how to fix voicemail on iphone

Voicemail may not be as popular today as it once was, but it's still a useful feature; it lets you receive voice messages when you're unable to answer the phone.

Come to rely on voicemail to catch your messages, and it'll be frustrating when it suddenly stops working.

Voicemail can stop working for a number of reasons, luckily there are several solutions available to you. So if your voicemail is not working on your iPhone, here's how to fix it.

Verify that Voicemail is set up on your iPhone
Try calling Voicemail directly
Force close and reopen the Phone app
Toggle Cellular Service on and off
Switch on and switch off Airplane Mode
Check for and install Carrier Settings Update
Disable Wi-Fi on your iPhone
Make sure Call Forwarding is off
Reset Time Zone and set Date & Time automatically
Reset voicemail password
Reset Network Settings to fix voicemail issue

1. Verify that Voicemail is set up on your iPhone

Before we proceed with the means to fix your voicemail not working on iPhone, it's of utmost importance to know if voicemail is set up in the first place.

Some updates may change or reset your configuration and cause new issues.

Therefore, before you proceed, open Phone and tap on the Voicemail tab to ensure that voicemail is set up.

You can also go to Settings → Phone → and make sure you see Change Voicemail Password.

2. Try calling your voicemail directly

Open Phone → Make sure you are on Keypad → Press and hold the number 1 for a few seconds. It will call your voicemail; You can check your voicemails here.

Open phone app then Press and Hold Number One then it wil Call Voicemail on iPhone

3. Force close and reopen the Phone app

To force close Phone, on iPhone X and later swipe up until you see the apps in task view, then swipe up again on Phone. On iPhone 8 and earlier double press the home button, then swipe up on Phone. You will see all the open app cards.

Drag up the Phone App Card to Force Quit it on iPhone

After that, relaunch the app. This may fix the issue of voicemail not working on your device.

4. Toggle Cellular Service on and off

You can turn off and then turn on Cellular Service from Settings or Control Center.

Launch Settings → Cellular → Toggle off Cellular Data → After 30 seconds, toggle it back on.

Setting App tap on Cellular for Turn Cellular Data on or off on iPhone

5. Switch on and switch off Airplane Mode

You can do this from either Settings or the Control Center.

On iPhone X or later, swipe down from the top right of the screen (where the battery indicator is). On iPhone 8 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
Tap the plane icon to turn Airplane Mode ON and disable all connections.
After 30 seconds, tap the same plane icon to toggle Airplane Mode off.

Control Center through Switch ON and Off Airplane Mode on iPhone

This will most likely fix the issue of your voicemail not working.

6. Restart your iPhone to fix your voicemail not working

"Just turn it off and back on again." You may have heard this as a joke, but it's actually advantageous to regularly reboot your devices.

Since you're having issues with voicemail, we recommend restarting your iPhone—It might fix your voicemail problem.

How to force restart an iPhone

7. Check for and install a Carrier Settings update

Open Settings → General → About → If there is an update, you will see a pop-up. → Tap Update.

In setting App Tap on General then Tap on About for Checking Carrier Update on iPhone

8. Disable Wi-Fi on your iPhone

Some people found success in fixing their voicemail woes when they temporarily disabled
Wi-Fi on their iPhone. Give it a go yourself.

To turn off Wi-Fi, go to the Control Center and tap the Wi-Fi icon. Now try using voicemail.

You can also head to Settings → Wi-Fi → and toggle it off. Now try using voicemail.

9. Make sure Call Forwarding is off

If you have a call forwarding set up, it is likely to cause conflicts with voicemail. To turn off Call Forwarding or make sure it is not enabled:

Head over to Settings → Phone → Call Forwarding → Ensure the toggle is set to off.

Setting App then Tap on Phone then Tap on Call Forwarding to Ensure toggle is Off on iPhone

10. Reset Time Zone and set Date & Time automatically

For most users, it's recommended to let your device automatically set the time. To make sure that your time zone and similar settings are correct:

Open Settings → General → Date & Time → Toggle on Set Automatically.

Tap on General then Tap Date and Time and Enable Set Automatically

11. Reset voicemail password

To fix your voicemail not working on your iPhone, another method you can try is changing your voicemail password.

You can do so by logging in to your carrier's website or contacting customer service for assistance. Some network providers also let you do so via their mobile app.

Additionally, you may reset your voicemail password from Settings.

Go to Settings → Phone → Change Voicemail Password.
Enter the new password.

If you forgot your current voicemail password, you'll have to contact your wireless carrier.

12. Reset Network Settings

Nothing above helped? It's time to reset your network settings.

Note: This will not delete your stored data.

Navigate to Settings → General → Reset → Reset Network Settings → Enter your password → Reset Network Settings.

Settings Tap on General then Tap on Reset then Tap on Reset Network Settings on iPhone

If even resetting your Network Settings couldn't yield positive results, it's time to give your carrier a call or visit them.

Apple Support is the last resort. You may contact them online or make an appointment at the nearest Apple Store.

These were some of the solutions to fix your voicemail not working on your iPhone. The fact is, voicemail may stop working correctly for various reasons.

I hope one of these solutions was able to solve your problems. Have any questions? Let us know in the comments.

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I have been an Apple user for over seven years now. At iGeeksBlog, I love creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides that help people do more with their iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Apple Watch. In my free time, I like to watch stand up comedy videos, tech documentaries, news debates, and political speeches.

Author

Marcus is a freelance tech writer/editor with a focus on succinctly explaining consumer devices and their software. His previous work has been published on MakeUseOf where he covered everything from iOS to Git and UI design.