number is usually covered, but confirm with your provider before you rely on it.
Test it before you trust it
Two minutes, and you’ll never wonder whether it’s working:
- No answer: ring your mobile from another phone and let it ring out. It should land on the divert number.
- Busy: get on a call, then have someone else ring you. They should be diverted rather than waiting.
- Unreachable: turn on flight mode and ring yourself again.
- Check the ring time. If it diverts before you can reasonably get to the phone, make it longer. If callers are hanging up before it diverts, make it shorter.
Using a divert with an AI receptionist
This is the setup we use in the System for the trade businesses we work with. We give you a number for your AI receptionist, and you point your no-answer, busy and unreachable diverts at it. Then:
- During the day, your phone (or your office) still gets first go. The AI only picks up the calls nobody could get to, and the ones that would have hit a busy line.
- After hours, if your phone is off or on silent, unanswered calls divert too. It tells the caller you’re finished for the day, takes their name, number, suburb, the problem and how urgent it is, and you ring them back in the morning. More on after-hours calls.
- It answers in a natural New Zealand voice, male or female, and says up front that it’s an AI. It never quotes prices or promises a time.
- You hear about each call however suits you: an email, a push notification, the recording, a summary or just the call back details, all in one conversation per customer.
Your number stays the same, and you can change the diverts back any time with the codes above. If you’re weighing up the options first, who answers the phone when you’re on the tools compares voicemail, a second person, an answering service and AI, and our AI receptionist buyer’s guide covers what to check before choosing one.
Call forwarding: FAQ
How do I divert calls on Spark?
For calls you don’t answer, dial *61*[number]*11# and press call. For busy, use
*67*[number]*11#, and for when your phone is off, *62*[number]*11#. To cancel a
no-answer divert, dial #61**11#. Full list in the Spark section above.
How do I divert calls on One NZ?
Dial **61*[number]# for unanswered calls, **67*[number]# for busy and **62*[number]#
for unreachable. Cancel all diverts with ##002#. One NZ says divert isn’t available on
Prepay.
Can I divert only the calls I miss?
Yes. That’s the no-answer divert (code 61). Your phone rings as normal, and only unanswered calls move on. Add the busy divert (67) so callers don’t get an engaged signal while you’re on another call.
Will callers know their call has been diverted?
Generally no. They ring your number as usual and are connected to wherever the divert points. If it’s an AI receptionist, ours tells them up front that it’s an AI taking details for a call back.
Do I keep my phone number if I use a divert?
Yes. A divert is a setting on your existing number. Nothing changes for your customers, and you can switch it off with a code at any time.
Not sure where your missed calls are going right now? Get a free leads audit: we’ll ring your business like a customer would and show you what happens when nobody picks up.