How to set up voicemail on an iPhone
Learning how to set up voicemail on an iPhone is vital for ensuring you don’t miss any important phone calls. Although it’s simple to set up, voicemail is a network carrier feature, so you’ll have to set it up anytime you switch networks if you want to keep receiving voicemails.
This handy guide will help you activate voicemail on your device, and the latest iPhone handsets are equipped with even more dynamic features to help you navigate and manage your communications.
What you need
Voicemail can only be activated on certain devices, so you’ll need an iPhone 6S or later to get started. Your handset must also be updated to iOS 10 or a later version to use the voicemail feature, which you can manage in the Settings app.
What is Visual Voicemail?
The Visual Voicemail feature makes it easy to manage individual voicemails, rather than calling and listening to each one separately. It allows missed callers to leave a message and provide a way for you to get in contact with them, much like the voicemail answer machine you’d see on older phones. However, where Visual Voicemail differs is with its easy-to-read list that takes out a significant amount of catch-up time.
Activating voicemail on an iPhone
1 – Go to the Phone app
As well as storing all of your numbers and phone calls, the Phone app allows you to manage your voicemails. Open the app to start setting up your iPhone voicemail.
2 – Open the Voicemail menu and start set-up
On the Menu bar across the bottom of the page, you will see a Voicemail button at the right-hand side. Tap the button to go to the Voicemail page; this is where all of your voicemails will be stored once you’ve set up the feature.
Select the ‘Set Up Now’ button in the centre to begin adding voicemail to your iPhone.
3 – Create a password
Now you need to set up a password that will keep your voicemails secure. You can change your password whenever you like in the Settings menu.
4 – Create a voicemail greeting
Once you’ve set up your password, you can choose your voicemail greeting. There is a default setting which selects your carrier’s pre-recorded message, or you can customise it with your own.
If you choose to customise it, you can record and playback your message as often as you like before activating it.
How to use Visual Voicemail with Siri
Visual Voicemail is great for efficiency, and can be used with Siri to listen to your messages. Speak to Siri as you normally would and ask it to play all voicemails, or just messages from specific callers and dates; try asking ‘Hey Siri, listen to my new voicemail messages’.
How to send a voicemail on an iPhone
Sending a voicemail on iPhone is as simple as calling someone and leaving a message if they don’t answer. Usually, you will hear a beep to indicate that it’s started recording your message.
Storing voicemail messages in iCloud
If you want to store your voicemail messages for later reference, you can do so using iCloud.
• Go to Settings > iCloud.
• Select ‘Show All Apps’ and turn on FaceTime.
Once you know how to set up voicemail on an iPhone, you’ll have no trouble staying in touch with the people who need you. If you have a new device, it’s likely you’ll still need to set up other features such as an eSIM. Our helpful guide explains the process step-by-step for both iPhone and Android.
FAQs
How do I change my voicemail password?
Changing a voicemail password on iPhone is straightforward and can be done so through the Settings app.
- Go to Settings > Phone
- Tap ‘Change Voicemail Password’
- Enter a new password and select ‘Done’
Why is my voicemail not working?
If your voicemail isn’t working correctly, this can happen for several reasons. Simply restarting your iPhone can solve a lot of minor problems and might help with voicemail. If you’re still having issues after restarting your device, there are other troubleshooting actions you could try.
• Update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS in Settings > General
• Contact your carrier’s customer service line for further help
Why can’t I use Visual Voicemail?
Visual Voicemail is only available through select network carriers, so if you are unable to access the feature, it is likely that your carrier doesn’t support it.
Some of the supported network providers include:
• Vodafone
• O2
• Voxi
• EE
• Sky Mobile
Can I check voicemails from a different phone?
To check voicemails from a different phone, ring your phone number followed by the * or # symbol. You can then enter your voicemail password to hear your own messages.
Now you're all set to receive and manage your voicemail messages directly on your iPhone. Head to Mobiles.co.uk to check out the latest iPhone models, and all the latest smartphone releases.