Verified against Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026, IASME Cyber Essentials April 2026 standard and current operator pricing.
Quick answer: Every UK network uses standard GSM divert codes to route missed calls to voicemail. Dial the right “cancel divert” sequence and voicemail switches off in seconds. EE: #1210# · O2: 1760 · Vodafone: **61*121**0# + **62*121**0# · Three: ring 333 · BT Mobile: #1210# · Sky: 1760. All instructions, expected screen messages and how to reverse below.
Why turn voicemail off?
Voicemail isn’t always useful. The most common reasons UK mobile users disable it in 2026:
- You prefer missed-call SMS or WhatsApp — faster to read, no PIN to remember.
- Stop sales calls leaving messages — they rarely listen back, and your time isn’t free.
- Privacy — voicemail platforms store recordings on the network. Removing them removes the attack surface.
- Business handset moving to hosted VoIP — voicemail belongs on the new platform, not the SIM.
- Travelling abroad — disable voicemail to prevent expensive forwarded-call charges.
How voicemail actually works (and why “turning it off” means cancelling diverts)
Voicemail isn’t a setting on your handset — it’s a conditional call divert set by the network. When your phone is busy, doesn’t answer in 30 seconds, or is switched off / out of range, the network forwards the call to a voicemail platform. To turn voicemail off, you cancel those diverts.
There are four GSM divert types you may need to cancel:
| Code | Means | Cancel sequence |
|---|---|---|
**61* | Divert on no answer | ##61# |
**62* | Divert on unreachable / off | ##62# |
**67* | Divert when busy | ##67# |
**21* | Divert all calls | ##21# |
Most UK networks only use **61* (no answer) and **62* (unreachable) for voicemail. The cancel sequences below are network-specific shortcuts that do exactly that for you.
#1210#123456789*0#
EE / BT Mobile: turn voicemail off
EE owns BT Mobile, so the codes are identical.
- Step 1 · 5 sec
Dial
#1210#Open your phone’s dialer, type
#1210#and press call. This cancels the no-answer divert that points to EE’s voicemail platform. - Step 2 · instant
Look for confirmation
Your screen shows “Erasure successful” or “Service was disabled”. Voicemail is now off — callers hear a busy tone after 30 seconds.
- Reverse
Re-enable with
**61*+447953222222*11*30#If you change your mind, that long sequence re-points unanswered calls back to EE voicemail after 30 seconds.
O2 / Sky Mobile: turn voicemail off
- Step 1 · 5 sec
Dial
1760From your O2 or Sky handset, dial 1760. The line answers, plays a confirmation, and disables voicemail in real time.
- Step 2 · 1 min
Test by calling yourself from another phone
Let it ring out. Instead of hearing the voicemail greeting, the call should drop after 30 seconds with a “user busy” tone.
- Reverse
Dial
1750Re-enables voicemail instantly. Your saved greeting and PIN remain.
Stop overpaying for business mobiles
We compare every UK network to find you the best deal. Free, no-obligation quote in 60 seconds.
Or call us on 0333 015 2615
Vodafone: turn voicemail off
Vodafone exposes the raw GSM cancel codes — you may need both depending on whether you ever turn your phone off.
- Step 1
Dial
**61*121**0#Cancels divert when you don’t answer. The screen confirms “service was disabled”.
- Step 2
Dial
**62*121**0#Cancels divert when phone is off / out of signal. Skip if you never want voicemail at all.
- Optional
Dial
**67*121**0#Cancels divert when busy. Most users don’t need this.
- Reverse
Dial
**61*121*11*30#Re-points unanswered calls (after 30 seconds) back to Vodafone 121 voicemail.
Three: turn voicemail off
Three is the only major UK network that doesn’t expose self-service codes. To disable voicemail:
Call 333
Dial 333 from your Three mobile. The IVR routes you to customer services within 2 minutes during office hours.
Ask for “voicemail removal”
Say “I’d like voicemail completely deactivated on my account, please”. Three’s agents have a one-click option.
Confirm by SMS
Three sends an SMS within 30 minutes confirming voicemail has been removed. Test with a missed call from another phone.
What changes when voicemail is off
Voicemail ON
Caller is forwarded to mailbox after 30 seconds, leaves a recording, you receive an SMS notification.
Voicemail OFF
- Caller hears busy / unreachable tone
- You see a missed-call notification
- No mailbox storage
- No PIN to remember
- No charge if abroad
Caller experience
What does someone calling you actually hear?
After voicemail removed
- EE/BT: “the person you’ve called is unavailable”
- O2/Sky: 30-second ringtone, then call ends
- Vodafone: short ring then “user busy”
- Three: ring then drop
Other useful divert tweaks
- Send all calls straight to voicemail (do-not-disturb): dial
**21*[voicemail number]#on your network. Cancel with##21#. - Forward to a colleague instead of voicemail: dial
**61*[colleague's number]*11*30#. Now unanswered calls hit them after 30 seconds. - Forward when abroad to UK landline: dial
**62*[UK landline]#. Useful if you don’t want to answer abroad but want office cover.
Replacing voicemail with a smarter business answering setup?
Hosted VoIP, ring groups, after-hours IVR, voicemail transcription to email and CRM — all on one number. Quick demo, no commitment.
Turning off voicemail — FAQs
If voicemail is becoming a workflow bottleneck, a business mobile plan with included visual voicemail typically costs less than fixing it on a consumer tariff. See the best business mobile phone plans in the UK.
No — they stay in the mailbox for the standard retention period (30 days for most networks). They just become inaccessible until voicemail is re-enabled.
Either your network handles voicemail differently (try Vodafone codes if you’re on Vodafone), or your handset blocks supplementary GSM codes — common on Dual-SIM Android phones. In that case, ring your network’s customer service.
Yes — when you’re abroad and someone leaves voicemail, you’re charged for the diverted leg of the call (incoming + outgoing to the mailbox). Disabling voicemail eliminates that charge entirely.
They’ll hear “the person you’ve called is unavailable” or a busy tone instead of a greeting. Most people will text or try again later.
Related Reading
More from the Connection Technologies blog.