How to Call Your Voicemail

Co-authored by Josef Storzi

Last Updated: October 14, 2022 Tested

Just bought a brand new phone and don't know how to check your voicemail? Forgotten how to check after a long period without any messages? With a variety of different methods used by the industry's carriers, checking your phone's voicemail can be a surprisingly unintuitive process today. Luckily, the vast majority of phones use one (or more) of a few simple, common methods.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Using Common Voicemail Access Options

Note that voicemail access numbers will vary from phone to phone — some phones even have more than one way to call their voicemail service. Thus, some or all of the methods below may not work for your phone.

1
Try calling yourself.
- If you start to get your standard "I'm away from the phone right now" recording, try pressing * before the message ends — for many carriers, this command signals that you want to log in to your voicemail account.
- You can usually look up your own number on most modern smartphones. To do this, navigate to your "Settings" menu, then tap "Phone" or "About phone." From here, you should see an entry labeled "My phone number" or something similar with your number listed under it.
- Note that the instructions above are very general and will vary from phone to phone.
2
Try calling *VM (*86).
- This method is used by Verizon and many other carriers.
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3
Try calling *99.
- This method is used by XFINITY/Comcast and many other carriers.
4
Try calling *98.
- This method is used for many AT&T home phones.
5
Try calling (888) 288-8893 (AT&T home phones only.)
6
Try dialing (or pressing and holding) 1.
- Some phones use the number 1 as their voicemail number. Occasionally, it's not even necessary to dial the number — simply hold the 1 button down for a few seconds, then move the phone to your ear.
- This method is used by T-Mobile, some Sprint devices, and others.^{[1]
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7
Use your phone's voicemail app.
- Most modern cell phones have an app can be used to access your voicemail service automatically. To use this app, simply access your app menu, scroll through your options, and tap the one that's labeled "Voicemail" or something similar.
- By default, most smartphones' apps are arranged alphabetically.
- On iPhone, open up the phone app and tap on the "Voicemail" option.
8
Press your phone's voicemail button.
- Some phones (especially the types of landline phones used in offices) have a dedicated button for calling their voicemail service. Typically, to use this, all you need to do is pick up the handset and press the voicemail button.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Solving Problems

1
Set up your voicemail account if you don't already have one.
- You won't be able to receive or retrieve voicemail messages if you haven't opened your voicemail account yet. However, most modern phones will direct you to set up a voicemail account the first time you try to access your voicemail using one of the methods above. In this case, an audio recording will usually direct you through the process of choosing a password and/or recording a message for your callers — simply follow the prompts you are given to set up your account.
- If you aren't automatically directed to set up your voicemail account when you first try to log in, your carrier may have a special setup process you need to go to, so contact your carrier's online support resources or its customer support line (see below.)
2
Retrieve or reset your voicemail password online if you've forgotten it.
- Unlike passwords for most online services, there isn't usually an easy "Forgot password?" option for getting your voicemail password back if you don't remember it. Typically, the easiest way to reset your password is to do so online via the account you have registered with your carrier. Below are brief instructions for resetting your password at the sites of major U.S. carriers:
  - Verizon: Visit verizon.com/myverison, then navigate to My Verizon > My Device > Reset Voicemail Password. Follow the prompts to rest your password.
  - AT&T: Log in to your MyAT&T account, then navigate to Profile > Passwords > Wireless Voicemail Passwords. Select the number you want and click Submit. Follow the prompts to rest your password.
  - Sprint: Log in to your My Spring account, then navigate to My preferences > Things I can manage online > Change voicemail passcode. Follow the prompts to rest your password.
3
Alternatively, reset your password from your phone. Note that there are sometimes (but not always) options for resetting your password via phone. These options will depend on your carrier and your service plan.
- Many carriers allow you to call *611 to access your voicemail account settings. For example, Verizon mobile phones can reset their passwords with these steps:^{[2]
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  - Call *611 or (800) 922-0204
  - Tap 2 to reset your password, then tap 1 when prompted.
  - Enter your billing zip code and follow the prompts for security verification.
- Some phones also allow you to use "shortcodes" to start the password reset process. For example, T-Mobile users can call #793# (#PWD#) to do this.^{[3]
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4
Contact customer service if you need additional help.
- Every major telephone service has customer service resources to help you if you have trouble accessing your voicemail. Below you can find customer service contact information for the biggest U.S. carriers:
  - Verizon Support: (800) 922-0204
  - AT&T Support: (800) 288-2020 (Home phones), (800) 331-0500 (Mobile phones)
  - XFINITY/Comcast Support: (800) 934-6489
  - T-Mobile Support: (800) 866-2435

Community Q&A

Question

What number should I dial to listen to my voicemail on my phone?

Community Answer

Try *86, *98, or press and hold 1. Also try dialing 1. Any of these should open voicemail.
Question

My phone is prepaid, Can I still use voicemail?

Community Answer

Yes, in most cases. You just need to set it up first by calling your voicemail (as described in the article).