How to Set Up Voicemail on iPhone

Voicemail lets people leave you a voice message when you cannot answer the phone. On iPhone, you get Visual Voicemail — a feature that shows all your voicemail messages in a list so you can listen to them in any order, without having to call a number and navigate a phone menu.

To set up voicemail for the first time, open the Phone app (the green phone icon) and tap the "Voicemail" tab at the bottom-right corner. If this is your first time, you will see a "Set Up Now" button. Tap it.

You will be asked to create a voicemail password. Choose a 4 to 6 digit number and enter it twice to confirm. Write this down somewhere safe. You may need it if you ever need to reset your voicemail or access it from a different phone.

Next, you record your greeting. You have two options: "Default" plays a generic carrier greeting that says your phone number. "Custom" lets you record your own message. Most people choose Custom so callers hear their voice and know they reached the right person.

To record a custom greeting, tap "Custom" then "Record." Hold the phone to your ear (or use speakerphone) and say something like: "Hi, you have reached [your name]. I cannot answer the phone right now, but please leave a message and I will call you back as soon as I can." Tap "Stop" when you are done. Tap "Play" to listen to it. If you are happy with it, tap "Save."

Once voicemail is set up, whenever you miss a call and the caller leaves a message, it appears in the Voicemail tab as a list item. Tap any message to play it. You will also see a transcription of the message (this is automatic and may not be perfectly accurate, but it is helpful for quickly scanning messages without listening).

You can delete voicemails by swiping left on them or tapping "Delete." Deleted voicemails go to a "Deleted Messages" folder at the bottom of the list, where they are permanently removed after 30 days.