Voicemail Not Working on iPhone, How to Fix? | Comprehensive Guide
by Chelsea Bruhl on Sep 26, 2024
Problems with voicemail? Check out our guide on 'Voicemail Not Working on iPhone, How to Fix?' to know more.
Although voicemail isn't as popular as it once was, it's still a handy tool that allows you to receive audio messages when you can't answer the phone.
It'll be frustrating if voicemail stops working after you've grown accustomed to it catching your messages.
You could be missing out on vital messages if your voicemail isn't working. Because there are so many spam calls these days, the only way to find out whether a crucial call comes through without answering it is to put it to voicemail.
There are a few things you can attempt if you aren't getting voicemails or your iPhone's voicemail app isn't working. Hopefully, this guide on 'Voicemail Not Working on iPhone: How to Fix?' will restore voicemail functionality to your iPhone, and you will no longer miss any messages.
Related: How to fix the Last line no longer available error on iPhone
Voicemail Not Working on iPhone: How to Fix?
How to fix the issue if the voicemail not working on iPhone?
Verify that Voicemail is set up on your iPhone
Before we get into how to solve your iPhone voicemail not working, it's critical to know if voicemail is even set up. Some updates may cause new problems by changing or resetting your setup. As a result, open Phone and tap on the Voicemail tab to confirm that voicemail is configured. You can also go to Settings Phone and check that Change Voicemail Password is checked.
Try calling your voicemail directly
Open the phone Make sure you're on the keyboard. For a few seconds, press and hold the number 1. It will dial your voicemail, to which you may listen.
Empty Your Voicemail Box
If your voicemail box becomes too full, you may cease receiving messages. Despite the fact that most new iPhones have lots of storage, voicemail storage is restricted and can quickly fill up. Especially if you frequently receive spam calls.
Go to the Phone app and hit Voicemail to remove old voicemails and free up space. Select the voicemails you want to remove by tapping Edit in the top right-hand corner. Tap Delete in the bottom right-hand corner once you've made your selection. This will free up space and you should be able to receive voicemails again if this was the issue.
Disable Wi-Fi on your iPhone
When they briefly turned off Wi-Fi on their iPhones, several customers were able to solve their voicemail problems. Try it out for yourself.
Swipe down to open Control Center and tap the Wi-Fi icon to switch off Wi-Fi. Now, try voicemail again.
You may also shut it off by going to Settings and then Wi-Fi. Try voicemail again.
Switch on and switch off Airplane Mode
Step 1 Swipe down from the top right of the screen on an iPhone X or later (where the battery indicator is). Swipe up from the bottom of the screen on iPhone 8 or earlier.
Step 2 To activate Airplane Mode and cut off all connections, tap the Airplane icon.
Step 3 Tap the same airplane icon again after 30 seconds to turn off Airplane Mode.
This should fix the issue of your voicemail not working, so try using voicemail again.
Check for a Carrier Settings Update
Many consumers are unaware that their carrier settings may need to be updated from time to time. This doesn't happen all that often, but when it does, it suggests that updating it will solve a lot of carrier issues. This includes being unable to receive a voicemail on your iPhone.
Fortunately, changing your carrier settings is simple. To access your carrier options, go to Settings > General > About. You'll notice an opportunity to apply a carrier update if your carrier requests one. If not, you'll just see information about your carrier.
Turn Cellular Service Off and On Again
Some voicemail problems might be resolved by performing a fast reset of your cellular service. This is especially true if your voicemails are taking too long to download.
Receiving a voicemail notice hours after receiving a missed call from the same number is a good indicator of this. Turn your cellular service off and on again to fix the problem.
You can accomplish this by turning your phone off and on again, or by putting it in Airplane Mode and back on. After that, contact your phone from a different device to see whether your voicemail is working again. If you received a voicemail, the problem was resolved.
Force close and reopen the Phone app
To force close Phone, swipe up until you see the applications in task view on iPhone X and later, then swipe up again on Phone. Double-press the home button on an iPhone 8 or before, then swipe up on the Phone. All of the open app cards will be visible.
Restart the app after that. This can help if your device's voicemail isn't working.
Make Sure Cellular Data Is On
In most circumstances, cellular data is required to get voicemail. Voicemail is, after all, a carrier service, and connecting to data ensures that your voicemails are sent. The Visual Voicemail functionality requires cellular data to function. You can read a voicemail without listening to it here.
If your voicemail isn't working and you don't have data turned on, you might be able to fix the problem by turning it on. To enable cellular data, go to Settings > Cellular and hit Cellular Data. If you have a limited data plan, there are ways to save data while still receiving voicemails.
Disable Bluetooth
The issue is sometimes caused by Bluetooth networks interfering with the cellular network.
Toggle OFF Bluetooth in Settings > Bluetooth.
After the issue has been resolved, re-enable Bluetooth on your device to see if it is still producing issues.
Enable Wi-Fi Calling
If you reside in a region where the internet connection is weak, your voicemails may take a long time to download. A bad connection might sometimes cause missed call notifications to appear without your phone ringing.
If this happens to you, turn on Wi-Fi calling on your device to fix the problem. This improves your connection and speeds up the download of voicemails. It also improves audio quality and decreases dropped calls.
Go to Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling to enable Wi-Fi calling. Toggle on Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone once you've arrived. When you're connected to Wi-Fi, this will enable Wi-Fi calling. It is worthwhile to enable because it is free.
Make Sure Call Forwarding Is Off
If you have Call Forwarding turned on, your calls will be routed to a new phone number. While it is disabled by default, it might be accidentally enabled if you fiddle with the settings. This is why you aren't getting voicemails if it's enabled.
Go to Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding and touch Disable to turn it off. Call Forwarding is not available on all carriers. If it isn't shown in your Phone settings, you either don't have it or your carrier has disabled it.
Reset Network Settings
If your iPhone's voicemail is still not working after trying the preceding methods, changing the network settings can assist. This can also assist if you're having other network troubles, such as missed calls that don't ring or problems with mobile data.
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings to reset the network settings.
Reset Time Zone and set Date & Time automatically
Most users should allow their device to adjust the time automatically. To ensure that your time zone and other settings are correct, follow these steps:
Open Settings → General → Date & Time → Toggle on Set Automatically.
Reset iPhone voicemail password
Another option for resolving voicemail issues on your iPhone is to change your voicemail password.
You can do so by logging in to your carrier’s website or contacting customer service for assistance. Some network providers also let you do so via their mobile app.
You can also reset your voicemail password from Settings.
Go to Settings → Phone → Change Voicemail Password.
Enter the new password.
If you forgot your current voicemail password, you’ll have to contact your wireless carrier.
Contact Your Carrier
If your voicemail is still not working, you should contact your service provider. There could be some problems with the carrier. So, without further ado, contact the carrier to find out what's wrong.
Update Software
If your voicemail is still not working, you should contact your service provider. There could be some problems with the carrier. So, without further ado, contact the carrier to inquire about the availability of the service.
If your iOS device's voicemail is still not working, it's possible that the issue is due to a software error. In this case, a software update is the most effective way to solve the problem.
We anticipate that the issue will be resolved as Apple continues to refine the operating system with periodic updates aimed at fixing bugs and improving performance.
To update iOS, go to Settings > General > Program Update and download and install the most recent version of the software.
Access Your Voicemail the Old-Fashioned Way
Although Visual Voicemail in the Phone app is excellent, there are other ways to check your voicemail if it isn't functioning. You might need to check your voicemail the old-fashioned manner for the time being if you've attempted the aforementioned workarounds and your iPhone's voicemail system still doesn't work.
You can check your voicemail through your carrier by dialing your own number on your phone. To do this, simply enter your password after selecting your number and pressing the pound key. The last four digits of your phone number are typically the default password if you don't know it.
Contact your carrier and ask them to reset your voicemail password if you are still unable to log in or are experiencing problems with voicemail there as well. To see whether there are any other problems, you can also phone them.
Voicemail Not Working on iPhone - Conclusion
A broken voicemail system can be a major headache. You could miss a key professional meeting, a social function, or lose a potential client if you don't get a voicemail on your iPhone.
Fortunately, there are a few things you may try that will, in most situations, address your problems. This guide on 'Voicemail Not Working on iPhone: How to Fix?' covers all the fixes.
If your problems persist, you can check your voicemail without using the Visual Voicemail feature on your phone. If you're still having problems, you can contact your carrier for assistance. In no time, you should be receiving messages again.
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