Q&A for How to Set Up Voicemail on an iPhone

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Question

How do I activate voicemail on my iPhone?

Josef Storzi
Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.

Josef Storzi

Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

Open the phone app and click on voicemail. If you're setting up voicemail for the first time, click set up now. Enter a voicemail password, then select whether you would like to use the default voicemail recording or record a custom one.

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Question

My phone says "no voicemail" even though I have messages. What is the problem?

Community Answer

The Visual Voicemail system will only work if your carrier allows it — and it may charge extra for the feature. If it worked before and doesn't work now, make sure you have a good data connection and try Settings: General: Reset: Reset Network Settings.

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Question

While setting up voicemail, my phone asks me to enter my number, then says it doesn't recognize it. What do I do now?

Community Answer

Your carrier may have a mistake when activating your phone. If you have AT&T, call 611 and follow the automated prompts to get a password. Hold down Home and Power to soft reset your iPhone, then use this password to access your voicemail. If this password stops working or if you have a different carrier, call the carrier's customer service to get a permanent password.

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Question

I am no longer notified when I receive a voicemail. How can I turn notifications back on?

Community Answer

If you can listen to voicemail but don't get notifications, your cell carrier is probably at fault. First, connect online and go to Settings:General:About to check for a carrier update. If there's no update, call your carrier's customer service number and ask to talk to someone who knows about Message Waiting Indicators (MWI). Note that you can only get notifications when you have a cell data connection, not just WiFi.

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Question

How can I change the number of rings before voicemail?

Community Answer

Contact your carrier's customer service and request the change. On some models, you can access these settings as follows: call *#61# and write down the Voice Call Forwarding number (including + signs). Return to the dial pad and call *61* followed by that number, followed by *30# if you want it to take 30 seconds to reach voicemail. (You can enter any number instead of 30.)

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Question

My voicemail button is greyed out, please help.

Community Answer

Exit the phone app. Tap Home twice then swipe up on the phone app to close it completely. Perform a soft reset by holding down the Home and Power buttons at the same time, until the Apple logo appears. Wait for the phone to finish starting up, then try your voicemail again. If this doesn't work, contact your service provider.

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Question

When I try to record a voicemail, it just goes back to the default...

Community Answer

Turn off your WiFi and try again. If this doesn't work, delete all your voicemail messages and try again, with your WiFi still turned off.

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Question

Nothing happens when I press the voicemail button. What do I do?

Community Answer

Your phone may be programmed with the wrong voicemail number (not the same as your phone number). The easiest fix is probably to ask an Apple Store employee to reset it. If you'd like to do it yourself, call your carrier to ask for your voicemail number, then look up instructions on how to program the voicemail number on your iPhone model.

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Question

I just bought a new iPhone and it asks for a mailbox number when I hit the Voicemail button. Please advise.

Community Answer

Your carrier sets the mailbox number. It's often the last four digits of your phone number, or 0000. If these don't work, try resetting it through your carrier user website, or by calling your carrier. If your Visual Voicemail is disabled, make sure to mention this so they give you the right type of mailbox.

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Question

Can you set up to play a message but NOT allow a message to be left? Example: "You've reached my cell phone where you cannot leave a message. Please call my office instead".

Community Answer

Your carrier can disable your voicemail for you, but it might not let you set the message. Try linking your phone number to a third-party voicemail service instead, such as YouMail or Google Voice.

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Question

How do I get rid of the popup that keeps asking for my voicemail password?

Community Answer

You should only need to enter this password once. Try resetting it by contacting your carrier.

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