AI receptionist without changing your number: how call diverting works
To get an AI receptionist without changing your number, you divert calls from your line and the number stays yours. You choose which calls go through: all of them, the ones you don't pick up, the ones that come in while the line is busy or the ones after hours. The divert is switched on with a code you dial on the phone, and the code changes with the operator and the type of line.
David Zafra · · 9 min read
- Each type of divert has its own code, and its own code to switch it off.
- Movistar, Vodafone and Orange don't use the same codes in every case, and on landlines they differ more.
- The cost depends on the operator: Orange says switching it on is free on mobile, Vodafone charges €0.182 to set up the diverted call and Movistar states €4 a month (details in the cost table).
- Diverted calls can cost the person who diverts them; check the cost table before switching it on.
- Once it's on, call from another phone to check that the call comes through.
How do you divert calls to an AI receptionist without changing your number?
There are four modes, and the simplest one to start with is diverting only the calls you don't pick up.
| Mode | What happens | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| All calls | Every call goes to the AI receptionist, without your phone ringing | You want it to answer every time and pass to a person whatever needs one |
| If no answer | Your phone rings and, if nobody picks up, the call goes to the AI receptionist | Your team picks up what it can and you don't want to lose the rest |
| If busy | If the line is busy, the call goes to the AI receptionist | Two calls come in at once |
| Out of coverage or switched off | If the mobile is switched off or has no coverage, the call goes to the AI receptionist | Your number is a mobile |
heydiga's page sums it up like this: “Each business decides which calls to divert: all of them, after-hours calls or only the ones it cannot get to.” On its website, backup mode diverts to heydiga only the calls nobody picks up or that come in after hours, and in front-line mode heydiga answers the main number. The usual path, it says, is to start in backup mode and move to front-line mode once the business sees what it resolves.
“After hours” works differently: none of the help pages from the three operators read for this guide gives a code for a time slot. The codes below are for “all calls”, “if no answer”, “if busy” and “out of coverage”. If you only want to divert calls after hours, ask your operator what option it offers for your line.
How do you switch on a divert on a mobile?
You dial the code, the number you're diverting to (“número” in the codes) and a hash, then press the call button. These are the codes as published on the Vodafone and Orange help pages and on the Movistar blog (updated in June 2022).
| Type of divert | Movistar | Vodafone | Orange |
|---|---|---|---|
| All calls | *21*número# | **21*número# | **21*número# |
| If busy | *67*número# | **67*número# | **67*número# |
| If no answer | *61*número# | **61*número# | **61*número**segundos# |
| Switched off or out of coverage | The page gives no code | **62*número# | **62*número# |
| Switch off (all, busy, no answer, coverage) | #21#, #67#, #61# | ##21#, ##67#, ##61#, ##62# | ##21#, ##67#, ##61#, ##62# |
| Switch off several at once | The page gives no code | ##002#: “switch off all services” | ##002#: “switch off all diverts to voicemail” |
Three details the pages themselves point out:
- Movistar, on its blog, publishes a single list of codes for “landline and mobile numbers” and doesn't separate one from the other. For a mobile that is switched off or out of coverage it mentions the option but gives no code.
- Orange accepts between 5 and 20 seconds (“segundos” in the code) for “if no answer”, in multiples of 5 only, and gives
*#21#and its equivalents to check the status of each divert. - Vodafone doesn't allow diverting to international numbers, short numbers or the 118xx, 803, 806, 807 and 905 services. Nor if the diverted line has a spending cap.
Vodafone and Orange also let you switch it on without typing codes: in Mi Vodafone (“Ajustes de línea”, “Opciones de llamada”: line settings, call options) and in Mi Orange (“Productos”, “Llamadas nacionales”: products, national calls).
And on a landline?
A Vodafone landline only diverts to a Vodafone mobile or landline, or to a mobile on another operator, not to another operator's landline. On a landline you pick up the receiver first, and the codes can change with the line. Orange is the clearest example: it has two sets, depending on whether your line has direct or indirect coverage.
| Type of divert | Movistar | Vodafone | Orange, direct coverage | Orange, indirect coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All calls | *21*número# | *21*número and the call button | *21número | *21*número# |
| If busy | *67*número# | *67*número and the call button | *22número | *67*número# |
| If no answer | *61*número# | *61*número and the call button | *23número | *61*número# |
| Out of coverage | The page gives no code | *62*número and the call button | Not on the page | Not on the page |
| Switch off all calls | #21# | ##21# | *211* | #21# |
| Switch off if busy | #67# | ##67# | *221* | #67# |
| Switch off if no answer | #61# | ##61# | *231* | #61# |
| Switch off out of coverage | The page gives no code | ##62# | Not on the page | Not on the page |
Orange's page doesn't explain how to tell whether your line has direct or indirect coverage: ask Orange. If yours is a business line or has a switchboard, ask your operator. This guide only covers the help pages for personal customers.
Does diverting cost anything?
It depends on the operator and the line, and each page says something different.
| Operator | What its page or blog says |
|---|---|
| Movistar | Its blog (updated in June 2022) says the divert “has a cost of” €4 a month. The new call the divert creates “is passed on to the phone that subscribes to the service” |
| Vodafone mobile | Switching it on “is free”, but there is a call set-up charge of €0.182 (VAT included) plus the per-minute price. The caller pays up to the number dialled; whoever has the divert pays from their number to the destination |
| Vodafone landline | “Switching on call diverting on your landline is free”, with €0.182 for set-up and €0.242 a minute, VAT included. The caller pays up to the number dialled; whoever diverts pays from their number to the destination |
| Orange mobile | “Activation costs nothing, it is a completely free service”. The call from the mobile to the destination number is paid by whoever diverts |
| Orange landline | The page doesn't mention any cost |
A practical consequence: if you divert all calls, each one is an outgoing call from your line to the destination number. Check how your tariff charges for it. The Vodafone prices are the ones on its page on 29 October 2026 and may change.
Where heydiga fits
The heydiga AI receptionist answers your business's calls and WhatsApp in a natural voice. To set it up, the hours are set, the calendar you already use is connected and the phone is diverted. The business keeps its number and its management software, with nothing to install.
- If you already have someone on reception, backup mode keeps your team as the first layer: heydiga only gets the calls nobody picks up or that come in after hours. See the after-hours calls use case.
- If you'd rather it answered every time, in front-line mode heydiga answers the main number, deals with the repetitive calls and passes to the team whatever needs them. See the transfer to a person use case.
- It works on top of the software you already use, such as Booksy or Google Calendar.
Plans start at Diga Lite: €49 a month excl. VAT, with 200 minutes. No lock-in. The divert codes and costs are your operator's, not heydiga's. If you're not yet sure how many calls you're missing, start with how to stop missing customer calls.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to change my number to use an AI receptionist?
No: the business keeps its phone number and its management software. The phone is diverted to heydiga from your current line, with the operator you already have. What changes is where the call goes, not the number the customer dials.
Can I divert only the calls I don't get to?
Yes. That's the “if no answer” divert, with its own code on each operator (*61*número# on Movistar, **61*número# on Vodafone and **61*número**segundos# on Orange, on mobile). If the team picks up, the call stays on your phone; if not, it goes through.
How do I switch the divert off?
With the switch-off code for the same type: ##21# on Vodafone and Orange or #21# on Movistar for “all calls”, on mobile. If you've switched on several, ##002# switches off “all services” on Vodafone mobile and “all diverts to voicemail” on Orange mobile. They aren't the same thing, so switch off each type with its own code.
What if my operator isn't Movistar, Vodafone or Orange?
Look up your operator's help on “call diverting” and use its codes, not another operator's. This guide doesn't cover other operators because their pages haven't been read.
How long does it take to be ready?
heydiga starts answering within minutes and there's nothing to install, according to its website. The divert is switched on by your operator with the code: how long it takes to apply depends on them. Test it by calling from another phone.
Can I go back?
Yes, by switching the divert off with its code. The number and the phone remain yours at all times.
Sources
- Movistar, blog, “Desviar llamadas, entre números fijos y móviles, con Movistar” (published 5 January 2022, updated 28 June 2022) — movistar.es (opens in a new tab), accessed 29 October 2026.
- Vodafone, “Cómo desviar llamadas en tu móvil” — ayudacliente.vodafone.es (opens in a new tab), accessed 29 October 2026.
- Vodafone, “Cómo desviar llamadas en tu fijo” — ayudacliente.vodafone.es (opens in a new tab), accessed 29 October 2026.
- Orange, “Desvía las llamadas que recibes en tu móvil a otro número” — ayuda.orange.es (opens in a new tab), accessed 29 October 2026.
- Orange, “Desvía las llamadas de tu teléfono fijo de Orange” — ayuda.orange.es (opens in a new tab), accessed 29 October 2026.
- heydiga: home page, frequently asked questions, after-hours calls and pricing, accessed 29 October 2026.
How it was written: written with the help of AI tools; reviewed and checked by the heydiga team.
