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Visual Voicemail Not Working fix

Has your visual voicemail disappeared from your iPhone? Here’s what to do!

Reviewed By: Kevin Pocock

Last Updated on July 15, 2024
Visual Voicemail Not Working
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It’s been known that sometimes when we update our iOS software on our Apple products, some features cease to function as they used to.

One of these is the voicemail feature on the iPhone. Many users have experienced their voicemail disappearing altogether, their voicemail not working correctly, or some of the other visual aspects failing.

This can be very frustrating, and you’ll want to know what you can do about it. We’ve decided therefore, to create a comprehensive guide to help you fix this problem and explain why it may have happened.


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How Can I Fix My Visual Voicemail?

Before you try anything else, consider doing some of the more simple options. You can:

  • Update to the latest iOS software
  • Toggle your cellular network on and off and try to use Wi-Fi calling instead
  • Toggle airplane mode on and off (wait around a minute after turning it on)
  • Restart your iPhone
  • Reset your iPhone from a previous backup
  • Change your voicemail password
  • Search for a carrier update of your network

What Exactly Is Visual Voicemail Anyhow?

In its simplest form, visual voicemail refers to the list of voicemail messages that one of your callers has left. Some locations allow for you to receive transcripts, send and receive voicemails or use the voice-to-text function.

How Do I Switch This On?

Luckily, if you have an iPhone 6 or above – you don’t need to do too much, but your location might determine if you can use this feature or not.

Simply go to your iPhone’s settings, go to voicemail and tailor to your requirements, you’ll see options like voice to text transcripts etc.

1

Why Does Visual Voicemail Stop Working?

There are a few common reasons why this happens on your iPhone.

Step

1

You Have A New SIM Card

If you’re using a new SIM card, chances are that your voicemail will stop working. You should be able to resolve this situation by doing updates such as carrier/network updates or iOS software updates.

Step

2

Your Carrier Has Updated Their Network

If you notice that your voicemail stops working while you’re at home, then it could be because your carrier has updated their network. Your phone company may have changed the frequency with which they transmit signals over the airwaves.

Check with your carrier to make sure that there aren’t any changes in the way your service works. If there are, then you may need to wait until they release another update before your voicemail returns.

Step

3

Your Phone Battery Level Is Low

When your battery level gets low, your iPhone won’t have enough power to run all the apps that it needs to. This means that it sometimes can’t access voicemail services.

To solve this issue, charge up your device fully and check your voicemail again. If it still isn’t working, then try resetting your phone.

Step

4

Your iPhone Could Be Out Of Range

Sometimes when you’re out of range, your voicemail doesn’t work. It’s important to note that this only occurs when your phone is connected to Wi-Fi.

This is because the connection between your phone and the cell tower is lost. When this happens, your phone will search for nearby Wi-Fi hotspots. If it finds one, it will connect to it and begin transmitting data.

Using Siri To Fix The Problem

Many users have noted that toggling Siri back on through their iPhone settings sometimes fixes their visual voicemail problems. Simply go to your settings, then general, then Siri and toggle “press side button for Siri”.

The Bottom Line

Hopefully, we’ve been able to help you fix some issues that you were having with your visual voicemail. We hope that you found our guide helpful.

These issues are common and can likely be resolved quickly with some of these steps, but if your problem persists, it’s a good idea to contact Apple.

Kevin is the Editor of PC Guide. He has a broad interest and enthusiasm for consumer electronics, PCs and all things consumer tech - and more than 15 years experience in tech journalism.