The fastest way to listen to your Verizon voicemail
On most Verizon phones, press and hold the 1 key from your home screen — the call will connect to your voicemail box automatically. If that does not work, dial 1-908-927-0404 from your Verizon phone, or dial your own phone number from any other phone and wait for the voicemail greeting to answer. You will then enter your voicemail password (usually your last four digits, unless you changed it) and hear your messages in the order they arrived.
If you have an iPhone, you can also open the Phone app, tap the Voicemail tab at the bottom right, and tap any message to play it. Android phones vary by manufacturer, but most have a Voicemail app in your home screen or app drawer that works the same way.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold 1 on your Verizon phone to reach voicemail; from another phone, dial your own number and wait for the greeting.
- Your default voicemail password is usually your last four digits unless you changed it when you first set up voicemail.
- iPhone users can play voicemail directly from the Phone app's Voicemail tab without dialing anything.
- You can delete, save, or replay messages from within voicemail, and most phones let you skip ahead or rewind while listening.
Setting up voicemail for the first time
When you first set up a Verizon phone, voicemail is turned on by default. The system will prompt you to record a greeting the first time you call in. Press and hold 1, listen to the instructions, and follow the prompts to record your name and a personal greeting so callers know they reached the right person.
During this first setup, you will also create a password. Verizon suggests using something other than your last four digits if you want stronger security, but many people stick with the default. Write down whatever you choose — if you forget it, you will need to contact Verizon customer service to reset it.
Changing your voicemail password
To change your password, call your voicemail box (press and hold 1), enter your current password, then press the star key (*) to reach the main menu. Select the option for personal options or settings — the exact wording varies by phone — and choose "Change Password." Enter your new password twice to confirm it.
If you forget your password entirely, call Verizon customer service at 1-908-927-0404 and have your account information ready. They can reset it to your last four digits, and you can change it again once you are back in your voicemail box.
Listening to voicemail from a computer or tablet
Verizon offers voicemail-to-email, which sends a copy of each voicemail as an audio file to your email address. To turn this on, call your voicemail box, press star (*) for the main menu, select personal options, and choose voicemail-to-email. You will be asked to enter or confirm your email address.
Once enabled, new voicemail messages arrive in your inbox as MP3 files within a few minutes of being left. You can listen on any device with email and a media player, and you still have the original message stored in your voicemail box unless you delete it.
What to do if voicemail is not working
If you press and hold 1 and nothing happens, your voicemail may be turned off or your phone may not have service. Check that you have at least one bar of signal and that airplane mode is off. If you have signal but still cannot reach voicemail, restart your phone by powering it off and back on.
If restarting does not fix it, call Verizon customer service from another phone or contact them through the My Verizon app. They can check whether voicemail is active on your account and turn it back on if needed. This usually takes less than five minutes.
Voicemail storage and message limits
Verizon stores up to 30 voicemail messages per account. Once you reach 30, the oldest message is automatically deleted when a new one arrives. Messages stay in your voicemail box indefinitely unless you delete them yourself, so you can keep important messages as long as you need them.
If you want to keep a voicemail permanently, save it to your phone's voice memo app or use voicemail-to-email so you have a copy in your email. Some people also record important messages on a separate device as a backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check my Verizon voicemail from someone else's phone?
Yes. Dial your own phone number from any phone, wait for your voicemail greeting to play, and press the star key (*) when you hear it. Enter your voicemail password and you will hear your messages. This works from any phone — Verizon, another carrier, or a landline.
What if I forgot my voicemail password?
Call Verizon customer service at 1-908-927-0404 from your Verizon phone or any other phone. Have your account information ready. They will reset your password to your last four digits, and you can change it again once you log back into your voicemail box.
How do I turn off voicemail?
Call your voicemail box, press star (*) for the main menu, select personal options, and look for an option to deactivate or turn off voicemail. You can also contact Verizon customer service and ask them to disable it on your account. Most people keep it on because callers need somewhere to leave messages.
Can I save a voicemail message permanently?
Verizon does not have a built-in save feature that keeps messages forever, but you can use voicemail-to-email to receive messages as audio files in your email, where they stay as long as you keep them. You can also record important messages using your phone's voice memo app or a separate recording device.
Why is my voicemail full?
Your voicemail box holds 30 messages. If you have reached that limit, delete old messages you no longer need. Press and hold 1 to call voicemail, listen to each message, and press 7 to delete it. Once you delete enough messages, new ones can come through.