Turn off voicemail notifications without deleting voicemail

You can silence voicemail notifications on most phones without losing access to your voicemail itself. The notification — the badge, the sound, the banner that pops up — is separate from the voicemail service. Turning one off does not affect the other. You will still receive voicemails. You just will not be alerted every time one arrives.

The steps differ depending on whether you use an iPhone, Android phone, or a carrier-specific voicemail app. The fastest route is usually through your phone's notification settings, not through the voicemail app itself. Most people look in the wrong place first and think the option does not exist.

Key Takeaways

  • Voicemail notifications and voicemail service are separate — turning off the notification does not delete your voicemails or prevent them from arriving.
  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications, find the voicemail or Phone app, and toggle off notification types you do not want to see.
  • On Android, the steps vary by manufacturer, but the path is usually Settings > Apps > Notifications, then find your voicemail or Phone app.
  • If you use a carrier app like Verizon Messages, AT&T Mobile, or T-Mobile Digits, you may need to adjust settings within that app as well as in your phone settings.
  • Some phones let you silence notifications for voicemail while keeping notifications for text messages and calls.

How to disable voicemail notifications on iPhone

Open Settings and tap Notifications. Scroll down and look for the Phone app — this is where voicemail notifications live on most iPhones. Tap Phone, then look for the toggle next to "Allow Notifications." If it is already off, voicemail notifications are already disabled. If it is on, tap the toggle to turn it off.

If you want to keep some notifications but only silence voicemail, the option may not exist in the Phone app itself — iPhone does not always let you pick which types of phone notifications you see. In that case, you have two choices: turn off all Phone notifications, or use a different approach. Some people instead turn off the sound and badge for the Phone app but leave banners on, so they see a notification but do not hear it. To do this, tap Phone in Notifications, then under "Alert Style" choose "Banners" instead of "Alerts," and toggle off "Sound" and "Badge."

If you use a carrier-specific voicemail app — like Visual Voicemail through your carrier — search for that app name in Notifications instead. For example, if you see "Verizon Messages" or "AT&T Mobile," tap that app and turn off notifications there as well.

How to disable voicemail notifications on Android

Open Settings and look for Apps or process Manager — the exact name depends on your phone manufacturer. Scroll down and find your voicemail app. This might be called "Phone," "Voicemail," "Google Voice," "Verizon Messages," "AT&T Mobile," or something similar. Tap the app name.

Once you are in the app settings, look for Notifications. Tap it, then toggle off "Allow notifications" or "Show notifications" — the exact wording varies. If you see more detailed options like "Voicemail notifications" or "Message notifications," you can turn off only the ones you do not want.

Some Android phones let you control notification sounds separately from whether notifications appear at all. If you want to see voicemail notifications but not hear them, look for a "Sound" toggle within the Notifications section and turn that off instead of turning off all notifications.

Turning off notifications for carrier voicemail apps

If your carrier provides its own voicemail app — Verizon Messages, AT&T Mobile, T-Mobile Digits, or similar — you may need to adjust settings in two places. First, follow the steps above to turn off notifications in your phone's main settings. Then open the carrier app itself and look for Settings or Preferences within the app.

Inside the app, look for a Notifications section. Some carrier apps have their own notification toggles that override your phone settings. Turn off notifications there as well. If the app has options for different notification types — voicemail, text message, call alerts — you can usually turn off only voicemail while keeping the others on.

If you are not sure which voicemail app your carrier uses, check your phone's app drawer or ask your carrier directly. They can tell you the exact app name and whether it has its own notification settings you need to adjust.

What happens after you turn off voicemail notifications

Once notifications are off, you will not see a badge on your Phone app icon, hear a sound when a voicemail arrives, or get a banner or alert on your screen. However, the voicemail itself will still be stored in your voicemail inbox. You can still call your voicemail number and listen to messages, or open your voicemail app and play them back whenever you choose.

If you change your mind later, follow the same steps and toggle notifications back on. There is no penalty for turning them off and back on — your voicemails will not be affected.

Silencing voicemail notifications without turning them off completely

If you want to see that a voicemail arrived but do not want to hear a sound, most phones let you adjust this separately. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Phone, then under "Sound" choose "None." On Android, open Settings > Apps > [your voicemail app] > Notifications, then toggle off "Sound" while leaving notifications on.

You can also set voicemail notifications to a specific time window. Some phones have a "Quiet Hours" or "Do Not Disturb" feature that silences notifications during certain times but lets them through at other times. This is useful if voicemail notifications bother you at night but you want to know about them during the day. Check your phone's Do Not Disturb or Focus settings to set this up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I still receive voicemails if I turn off notifications?

Yes. Turning off notifications only stops the alert — the sound, badge, or banner. Your voicemails will still arrive and be stored in your voicemail inbox. You can check them whenever you open your voicemail app or call your voicemail number.

Can I turn off voicemail notifications but keep text message notifications?

On iPhone, you cannot usually separate voicemail notifications from other Phone app notifications without turning off all of them. On Android, it depends on your phone and whether you use a separate voicemail app. If voicemail is in its own app, you can turn off that app's notifications while leaving your text message app notifications on.

What if I turn off notifications and then forget to check my voicemail?

You can still see voicemails in your voicemail app or by calling your voicemail number. Some people set a weekly reminder on their calendar to check voicemail if they are worried about forgetting. You can also turn notifications back on at any time.

Do I need to contact my carrier to turn off voicemail notifications?

No. Notification settings are controlled entirely by your phone, not by your carrier. You can turn them off yourself through your phone's settings without calling anyone.

Why do I still see voicemail notifications after turning them off?

You may have turned off notifications in one place but not another. If you use a carrier app, check both your phone settings and the app's internal settings. Also check that you toggled the right app — make sure you are adjusting the voicemail app, not the Phone app or a different app.