Your 3CX status is not just a colour next to your name. Each one carries its own set of rules about where calls go when you are in it, and almost nobody configures them, which is why calls vanish into voicemail while the person is sitting two desks away. Twenty minutes spent on this once will save you a year of missed calls.
3CX version 20. If your screens look different, ring us and we will tell you what you are running.
Where the rules live
- Open your settings. In the web client, click Settings, then Call Forwarding.
- Pick a status. Click any one of the status options to set up the rules for that status. Each one is configured separately, which is the point.
- Set what counts as unanswered. There is a field for the number of seconds a call rings before it is treated as unanswered and the forwarding rules take over. Twenty seconds is a reasonable starting point; much longer and callers give up first.
Where a call can go
| Destination | What happens |
|---|---|
| Voicemail | Straight to your mailbox |
| Extension number | Forwards to a colleague you choose |
| My mobile | Rings your mobile. Tick Rebound and the call is announced first, so you can accept or reject it |
| External number | Any outside number |
| System extension | Forwards to a queue or a ring group, so the whole team gets it rather than one person |
| Send busy | Plays a busy tone and ends the call |
Forwarding to your mobile without Rebound means work calls arrive looking like any other call, and you answer them in the supermarket with no idea who it is. With Rebound the call is announced first and you can decline it. Turn it on.
A set of rules that works for most people
- Available — unanswered calls go to a colleague or to your team’s ring group, not to voicemail. Somebody answering beats a message every time.
- Away — ring your mobile with Rebound on, then voicemail.
- Do Not Disturb — straight to voicemail, or to the team, with no ringing at all. That is what the status is for.
- Lunch — team ring group. The caller does not care that you are eating; they care that somebody picks up.
- Business Trip — mobile with Rebound, and a custom status message so colleagues know.
Busy or not registered
There is a second block of settings for when your line is already engaged or your phone is not connected at all, and it takes the same destinations as above. Three options are worth understanding:
- Also ring my mobile does what it says, alongside your desk phone rather than instead of it.
- Accept multiple calls decides whether a second call can reach you while you are already talking.
- Accept PUSH notifications is what makes the mobile app actually alert you. If your app is silent, this is the first thing to check.
Letting it run itself
The Schedule option changes your status automatically from your group’s or your extension’s office hours. You come up as Available during office hours, Do Not Disturb outside them, and Away during break times. If you are the sort of person who leaves Do Not Disturb on for three days, this is the fix. There is also an Exceptions section for the people who should always get through regardless.
Common questions
- My mobile never rings.
- Check Accept PUSH notifications and check the rules on the status you are actually in, which may not be the one you think. Your status turns yellow by itself when your line is busy.
- Calls go to voicemail immediately.
- Either the status you are in is set to send straight to voicemail, or the unanswered timer is set very low. Both are on the same screen.
- I want calls to reach the team, not my voicemail.
- Use System extension as the destination and point it at your ring group or queue. Ask us for the number if you do not know it.
- Can I set this up for somebody else?
- Not from your own account, but we can. Email the service desk with what you want and who it is for.
If you get stuck
Call the service desk on 03333 22 11 00 or email support@easylifeit.com. If you would rather we just set sensible rules up for your whole team, say so, because it is quicker than everyone doing it themselves.
Take this guide with you
A clean branded copy you can print or save as a PDF, with our service desk details on every page.
Settings and option names checked against 3CX’s Call Forwarding Configuration Guide, with the status list from the Android app manual, September 2026. This describes 3CX version 20.
