How do I access my Verizon voicemail on Android?

Voicemail allows callers to leave a voice message for you if you miss their call or are unable to answer. This provides a convenient way for people to relay information without having to reach you directly. Accessing voicemail is important on smartphones like Android so that you never miss an important message.

With voicemail integrated into your Android phone, you can easily listen to messages left for you when it fits your schedule. You don’t have to wait until you are by your home or office phone to get the details from friends, family, clients and others trying to reach you. This on-demand access makes voicemail an essential tool for communication in today’s mobile world.

Prerequisites

To access your Verizon voicemail on an Android phone, you’ll need a few things set up first:

You’ll need an active Verizon wireless account. This allows you to have a phone number and voicemail through Verizon.

You’ll also need an Android smartphone that works on the Verizon network. Some of the most popular Verizon Android phones include the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Google Pixel 8 Pro, and Motorola Edge+.

Finally, you need to have voicemail set up and activated on your Verizon account. This is usually done automatically when you activate a new Verizon phone number.

Once you have those prerequisites met, you’ll be ready to start accessing voicemail from your Android device.

Open Phone App

To access your Verizon voicemail on an Android device, you first need to open the default Phone app. The default Phone app is the app that launches when you initiate a call from the home screen or tap a phone number link. This is usually the Phone app pre-installed on your device, such as the Google Phone app on Pixel devices.

To open the default Phone app on your Android device:

• From your home screen, tap the Phone app icon. This is usually located on your home screen or in the app drawer.
• You can also swipe down from the top of the screen to access the notification shade and tap the Phone icon there to launch the app.
• If you have multiple phone apps installed, you may need to set the default by going to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Phone app and selecting the app you want to use.

Once the Phone app opens, you should see the dialer screen with options to enter a phone number, access your call history, view your voicemail, and more.

Tap Voicemail Icon

To access your voicemail messages, you first need to locate the voicemail icon on your Android phone. This is usually represented by an envelope, cassette tape, or other common voicemail image. According to Wikipedia, “A common icon to represent voicemail (an abstraction of cassette tape, which were historically popular for use in voicemail recording before the 2000s)…” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voicemail).

On most Android devices, you can find the voicemail icon in the Phone app. Open the Phone app and look for an icon that resembles an envelope, cassette tape, or similar image. This is generally located near the top of the screen or in the bottom navigation bar. Tap this icon to access your voicemail.

If you don’t see the voicemail icon, try tapping the “…” or menu button for additional options. The voicemail icon may be located here on some devices. You can also try searching your apps or settings for “voicemail” to locate the voicemail app.

Once you’ve found the voicemail icon, tap it to move on to the next step of accessing your messages.

Call Voicemail

If the voicemail icon is missing from your Phone app, you can call your Verizon voicemail directly to access messages. The voicemail access number for most Verizon Wireless plans is (888) 884-8300 or *86 from your mobile phone (Source). For Verizon Fios Digital Voice plans, the access number is (888) 2FIOSVM (888-234-6786) or *86 from your home phone (Source).

To call your voicemail:

1. Dial your voicemail access number from your mobile phone or landline.
2. When prompted, enter your voicemail passcode followed by the # sign.
3. Follow the voice prompts to listen to new messages, saved messages, manage greetings, and change voicemail settings.

Calling voicemail directly gives you full access even if the voicemail icon is not showing up correctly on your Android device.

Enter Passcode

When you call your voicemail, you will be prompted to enter your voicemail passcode. This passcode helps protect your voicemail messages and prevents unauthorized access. If you have forgotten your voicemail passcode, you can reset it by dialing #793# from your Android phone and following the prompts (1). This will allow you to set up a new passcode.

When prompted, enter your voicemail passcode. This is usually a 4- to 6-digit number you set up when you first activated your voicemail. Listen to the instructions carefully and enter the passcode using your phone’s dialpad. Take your time when entering the numbers to avoid mistakes.

If you enter the wrong passcode, you will be asked to try again. You usually get 3 chances before being disconnected. If you cannot recall your passcode, use the #793# method mentioned above to reset it (1).

Listen to Messages

Once you enter your voicemail passcode, you will be taken to your voicemail inbox where you can listen to new and saved voicemails. New unheard messages will play first, starting with the most recent. You can listen to the full message or skip through messages using the keypad commands. After listening, you will be prompted to either delete the message, save it, or replay it.

According to statistics, the average voicemail length is around 45 seconds long (source). So most messages will be short and concise. But you can listen to longer voicemails in their entirety if needed.

With Voicemail-to-Text transcription activated on many carrier plans like Verizon, you can also view text transcriptions of your voicemails on your screen to quickly skim messages (source). This feature provides an efficient way to manage high volumes of voicemail.

Manage Messages

Once you have accessed your voicemail inbox, you have several options for managing your messages.

To save a message, simply do not delete it. Voicemails will be saved by default until you choose to delete them.

To delete a message, press 7 on your phone’s dialpad while listening to the voicemail. This will permanently delete the message from your inbox.

To forward a voicemail message, press 5 on the dialpad. You will be prompted to enter the phone number you want to forward the message to. After entering the number, confirm to complete forwarding the voicemail.

You can also manage messages by logging into your Verizon account online. There you can view, play, delete, and forward voicemail messages as well.

Overall, Verizon makes it simple to manage your voicemail inbox and take actions like saving, deleting, and forwarding messages as needed.

Change Settings

There are a few different settings you can customize for your Verizon voicemail on Android. Some of the key options include:

Passcode

You can change the passcode needed to access your voicemail messages. A 4-digit numeric passcode is typically recommended for security purposes. To change your passcode, dial *86 from your wireless phone, enter your current passcode, then follow the prompts to enter a new passcode twice.

Greetings

You can record a personal greeting that callers will hear when reaching your voicemail. Some creative ideas for greetings include:

“Hi, you’ve reached [your name]. I can’t take your call right now, but leave me a message with your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“Hello, thank you for calling. I’m unavailable to answer the phone currently, so please leave your name, number, and a short message after the beep and I will return your call.”

To change your personal greeting, dial *92 from your wireless phone and follow the prompts.

Notifications

You can opt to receive text or email notifications when a new voicemail arrives. To manage notifications, open the Phone app > Settings > Voicemail. Toggle notifications on or off as desired. You can also customize the ringtone for voicemails here.

Customizing these settings allows you to personalize your voicemail experience on your Android device.

Conclusion

Accessing your Verizon voicemail on an Android phone is quick and easy. The key steps are:

– Open the Phone app and tap the voicemail icon, which looks like an envelope. This will directly call your voicemail.

– When prompted, enter your voicemail passcode. Your default passcode is the last 4 digits of your mobile number.

– You can now listen to new and saved voicemail messages. Use the keypad during playback to delete, repeat, or manage messages.

– If needed, update your voicemail settings by selecting the menu icon. You can record a greeting, change your passcode, and more.

Following these simple steps allows you to easily access your Verizon voicemails on an Android device. Check your messages regularly so you don’t miss any important communications.