What voice messages are and where to find them

A voice message is a recording someone left for you when you didn't answer your phone. It's stored on your phone company's server (the computers that handle your calls), not on your phone itself. When you call your voicemail, you're connecting to those servers to listen to what people recorded.

On most phones, you check voice messages by opening the Phone app, finding the Voicemail tab, and tapping it. The exact steps depend on whether you have an iPhone, Android phone, or an older phone — but the basic idea is the same across all of them. Some phones show a notification (a red circle with a number) on the Phone app icon when you have unheard messages.

If you've never set up voicemail on your phone, you'll need to do that first. Your phone company (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or whoever you pay for service) provides voicemail as part of your plan, but you have to create a greeting and a PIN before it works.

Key Takeaways

  • Voice messages are stored on your phone company's servers, not on your phone, so you need an internet or cellular connection to listen to them.
  • Most phones show a voicemail tab in the Phone app where you can see a list of unheard messages and tap to play them.
  • You may need to set up voicemail the first time by creating a PIN and recording a greeting, which takes about five minutes.
  • If you don't see a Voicemail tab, your phone company may use a different app or dial a number like *86 or 1-800-MY-VOICEMAIL to check messages.

Checking voicemail on an iPhone

Open the Phone app and look at the bottom of the screen. You'll see five icons: Favorites, Recents, Contacts, Keypad, and Voicemail. Tap the Voicemail icon (it looks like a cassette tape). You'll see a list of all your voice messages, with the newest ones at the top. The ones you haven't heard yet will have a blue dot next to them.

Tap any message to play it. While it's playing, you can skip forward or backward, delete it, or save it. If you want to hear a message again later, don't delete it — it will stay in your voicemail list. If you want to call the person back, tap the callback arrow next to their name or number.

If you don't see a Voicemail tab, your iPhone may not have voicemail set up yet. Go to Settings, then Phone, then Voicemail, and follow the prompts to create a voicemail password and greeting.

Checking voicemail on an Android phone

The steps vary depending on which Android phone you have and which company made it (Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, and others all have slightly different layouts). Open the Phone app and look for a Voicemail tab or icon — it's usually at the bottom of the screen, but on some phones it's in a menu. Tap it to see your list of messages.

If you can't find a Voicemail tab, try opening the Phone app, pressing the menu button (three dots or lines), and looking for Voicemail or Settings. Some Android phones use a separate app called Google Voice or your carrier's voicemail app instead of a built-in tab.

Once you find your voicemail list, tap a message to play it. You can delete, save, or call back the person who left it. If voicemail isn't working, check that your phone company's voicemail service is turned on in your phone's settings.

Calling your voicemail number if the app doesn't work

If your phone doesn't have a Voicemail tab or the app isn't working, you can always call your voicemail directly. Press and hold the 1 key on your phone's keypad — this is a shortcut that calls your voicemail number automatically. If that doesn't work, dial one of these numbers depending on your phone company:

  • Verizon: 1-908-927-0001 or *86
  • AT&T: 1-800-331-0500 or *98
  • T-Mobile: 1-805-202-8959 or *86
  • Other carriers: check your bill or your carrier's website for the voicemail number

When you call, your voicemail will ask you to enter your PIN (the password you created when you set up voicemail). Then it will play your messages one by one. You can press keys to delete, save, or replay each message — the system will tell you which keys to press.

Setting up voicemail for the first time

If you just got a new phone or switched carriers, you may need to set up voicemail before you can use it. The first time someone calls you and you don't answer, they'll hear a generic greeting. To create your own greeting and set a PIN, open the Phone app, tap Voicemail, and look for a Setup or Settings option.

You'll be asked to create a PIN — a four- to six-digit password that only you know. Write it down somewhere safe, because you'll need it to check your messages if you ever call your voicemail from someone else's phone. Then you'll record a greeting (a short message that plays when someone calls you). Keep it straightforward: "Hi, this is [your name]. I can't take your call right now. Leave a message and I'll call you back."

The whole process takes about five minutes. Once it's done, people can leave you messages, and you can check them anytime from your phone.

What to do if you can't find or access your voicemail

If you've looked for a Voicemail tab and tried calling your voicemail number but nothing works, the problem is usually one of these: voicemail isn't set up yet, your phone doesn't have a cellular or internet connection, or your phone company's voicemail service is having an outage.

First, make sure you have a signal. If you're in airplane mode or have no bars, you won't be able to reach voicemail. Turn off airplane mode and move to a spot with better signal, then try again. If you still can't access voicemail, call your phone company's customer service number (it's on your bill or their website) and tell them voicemail isn't working. They can check whether the service is active on your account and help you set it up if it isn't.

Some older phones or certain phone plans don't include voicemail, though this is rare. If your carrier tells you voicemail isn't available on your plan, you can ask them to add it, or you can use a third-party service like Google Voice instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need internet to check my voicemail?

You need either a cellular signal or a WiFi connection. If you're on WiFi, your phone can reach your voicemail servers. If you're on cellular, you need at least one bar of signal. You don't need data (like a data plan) — just the connection itself.

Can I listen to voicemail messages on my computer?

Some phone companies let you check voicemail through their website or app. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all have online portals where you can log in and listen to messages. Check your carrier's website to see if this option is available for your account.

What happens if I delete a voicemail by accident?

Once you delete a message, it's usually gone for good. Some phone companies keep deleted messages in a trash folder for a few days, but not all. If you need to recover a message, call your phone company right away and ask if they can restore it.

Why do I see a voicemail notification but no messages in my list?

This usually means the message is still being processed or downloaded. Wait a few minutes and check again. If the notification stays but you still see no messages, try restarting your phone or logging out and back into your voicemail app.

Can someone else check my voicemail?

Only if they know your PIN. Your voicemail is protected by your password, so keep it private. Don't share it with anyone you don't trust completely, and change it if you think someone else knows it.