How to Access Your Messages on Android Voicemail

Check voicemail messages on your phone or your computer

by
Luis Chavez
Luis E. Chavez Saenz
Writer
Luis Chavez is a former Lifewire writer and a System Administrator with 5+ years' experience writing about technology for end users.
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Luis E. Chavez Saenz
Updated on December 08, 2020
reviewed by
Christine Baker
Lifewire Tech Review Board Member
Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design.
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Article reviewed on Sep 12, 2020
Christine Baker

What to Know

  • Easiest option: Open the Phone app > dial pad > press and hold the number 1.
  • If Visual Voicemail is enabled, go to Phone > Visual Voicemail > manage voicemails.
  • You can also use a third-party voicemail app.

This article explains a few different ways to check your Android phone's voicemail. Instructions in this article apply to all smartphones with Android versions Android 10.0 (Q), Android 9.0 (Pie), Android 8.0 (Oreo), and Android 7.0 (Nougat), although options available depend on the carrier.

How to Check Voicemail on an Android Phone by Calling In

The most common way to check your voicemail on your Android device is by calling your mailbox. Call your number from your phone, or use the quick dial to access your voicemail.

  1. Open the Phone app.

  2. At the bottom, tap the dial pad icon.

  3. Touch and hold 1.

    Dial pad, number 1 on Android

  4. If prompted, enter your voicemail password.

How to Access Your Voicemail Using Visual Voicemail

Another way to access and manage your voicemail is by using Visual Voicemail:

  1. Open the Phone app.

  2. Tap Visual Voicemail. If you don't see it, make sure Visual Voicemail is enabled.

    Visual Voicemail screens on Android

  3. Proceed to listen and manage your voicemails.

How to Enable Visual Voicemail on Android

If your carrier supports Visual Voicemail, you may need to enable it.

Android devices using Android 6.0 or later can have Visual Voicemail enabled as long as the carrier supports it. Not all carriers provide Visual Voicemail, and some carriers charge an extra fee for using it.

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Visual Voicemail.

    Settings, Apps, Visual Voicemail in Android

  2. In Visual Voicemail, select Permissions.

  3. Toggle the Phone setting to On. The toggle should turn blue.

    Permissions, Phone icon in Android

  4. Manage your voicemail via Visual voicemail.

How to Check Your Voicemail From a Computer

If your carrier doesn't support Visual Voicemail, use a third-party application to access Visual Voicemail. Depending on the application you use, the app can provide access to your voicemail via the web, which means that you can manage messages from any computer or laptop.

To check your Android voicemail on a computer with the YouMail app:

  1. Sign up for a YouMail account if you don't have one.

  2. Open your favorite browser and navigate to YouMail, then select Sign In.

    Sign in button on YouMail

  3. Enter your credentials, then select Sign In.

    Sign In button on YouMail

  4. Your new voicemails are listed in the Recent Messages section. Select the Play icon next to the voicemail you want to listen to or tap Inbox to see more messages.

    Play button on YouMail

  5. In your Inbox, select the desired message. Note the options you can choose from in the lower-right corner: Forward, Delete, Save, Notes, Replay, and Block.

    Forward, Reply, Save options in YouMail

  6. Manage your voicemail from any device that supports YouMail.

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