Turn off voicemail in Settings

The fastest way to disable voicemail on iPhone is through your carrier's settings, not through Apple's own apps. Open Settings, tap Phone, then Voicemail. Toggle the switch next to Voicemail to the off position. The switch will turn from green to gray.

This method works on all iPhone models running iOS 13 or later. After you turn it off, callers will hear a message saying your voicemail is not set up, rather than reaching a greeting. Your carrier processes this change within a few minutes, though it can occasionally take up to an hour.

If you do not see a Voicemail option in the Phone settings, your carrier may not support this feature through Settings. In that case, you will need to contact your carrier directly — see the section below on calling your carrier.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to Settings > Phone > Voicemail and toggle the switch off to disable voicemail through your carrier.
  • Not all carriers support turning off voicemail through iPhone Settings, so you may need to call your carrier instead.
  • Turning off voicemail means callers hear a "not set up" message rather than your greeting, but they can still reach you by calling again.
  • Disabling voicemail does not affect Do Not Disturb, call blocking, or any other call management features.

Call your carrier if Settings does not show Voicemail

Some carriers — particularly older plans or regional carriers — do not allow you to manage voicemail through iPhone Settings. If the Voicemail option does not appear in Phone settings, call your carrier's customer service line. The number is usually on your bill or on the carrier's website.

Tell them you want to disable voicemail on your account. They will make the change on their end, and it takes effect within minutes. Ask them to confirm the change is complete before you hang up, so you know it worked.

If your carrier does not support disabling voicemail at all, they may offer an alternative: setting up a voicemail box that when ready hangs up on callers, or forwarding voicemail calls to a number that does not exist. Ask what options they have.

The difference between turning off voicemail and blocking calls

Turning off voicemail and blocking calls are two separate things. When you disable voicemail, callers can still reach you — they just cannot leave a message. When you block a number, that person cannot call you at all and hears a message saying the call cannot go through.

If you want to prevent specific people from calling, use iPhone's built-in call blocking instead. Open the Phone app, find the contact or recent call, swipe left, and tap Block this Caller. If you want to block all unknown callers, go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.

What happens to existing voicemail messages

Turning off voicemail does not delete messages you already have. Those messages stay in your voicemail box until you delete them manually. Open the Phone app, tap Voicemail, find the message, and swipe left to delete it. You can also tap Edit and select multiple messages to delete at once.

If you want to save a voicemail before you turn off the service, you can share it or forward it. Tap and hold the message, then tap Share. You can send it as a file through email, Messages, or another app.

Turn voicemail back on if you change your mind

If you decide later that you want voicemail again, go back to Settings > Phone > Voicemail and toggle the switch on. You will need to set up your greeting and password again, just as you would on a new phone.

Your carrier will reactivate the voicemail box within a few minutes. If you had messages saved before you turned it off, they will still be there waiting for you.

Voicemail still rings even though it is off

If callers are still reaching your voicemail after you turned it off, the change may not have processed yet. Wait an hour and try again. If it still happens, restart your iPhone: hold down the power button, slide to power off, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on.

If restarting does not work, call your carrier again. Sometimes the setting does not stick on their end, and they need to reapply it. Confirm with them that voicemail is disabled on your account, not just on your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people know I turned off voicemail?

Yes, they will hear a message saying voicemail is not set up instead of your greeting. They will not hear a busy signal or a "number not in service" message — they will know the voicemail feature itself is off.

Can I turn off voicemail for only certain contacts?

No. Voicemail is an account-level setting, so it applies to everyone who calls you. If you want to block voicemail from specific people, block those numbers instead using iPhone's call blocking feature.

Does turning off voicemail save money on my plan?

That depends on your carrier and plan. Some carriers include voicemail at no extra cost, so turning it off saves nothing. Others charge a small monthly fee for voicemail, and disabling it removes that charge. Check your bill or ask your carrier.

What if my carrier says they cannot turn off voicemail?

Some carriers do not allow voicemail to be fully disabled. In that case, ask if they can set up a voicemail box that when ready disconnects callers, or forward voicemail to a number that does not answer. These are workarounds that achieve a similar effect.