Telstra home and business phone call forwarding to Terva

Use this if your practice number is a Telstra home or business phone, on the nbn or copper, with a handset plugged into it. Telstra DOT and T-Biz Voice use the hosted desk phones guide. If a phone system such as TIPT or 3CX answers first, use that system’s guide.

Your phones ring first, so the front desk gets the first chance to answer. Terva answers when nobody picks up.

Your Terva number

Enter it once and every code on this page uses it. Copy works once it’s filled in.

Type the codes into the dial pad yourself. iPhone blocks links that turn on call forwarding, so there’s nothing to tap.

Turn off voicemail first

Voicemail or a recorded message that answers first stops the call reaching Terva.

On the nbn

MessageBank can answer before the forward does. From the practice line, turn it off:
#99#

On copper

MessageBank can’t be switched off on copper, only cancelled. Ask Telstra to cancel it. Cancelling deletes your saved messages.

Choose when Terva answers

We recommend When no one answers, left on all the time. The rest are optional.

Aim for a 15-second ring time. 10 to 20 seconds is fine. If calls enter a queue, set the caller’s total wait to about 15 to 30 seconds.

Lift the handset on your practice line and wait for dial tone.
Dial this code. The 15 is the ring time in seconds.
*610X XXXX XXXX (your Terva number)*15#
Wait for Telstra to confirm, then hang up.

Lift the handset on your practice line and wait for dial tone.
Dial this code.
*240X XXXX XXXX (your Terva number)#
Wait for Telstra to confirm, then hang up.

For most practices, When no one answers already covers after hours because nobody picks up. Check that voicemail doesn’t answer first, and make a test call after closing.

Check with your provider

We couldn’t confirm that a Telstra phone line can forward on a schedule. Ask Telstra if you need one.

Only if you want every after-hours call to skip your phones

At closing, dial this code from the practice line.
*210X XXXX XXXX (your Terva number)#
At opening, turn it off again.
#21#

Ring time

Set the no-answer ring time to 15 seconds where you can. 10 to 20 seconds is fine. For a call queue, set the caller’s total wait to about 15 to 30 seconds.

The code above rings for 15 seconds. Telstra’s default is 20 seconds; you can change the 15 to anything from 5 to 55.

Check it works

From another phone, not one on your practice line, ring your practice number.
Don’t answer at the practice. Let it ring out.
Terva answers.
Do it again once after hours. If voicemail, or someone carrying the practice phone, answers first, the call won’t reach Terva.

Ringing your Terva number directly doesn’t test forwarding. To test When busy, keep another call going on the line first. Test the after-hours route after closing.

Signed up to Terva? Press Check it works on Phone line, and Terva rings your line for you. How the check works.

Turn forwarding off

Dial the code for each rule you turned on, from the practice line.
When unanswered:
#61#
When busy:
#24#
After-hours forward-all:
#21#
On the nbn, turn MessageBank back on:
*99#

Someone else looks after your phones?

Copy this, fill in the [brackets] and send it. It has your Terva number once you enter it above.

Your phone company

Codes don’t work, the account holder has to ask, or the line runs through an adaptor or older phone system.

Request for your phone company

Hi, I’m [your name], the account holder for [practice name].

On our number [practice number], please turn on call forwarding when not answered, to 0X XXXX XXXX, after 15 seconds. Please don’t forward every call: our phones should ring first.

Please also: - turn off message bank (voicemail) on this number, or tell me how, so it doesn’t answer first - set this at your end, not on our phone system or adaptor box - keep the caller’s number showing on forwarded calls

What does a forwarded call cost on our plan, and how do I turn this off again? I authorise this change.

When it’s done, Terva will ring our number to check it works.

Thanks, [your name]

Good to know

Check with your provider

Telstra’s guide covers home and business phones on the nbn and copper. Older Business Voice services may differ, so check with Telstra if a code doesn’t confirm.

Forwarding itself is free, but you pay for the forwarded call as if your line had called your Terva number.

Sources

These steps follow the provider’s own guides, checked in September and October 2026. Menus change, so if a step doesn’t match what you see, check with your provider.

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