How to Set Up Phone Protection

Phone protection is the heart of Gini Help. It screens your calls so scammers and spam callers can't get through to you. This guide shows you exactly how to set it up.

How It Works

When someone calls you and you don't answer (or your line is busy), the call goes to Gini instead of your regular voicemail. Gini's AI talks to the caller to find out:

  • Who they are
  • Why they're calling
  • Whether they seem legitimate

You get a notification with all this information so you can decide whether to call back.

Before You Start

You'll need:

  • Your phone carrier name (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.)
  • The Gini Help app open on your phone

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Go to Call Protection Settings

  1. Open the Gini Help app
  2. Tap the Settings tab at the bottom
  3. Tap Call Protection

Step 2: Select Your Phone Carrier

Tap on your carrier from the list. Common carriers include:

Major carriers:

  • AT&T
  • Verizon
  • T-Mobile

Budget carriers:

  • Cricket Wireless (uses AT&T)
  • Mint Mobile (uses T-Mobile)
  • Visible (uses Verizon)

Not supported: Metro by T-Mobile. Gini cannot protect Metro lines.

Senior-friendly carriers:

  • Consumer Cellular (choose AT&T or T-Mobile version)

If you're not sure which carrier you have, look at:

  • Your monthly phone bill
  • The carrier name in your phone's settings
  • The carrier name at the top of your phone screen

Step 3: Choose Your Forwarding Type

You'll see options for when to forward calls to Gini:

  • Forward All Calls - Every call goes to Gini first (your phone won't ring)
  • Forward When Busy - Calls go to Gini when you're on another call
  • Forward When Unanswered - Calls go to Gini if you don't answer (recommended)
  • Forward When Unreachable - Calls go to Gini when your phone is off or has no signal

We recommend: Setting up "Forward When Unanswered," "Forward When Busy," and "Forward When Unreachable." This way, your phone still rings normally, but missed calls get screened.

Step 4: Dial the Forwarding Code

Gini will show you a code to dial. It looks something like this:

  • AT&T/T-Mobile: *61*14149854464#
  • Verizon: *9114149854464

To dial the code:

  1. Copy the code (tap the copy button)
  2. Open your phone's regular Phone app
  3. Paste the code in the dial pad (or type it)
  4. Tap the green Call button
  5. Wait for confirmation

What to expect: You'll hear a beep or see a message saying "Setting Activated" or "Call Forwarding On."

Step 5: Repeat for Other Conditions (Recommended)

For complete protection, set up forwarding for all conditions:

  1. Go back to Gini and select the next forwarding type
  2. Dial that code too
  3. Repeat until all conditions are set up

Special Instructions for iPhone Users

Turn Off Live Voicemail First

If you have an iPhone with iOS 17 or newer, you need to turn off Live Voicemail before call forwarding will work:

  1. Open the Phone app
  2. Tap Voicemail at the bottom
  3. Turn off Live Voicemail

Live Voicemail can interfere with call forwarding to Gini.

Verify It's Working

After setup, you can test if call forwarding is active:

  1. Ask a friend or family member to call you
  2. Don't answer the call
  3. Check the Gini app for a notification about the screened call

Protection Phone Number

Gini's protection number is: +1 (414) 985-GINI (that's +1 414-985-4464)

This is the number your calls are forwarded to.

Troubleshooting

"I get an error when dialing the code"

Try these solutions:

  • Make sure you copied the entire code
  • Check that you selected the right carrier
  • Contact your carrier - some require you to enable call forwarding through their website or app first

"Call forwarding is not working"

  • Make sure you received a confirmation beep or message
  • Try dialing *#21# to check if forwarding is active (works on AT&T and T-Mobile)
  • Turn off Live Voicemail if you're on iPhone

"My phone isn't ringing at all"

You may have accidentally set up "Forward All Calls." To fix this:

  1. Dial the disable code for "Forward All Calls" (shown in the app)
  2. Set up only the conditional forwarding options instead

Need More Help?

See our detailed articles on:

  • iPhone-Specific Call Forwarding Tips
  • Android-Specific Call Forwarding Tips
  • Call Forwarding Not Working (Troubleshooting)