When voicemail stops working — callers cannot leave messages, you do not get notifications, or voicemail greetings reset to the default — the cause is usually a carrier configuration issue, a settings problem, or a full voicemail box. Here is how to fix it on both iPhone and Android.
Check if voicemail is set up
If voicemail was never set up or was reset after a SIM swap, software update, or carrier change, it may not be active:
iPhone: Open the Phone app, tap the Voicemail tab at the bottom. If you see Set Up Now, voicemail has not been configured. Tap it, create a voicemail password, and record a greeting
Android: Open the Phone app, press and hold the 1 key (this is the universal voicemail speed dial). If prompted to set up voicemail, follow the instructions to create a password and greeting. If it goes directly to an empty voicemail system, setup is complete but no messages have been left
Check the voicemail inbox
A full voicemail inbox prevents new messages from being recorded. Callers hear a message saying the mailbox is full and cannot leave a message:
Listen to and delete old voicemail messages. On iPhone, swipe left on a message and tap Delete. On Android, press and hold a message and select Delete
After deleting messages, check the Deleted Messages folder (iPhone) and permanently delete them there as well. Deleted voicemails stay in a trash folder and still count toward your storage until permanently removed
Most carriers limit voicemail storage to 20-40 messages. If you regularly receive voicemails, check and clear the box periodically
Check your cellular connection
Voicemail relies on your cellular connection to both receive notification of new messages and play them back:
Make sure you have cellular signal. Voicemail notifications may not arrive while you are in airplane mode, in an area with no signal, or connected only to Wi-Fi (unless Wi-Fi Calling is enabled)
Turn airplane mode on for 10 seconds, then off. This forces the phone to reconnect to the carrier network and can trigger delivery of pending voicemail notifications
If you recently traveled internationally, make sure your phone is reconnected to your home carrier network
Reset the voicemail password
If you hear a message about an incorrect password or locked voicemail when trying to access it, the password may need to be reset:
iPhone: Go to Settings, Phone, Change Voicemail Password. Enter a new password. If you cannot access the settings because the account is locked, contact your carrier to reset the voicemail password from their end
Android: The voicemail password reset process varies by carrier. Most carriers allow you to reset it through their app, their website account management, or by calling customer service
Check call forwarding settings
Voicemail works through call forwarding — when you do not answer, the call is forwarded to your carrier's voicemail system. If call forwarding settings have been changed, calls may not reach voicemail:
iPhone: Go to Settings, Phone, Call Forwarding. If it is turned on and pointing to a number that is not your voicemail, turn it off or correct the number. When call forwarding is off, unanswered calls should go to voicemail by default
Android: Go to Phone app, tap the three dots or Settings, Call settings or Supplementary services, Call forwarding. Check the When unanswered and When unreachable entries. They should point to your carrier's voicemail number. If they show a different number or are disabled, correct them
Manual reset: You can reset conditional call forwarding using dialer codes. Open the Phone app and dial ##004# then press call. This resets all conditional forwarding (busy, unanswered, unreachable) to the carrier default, which is usually voicemail. Note: this code works on most GSM carriers but may not work on all carriers
Visual Voicemail not working
Visual Voicemail (the feature that shows voicemail messages as a list you can tap to play, rather than calling in to listen) has its own set of issues:
iPhone Visual Voicemail
If the Voicemail tab in the Phone app shows Call Voicemail instead of a list of messages, Visual Voicemail is not active. This is usually a carrier-side issue. Contact your carrier to verify Visual Voicemail is enabled on your account
If messages appear but will not play (spinning or error), check your cellular data connection. Visual Voicemail downloads audio over data. Try on Wi-Fi if cellular data is slow
Reset network settings: Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Reset, Reset Network Settings. This forces a fresh connection to the carrier's voicemail server
Android Visual Voicemail
Some carriers require their own Visual Voicemail app (T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon each have one). If the built-in phone app does not show voicemail as a list, install your carrier's voicemail app from the Play Store
If the carrier app shows an error or cannot connect, clear its cache and data: Settings, Apps, find the voicemail app, Storage, Clear cache and Clear data. Reopen the app and set up again
Google's Phone app has built-in Visual Voicemail on Pixel phones and some other devices. If it is not working, check that the Phone app is up to date in the Play Store
Voicemail not working after switching phones
When you switch to a new phone, voicemail sometimes needs to be reconfigured:
Set up voicemail again on the new phone (see the setup steps above). Moving your SIM card does not always carry over voicemail configuration
If you switched from iPhone to Android or vice versa, Visual Voicemail may need to be reactivated by the carrier for the new device type
If you switched carriers but kept your number (ported it), the new carrier needs to set up voicemail on their system. The old carrier's voicemail is deactivated when the number transfers
Voicemail not working after an update
Software updates occasionally break voicemail functionality. If voicemail stopped working immediately after a phone update:
Restart the phone. Many post-update voicemail issues resolve after a restart because the phone re-registers with the carrier network
Check for a carrier settings update (iPhone: Settings, General, About — if an update is available, a prompt appears)
Reset network settings as described above. This forces a clean reconnection to the carrier's voicemail system
Do Not Disturb and voicemail
Do Not Disturb does not prevent voicemail from recording messages, but it does silence voicemail notifications. If you think you are not getting voicemails, check whether Do Not Disturb or a Focus mode is active:
iPhone: Check the Focus settings in Control Center. A moon icon or Focus label on the lock screen indicates a mode is active. Messages are still being recorded; you just are not being notified
Android: Check Do Not Disturb in quick settings. When active, voicemail notifications may be silenced or delayed until DND turns off
Voicemail repair in Marion
If your voicemail is not working after trying these steps, there may be a carrier configuration issue or a problem with the phone's modem firmware. Marion Phone Repair can diagnose voicemail and carrier connectivity issues on both iPhone and Android.