Call forwarding on a cell phone and phone records

November 25, 2010 9:02 AM

Hi MeFites! I was wondering if anyone can enlighten me on how call forwarding on my cell phone will show up on phone records. Also, is it possible to call someone while routing through the original number (from the forwarded-to phone)? How would this show up on phone records? By the way, the phone records I will be talking about are on AT&T and are on the online website. If anyone knows ways to circumvent AT&T's tracking, I would like to hear that as well. One last question: Will simply enabling call forwarding itself change anything on the phone records and is this visible on the records?

Background: tracking uses either GPS positioning through satellites or cell towers to pinpoint the location of the phone.

My thoughts: Will the records register an incoming call and then an outgoing call to the forwarded-to number? Or will there be simply the incoming call and that's it?

I also don't have access to the account, so I can't check. I also know that I should talk to the owner of the account and etc. but this is not viable at the moment.

Thanks for any help!

posted by hotchocolate to technology (6 answers total)

Call forwarding probably isn't the way to go. If you have a smartphone, a VoIP app like Skype will use your data connection, and won't appear on the bill as a regular call associated with a number.

You can disable GPS in your phone's settings. You can't do anything about cell tower triangulation while the phone is on, but you can turn the phone off or put it in airplane mode whenever you're not using it.

If you're that worried, though, consider just leaving the AT&T phone at home and buying a cheap prepaid one from 7-Eleven.
posted by Zozo at 9:27 AM on November 25, 2010

Thanks for the reply! I am not using call forwarding to mask an association with the forwarded number. I need a way to still receive my calls while away from my phone, which a prepaid cell phone won't solve unless I forward my calls to it. My main concern is how call forwarding will appear on the AT&T account. Also, I have to be able to receive my calls regardless, so I can't simply turn off my phone or use airplane mode when I'm not calling with it.
posted by hotchocolate at 9:38 AM on November 25, 2010

I'm having trouble figuring out what you are trying to do. It seems like you want to leave the phone somewhere so that you appear to be in that location, but are really somewhere else?

I am almost positive the fact that the phone was forwarded shows up. Not 100% sure if the number that it was forwarded to does or not.

But the reality of the situation is that even if it doesn't show up on the website, the account holder can call AT&T and get this information.

The only way out is to use something like Google voice- but you'd have to tell all your contacts to use that new number and come up with a believable cover story for why. Or transfer your number to your own phone plan.
posted by gjc at 9:51 AM on November 25, 2010

Concerning google voice, you could buy a prepaid phone and set it up with GV. Then, set up GV to be your voicemail for the ATT phone. Then, set the google voice settings to ring your other phones if you don't pick up your first phone.

Now, when someone calls, it goes to voicemail on the ATT phone, which is then picked up by GV which rings your second phone. You can then answer the call like normal on the prepaid phone.
posted by 47triple2 at 10:13 AM on November 25, 2010

When you turn on call forwarding the calls will appear on the call detail part of your bill and consume minutes. There is a little key with the rate plan on the page denoting it was forwarded. Not the number forwarded to, but a notation like an F.

I'm not figuring out what gps has to do with your question. Even if you turn off the phone when you forward calls it will forward it until you turn it off. In other words, enabling call forwarding tells the networks to forward. I had my work phone forward to my personal cell phone and kept the work phone off inside my computer bag.

I'm not figuring out what gps has to do with your question.
posted by birdherder at 9:32 PM on November 25, 2010

Probably would help if you went into the dirty little details and use a throwaway memail account.
posted by ~Sushma~ at 8:51 AM on November 26, 2010