The fastest way to hear your messages

To check your voicemail, press and hold the 1 key on your phone's keypad. On most carriers — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others — this automatically calls your voicemail box. You will hear a greeting, then a prompt to enter your PIN. After you enter it, the system plays your messages in the order they arrived.

If you are calling from a different phone, dial your own phone number instead. When your voicemail greeting plays, press the asterisk (*) key during the greeting. This takes you straight to the PIN prompt without waiting for the message to finish.

Some phones let you check voicemail through the Phone app instead of calling in. Look for a Voicemail tab or icon — usually at the bottom of the screen on iPhones, or in the app menu on Android phones. Tap it to see a list of your messages, then tap any message to play it.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold 1 on your phone to call your voicemail box directly, then enter your PIN when prompted.
  • If you are using someone else's phone, dial your own number and press * during your greeting to skip to the PIN prompt.
  • iPhones and many Android phones have a Voicemail tab in the Phone app where you can see and play messages without calling in.
  • Your PIN is usually the last four digits of your phone number unless you changed it, and you can reset it through your carrier's website or by calling customer service.

Finding your PIN if you do not remember it

Your voicemail PIN is usually set to the last four digits of your phone number by default. If that does not work, you will need to reset it through your carrier's account page or by calling their customer service line.

To reset through your carrier's website, log into your account, look for Voicemail Settings or Phone Settings, and find the option to change your PIN. You will be asked to verify your identity — usually by answering security questions or confirming recent charges on your account. After you set a new PIN, wait a few minutes before trying to access your voicemail again.

If you cannot access your account online, call your carrier directly. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all have customer service numbers on your bill or on their websites. Tell them you need to reset your voicemail PIN. They will verify your identity and either reset it for you or send you a temporary PIN by text.

Checking voicemail on iPhone

Open the Phone app and tap the Voicemail tab at the bottom right of the screen. You will see a list of all your voicemail messages, with the most recent at the top. Each message shows the caller's name or number and the time it arrived.

Tap any message to play it. While it plays, you can pause, skip forward or backward, or delete it by tapping the trash icon. If you want to save a message, tap the phone icon next to it — this lets you call the person back directly from the voicemail screen.

If the Voicemail tab is missing or grayed out, your carrier may not support visual voicemail on your plan. Contact your carrier to turn it on, or use the traditional method of pressing and holding 1 to call in.

Checking voicemail on Android

Open the Phone app and look for a Voicemail icon or tab. On most Android phones, this is at the bottom of the screen or in the app menu. Tap it to see your voicemail list.

Tap any message to play it. You can pause, skip forward or backward, or delete the message. Some Android phones let you transcribe voicemail to text — if you see a transcript under the message, tap it to read what was said instead of listening.

If your phone does not have a Voicemail tab, press and hold 1 to call your voicemail box the traditional way. You can also read your carrier's official app — the Verizon app, AT&T Mobile app, or T-Mobile app — which often includes a voicemail section with the same features as the Phone app.

What to do if you cannot access your voicemail

If you press and hold 1 and nothing happens, your phone may not be set up for voicemail yet. Call your carrier's customer service line and ask them to set up voicemail on your account. This usually takes a few minutes and is free.

If you can reach voicemail but your PIN does not work, try the last four digits of your phone number again — sometimes the system is slow to recognize a new PIN. If that still does not work, reset your PIN through your carrier's website or by calling customer service.

If you see messages in the Voicemail tab of your Phone app but cannot play them, try closing the app completely and opening it again. If that does not work, restart your phone. If messages still will not play, contact your carrier — there may be a problem with your account or your phone's connection to their network.

Saving or sharing voicemail messages

On iPhone, press and hold a message in your Voicemail list, then tap Share. You can send it to another person through text, email, or another app. The recipient will receive a file they can play on their phone.

On Android, the share option depends on your phone model and carrier app. Look for a three-dot menu or share icon next to the message. If you do not see one, you may need to use your carrier's app instead of the Phone app to share messages.

If you want to keep a voicemail permanently, do not delete it — it will stay in your voicemail box until you remove it. Most carriers keep deleted messages in a trash folder for 30 days before erasing them, so you can recover them if you change your mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I listen to my voicemail from my email?

Some carriers offer voicemail-to-email, which sends you a recording file of each message. You have to turn this on through your carrier's website or by calling customer service. Once it is on, new voicemails arrive in your email inbox as audio files you can play anytime.

What if someone leaves a voicemail but I do not get a notification?

Check that Do Not Disturb is not turned on — it silences notifications even when voicemail arrives. On iPhone, swipe down from the top right and look for the moon icon. On Android, swipe down twice and look for Do Not Disturb. If it is on, tap it to turn it off. Also check that your voicemail notifications are turned on in your Phone app settings.

How long does my carrier keep voicemail messages?

Most carriers keep voicemail for 30 days before deleting it. After 30 days, the message is gone permanently. If you want to keep a message longer, write down the information or save it to your phone using the share feature.

Can I change my voicemail greeting?

Yes. Call your voicemail box by pressing and holding 1, enter your PIN, then listen for the menu prompt. Usually you press 3 or 4 to record a new greeting. You can also change it through your carrier's website or app — look for Voicemail Settings and find the greeting option.

What if I forgot my phone number?

Check your phone's settings — on iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > My Number. On Android, go to Settings > About Phone > Phone Number. If it is not listed there, call your carrier's customer service and they will tell you your number.