How do I set up voicemail on Android without Google Voice?

Voicemail is a standard feature on most Android phones that allows callers to leave a voice message when you don’t answer. By default, many Android devices come with Google Voice pre-installed to handle voicemail services. However, Google Voice may not be ideal for everyone’s needs.

The goal of this guide is to explain how to set up and use the native voicemail service on your Android device without relying on Google Voice. We’ll cover the voicemail options from different carriers, disabling Google Voice, setting up basic or visual voicemail, using third-party voicemail apps, personalizing your voicemail greeting, and more. With a few simple steps, you can start managing voicemail directly through your Android phone.

Determine Your Carrier’s Voicemail Options

The way you set up voicemail on your Android phone depends on which carrier you use. The major carriers in the US offer different voicemail systems and options:

AT&T – Offers Visual Voicemail, which lets you view and manage voicemails through an app. Also offers a basic voicemail system accessed by dialing.
Verizon – Provides Visual Voicemail for many Android devices. Basic voicemail is also available by dialing in.
T-Mobile – Supports Visual Voicemail on Android phones as well as a standard voicemail system.

Sprint – Sprint Visual Voicemail is available on select Android devices. You can also set up basic voicemail.
US Cellular – Visual Voicemail is available on some Android phones. You can access a standard voicemail box by calling it.

Before setting up voicemail, check with your carrier to see what options they support for your specific device. Most major carriers now offer Visual Voicemail on many Android phones, allowing you to easily manage voicemails through an app.

Disable Google Voice

If you previously had Google Voice enabled to handle your voicemail, you will need to disable this feature before setting up voicemail through your carrier.

To disable Google Voice voicemail:

Open the Google Voice app.

Tap the hamburger menu in the top left corner.
Go to Settings > Voicemail.
Tap “Disable voicemail” and confirm.

Once disabled, calls will no longer go to your Google Voice mailbox and you can set up your carrier’s voicemail. Note that according to users on Reddit and other forums, there is no way to adjust the ring time before Google Voice sends calls to voicemail. The only options are to keep it enabled or disable it completely [1].

Set Up Carrier Voicemail

To enable basic voicemail through your carrier on Android:

Verizon:

Call *86 from your phone’s dialer
Enter your voicemail password when prompted, followed by the # key. See Verizon’s voicemail setup guide for details on choosing a password.
Follow the voice prompts to access voicemail options like greeting, notifications, etc.

AT&T:

Call your 10-digit wireless number and press * when your voicemail greeting begins.
Enter your voicemail password followed by #.

Follow prompts to record a greeting and access messages.

T-Mobile:

Call your 10-digit phone number.

When prompted, enter your voicemail PIN followed by #.
Follow voice prompts to configure and access voicemail.

Sprint:

Dial your 10-digit number and press * to interrupt greeting.
Enter PIN followed by # when prompted.
Follow prompts to manage voicemail settings and messages.

For other carriers, check their support sites for specifics on enabling basic voicemail. Steps are generally similar across major providers.

Set Up Visual Voicemail

Visual voicemail allows you to manage voicemail messages visually and interactively, without having to dial into your voicemail inbox and listen to messages sequentially. With visual voicemail, you can see a list of your messages and choose which ones to listen to or delete, without having to listen to voice instructions or prior messages.

Many carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint support visual voicemail on Android phones. To enable it:

Make sure you have an active cellular data connection.
Install your carrier’s visual voicemail app from the Play Store (for example, T-Mobile Visual Voicemail).
Open the app and log in with your carrier account credentials.

Follow the setup prompts to activate visual voicemail.

Once enabled, you’ll be able to view, play, and manage voicemails directly within the visual voicemail app.

Use a Third-Party Voicemail App

Third-party visual voicemail apps offer some advantages over built-in carrier visual voicemail:

Often more feature-rich, with capabilities like transcriptions, sound alerts, blocking, and sharing
Works across multiple carriers
May include a free ad-supported version

Some of the top-rated Android visual voicemail apps include:

YouMail – Robust features, free ad-supported version available
HulloMail – Works across carriers, voice transcription

Google Voice – Free, syncs with Gmail, transcribes messages

Potential downsides compared to carrier visual voicemail:

May lack full integration with your carrier’s systems

Some features may require a paid subscription
Setup can be more complex

Evaluate your usage and needs to determine if a third-party app is the right option for you.

Personalize Your Voicemail

Customizing your voicemail greeting allows callers to hear your voice and feel like they have reached the right number. To record a personal greeting on most Android devices:

1. Open your Phone app and navigate to Voicemail.

2. Tap the settings icon and select ‘Change voicemail greeting’.

3. Select whether you want to record a new greeting or use a pre-recorded greeting. Tap ‘Record new greeting’ to create a custom message.

4. Follow the prompts to record your greeting after the tone. Speak loudly and clearly.

5. Tap ‘Save’ when finished. Your recorded greeting will now play for callers.

You can update the voicemail greeting at any time. Android also allows configuring additional voicemail options like greetings for when you are busy or unavailable. Check with your carrier for details on customizing these enhanced settings.

Retrieve Voicemail Messages

There are a few different ways to access and listen to your voicemail messages on Android:

1. Open the Phone app and tap the “Voicemail” tab at the bottom. This will connect you directly to your voicemail inbox so you can review messages.

2. You can also dial your voicemail number directly. This number is typically found in your phone app’s settings or provided by your carrier. For most networks, dialing *86 will also connect you.

3. If your carrier supports visual voicemail, open the visual voicemail app and you will see a list of messages you can tap to listen to.

To access voicemail remotely when you are away from your phone:

– Many carriers allow you to dial your own number and enter a PIN when your voicemail greeting picks up. This will get you into your messages.

– Some providers have mobile apps or web interfaces that let you view and listen to voicemails. Log in with your carrier account details to access messages.

– Forward your voicemails to an email address so you can receive them as audio file attachments.

Visual Voicemail Tips

Visual voicemail allows you to manage your voicemails like text messages. Here are some tips for organizing, saving, and deleting visual voicemails:

Save important messages by tapping and holding the voicemail. Select “Save” to prevent automatic deletion after a set number of days.

Create a “Favorites” folder to easily access voicemails you want to save long-term. Tap the menu icon next to the message and choose “Add to Favorites”.

Delete unwanted messages by swiping left on the voicemail entry and tapping “Delete”. You can also tap the menu icon and choose “Delete”.

If you have lots of old voicemails, do a mass delete instead of individual messages. Tap the menu icon and choose “Delete All Read”.

Voicemails take up storage space on your phone. Periodically review old voicemails and delete ones you no longer need.

Pin key contacts to the top of your voicemail list for quick access to messages from important people.

Turn on voicemail transcription to get a text transcript of messages. This makes scanning voicemails faster.

Adjust voicemail notifications in your phone settings. You can change the ringtone, vibrate setting, and display options.

Troubleshooting

If you are having issues with your Android voicemail, here are some common problems and solutions:

Voicemail Not Delivering Messages

If you are not receiving new voicemail messages, first make sure voicemail is enabled on your phone. Open the Phone app, go to Settings > Voicemail and ensure voicemail is turned on. You may also need to contact your carrier to check your voicemail settings.

You can also try resetting the Phone app under Settings > Apps. Uninstall any updates and clear data/cache for the app, then re-enable voicemail.

Voicemail Notification Not Working

If you aren’t getting notified of new voicemails, check Settings > Notifications > Apps and make sure notifications for the Phone app and your voicemail service are enabled. You may need to adjust notification sound and vibrate options.

Check Settings > Apps > Voicemail and make sure notifications are allowed. Try re-enabling notifications in the app settings.

If Voicemail Stops Working

If voicemail suddenly stops functioning, first restart your phone. This can clear up temporary glitches.

Toggle airplane mode on and off to refresh network connections. You can also put your phone in and out of airplane mode to re-establish the mobile network.

Reset network settings under Settings > General Management. This will wipe mobile network connections and APN settings.

As a last resort, you can factory reset your device to eliminate any deeper software issues. Just be sure to backup data first.