What Is Visual Voicemail and How to Set It Up

What Is Visual Voicemail?

Visual Voicemail lets you see a list of your voicemail messages on screen and play them in any order — without dialling in and listening to each one sequentially. Instead of calling a number and pressing keys to skip through messages, you simply tap the one you want to hear.

Think of it as an inbox for voice messages. Each entry shows the caller's number (or name if they are in your contacts), the date and time, and the message duration. Some implementations also provide a text transcription so you can read the message without listening.

Visual Voicemail vs Traditional Voicemail

With traditional voicemail you dial a number (such as 150, 121 or 901), enter a PIN and listen to messages in the order they arrived. Visual Voicemail removes that process entirely:

• No dialling in: Messages appear automatically in your Phone app.
• Play in any order: Jump straight to the message you need.
• Transcription: On supported devices, you can read a text version of the message.
• Quick delete: Swipe to remove messages you no longer need.

Visual Voicemail on iPhone

Apple has built Visual Voicemail into iOS since the original iPhone. To set it up:

1. Open the Phone app and tap the Voicemail tab at the bottom.
2. Tap Set Up Now and create a voicemail password.
3. Record a greeting or choose the default greeting.

Messages will now appear in a list. Tap any message to play it. On iPhone models running iOS 17 or later, Live Voicemail shows a real-time transcription while the caller is still speaking, letting you decide whether to pick up.

Visual Voicemail on Android

Android support for Visual Voicemail depends on your handset manufacturer and network. Many Samsung, Google Pixel and OnePlus devices include it in the default Phone app. If your phone does not have it built in, check whether your network offers a dedicated voicemail app:

• Vodafone: Vodafone Voicemail app on the Play Store.
• Three: Three Visual Voicemail app (selected devices).
• O2: Available on selected Android handsets via the Phone app.

Which UK Networks Support Visual Voicemail?

Most major UK networks support Visual Voicemail on iPhone. Android support is more limited:

• EE: iPhone and selected Android devices.
• Vodafone: iPhone and Android via the Vodafone app.
• O2: iPhone and selected Android handsets.
• Three: iPhone and selected Android devices.
• giffgaff: iPhone only (uses the O2 network).
• Sky Mobile: iPhone only.

Troubleshooting Visual Voicemail

If Visual Voicemail is not working, try these steps:

1. Make sure you have a mobile data or Wi-Fi connection — Visual Voicemail uses data, not a voice call.
2. Restart your phone and check the Voicemail tab again.
3. Contact your network to confirm Visual Voicemail is enabled on your account.
4. Update your phone to the latest software version.