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Why is my Android voicemail not working?

By the AndroidAnswers Editorial Team · Updated

About 5 minutes · Sound & calls

Illustration of a phone showing a voicemail symbol, with a phone handset on one side and a notification bell on the other

Steps to check

  1. Call your voicemail to check your messages

    Voicemail is a service your carrier runs, so your messages are kept by the carrier, not only on the phone. Open the Phone app, go to the keypad, and touch and hold 1. You can also dial your carrier's voicemail number, for example *86 on Verizon. If you hear your messages, the mailbox is working and you can keep listening this way while you fix the list in the app. If this is a new phone or number, the call may ask you to set up your mailbox first: follow the prompts to create a password and record a greeting.

  2. Make sure visual voicemail is set up

    Visual voicemail is the list of messages you can tap to play. Depending on your phone and carrier, it lives in the Phone app or in a separate voicemail app from your carrier. Not every carrier offers it in the Phone app. If you use your carrier's voicemail app, Google notes that the Phone app's own visual voicemail turns off so the two do not clash, so use one or the other.

    Samsung Open your carrier's voicemail app (the name and icon vary by carrier), tap Continue, allow the permissions it asks for, and follow the prompts.Pixel Phone app → More options (three dots) → Settings → Voicemail, and turn on Visual voicemail. Then tap Voicemail at the bottom of the Phone app to see the list.

  3. Use mobile data, not just Wi-Fi

    Visual voicemail downloads messages over your carrier's network. Verizon says its Android visual voicemail does not work when Wi-Fi is the only connection, and T-Mobile suggests turning Wi-Fi off while you troubleshoot. Turn Wi-Fi off for a moment, make sure Mobile data is on and you have at least two signal bars (T-Mobile's rule of thumb), then open voicemail again. If you use a VPN (an app that sends your internet through another service), turn it off too, since Verizon notes it can cause visual voicemail errors.

  4. Restart the phone

    Hold the power button (on some phones, the power and volume down buttons together) and tap Restart. Verizon and T-Mobile both list a restart as an early fix, because it clears small glitches in the voicemail app and the connection to your carrier.

  5. Check that call forwarding is off

    If calls are forwarded somewhere else, they may never reach your mailbox. Verizon says call forwarding can interfere with voicemail and should be off. T-Mobile suggests dialing ##004# and tapping Send (or Call) to reset call forwarding settings. Call forwarding is usually in the Phone app's settings, but the name and place differ by phone, so your carrier can also check it for you.

  6. Make room in your mailbox and on the phone

    When the mailbox is full, callers cannot leave new messages until you delete some. Call your voicemail and delete old messages you do not need. T-Mobile also says visual voicemail needs at least 15% of the phone's storage free, so clear some space if your phone is nearly full.

  7. If you don't get voicemail alerts

    Make sure notifications are on for the Phone app or your voicemail app. Verizon says to make sure you can receive text messages, and T-Mobile notes that a full text message inbox can block new alerts. If you recently switched phones, Google says you may stop getting voicemail alerts or get unreadable texts from your carrier; Google suggests asking your carrier to switch your line to basic voicemail.

    Pixel Phone app → More options → Settings → Voicemail → Notifications. Under Advanced Settings → Service, make sure Your carrier is selected.

  8. Reset the voicemail app (save messages first)

    If messages still will not load, you can reset the voicemail app. Before you do, save any voicemails you want to keep, because carriers handle this differently: Verizon says resetting its app does not delete messages, while T-Mobile warns that clearing the app's data deletes messages over a month old and any saved only in the app. To reset, go to Settings → Apps, tap your voicemail app, tap Force stop, then Storage → Clear data. Open the app again and follow the setup prompts.

    Pixel Visual voicemail is part of the Phone app, so instead turn Visual voicemail off and back on in Phone → Settings → Voicemail. Google notes this removes the recordings from the Phone app, though your carrier might keep a copy.

  9. Update the phone, then call your carrier

    Check for a system update and update your voicemail app in the Play Store. If voicemail still does not work, contact your carrier. They can check that voicemail is on your plan, reset your mailbox or password, and fix settings on their side that you cannot reach from the phone.

Normal vs. not

Usually normal

A new voicemail takes a little while to appear in the list, or the Phone app's list goes empty after you start using your carrier's voicemail app. Calling your voicemail still works.

Worth a closer look

Callers say they left a message but there is nothing when you call your voicemail, or calls never go to voicemail at all. That points to your mailbox or carrier settings, so call your carrier.

What people are saying

Common questions

Will I lose my voicemails if I reset the voicemail app?

It depends on your carrier. Verizon says resetting its app keeps your messages, while T-Mobile says clearing the app's data removes older messages and any saved only in the app. Save the ones you want first.

I have two SIMs. Why does visual voicemail work on only one?

Google says visual voicemail on more than one SIM may not be supported by every phone or carrier. In the Phone by Google app (used on Pixel), check each SIM under Settings → Voicemail. If you change which SIM uses mobile data, you may need to turn visual voicemail on again.

I forgot my voicemail password. What do I do?

Your carrier can reset it. For example, Verizon lets you reset it in the My Verizon app or by dialing *611. Other carriers have their own app or support line.

Sources we checked

Menu names can differ by phone brand and Android version. See our editorial policy for how we check steps.