Few things are as frustrating as reaching for your phone to check an important voicemail, only to discover that your Verizon voicemail is not working at all. In our always-connected world of 2022, a reliable voicemail service is essential for staying on top of missed calls and messages from work, family, and friends.
If you‘re experiencing issues with your Verizon voicemail, don‘t worry – you‘re not alone. Voicemail problems are one of the most common complaints among Verizon customers. Luckily, most voicemail troubles can be resolved relatively quickly by following some simple troubleshooting steps.
In this ultimate guide, we‘ll walk you through the top reasons why your Verizon voicemail might not be working properly in 2022, and provide clear, detailed instructions for getting your voicemail back up and running smoothly. So let‘s dive in and get started!
Why Is My Verizon Voicemail Not Working?
There are a few common culprits behind most cases of Verizon voicemail not working:
1. Incorrect Voicemail Settings
One of the first things to check is your voicemail settings. If your voicemail settings are not configured properly, you may have trouble accessing your voicemail or experience other strange behavior.
2. Outdated My Verizon App
Many Verizon customers access their voicemail through the My Verizon app. If you‘re running an old version of the app, it may not be compatible with Verizon‘s current voicemail system, causing problems.
3. Network Connectivity Issues
Voicemail requires a stable network connection to function. If your Verizon cell signal is weak or keeps dropping, your voicemail may not work until you have a more reliable connection.
4. Full Voicemail Inbox
Believe it or not, your voicemail inbox can fill up! If you‘ve reached your voicemail storage limit, you won‘t be able to receive any new messages until you delete some old ones to free up space.
5. System Outages
Although rare, temporary system outages on Verizon‘s end can disrupt voicemail service. Usually these are resolved within a few hours.
6. Device Software Glitches
Sometimes, random software bugs or glitches on your phone can interfere with your voicemail. Often a quick restart of your device is all that‘s needed to get things working properly again.
Now that we‘ve covered the key reasons your Verizon voicemail might be on the fritz, let‘s go through the troubleshooting steps to address each of these potential issues.
Verizon Voicemail Troubleshooting: Step-by-Step
Follow these steps in order, testing your voicemail again after each one. Hopefully you‘ll have your voicemail up and running again after one of the earlier steps and won‘t need to progress to the more time-consuming later ones.
Step 1: Check Your Voicemail Settings
First, log into your My Verizon account, either through the app or website. Navigate to your voicemail settings and verify that everything looks correct – your voicemail box should be enabled/turned on, and your notification and greeting settings should be as you want them.
If you notice anything amiss, adjust your voicemail settings accordingly. Even if everything looks right, it doesn‘t hurt to toggle your voicemail box off and then on again. This can sometimes clear up odd voicemail issues.
Step 2: Update the My Verizon App
If you primarily use the My Verizon app to access your voicemail, check to make sure you‘re running the latest version of the app. Using an outdated app can lead to bugs and compatibility issues.
Open your phone‘s app store (Google Play Store on Android or App Store on iOS) and search for My Verizon in the store. If an update is available, install it. You may need to restart your phone after updating the app for the changes to take effect.
Step 3: Check Your Network Connection
Voicemail relies on a stable cellular connection to function reliably. Check how many signal bars you have – if you have a very weak signal or your phone keeps dropping its connection, that could be the reason your voicemail isn‘t working.
Try moving to an area with better Verizon coverage and see if that improves your voicemail situation. If you consistently have a poor signal inside your home or workplace, you may want to look into a network extender or femtocell device to boost your coverage.
Step 4: Free Up Space in Your Voicemail Inbox
If your voicemail inbox is full, you won‘t be able to receive any new messages. Call into your voicemail (dial *86 from your Verizon phone). If you hear a message saying your voicemail is full, follow the prompts to delete enough messages to make room for new ones.
Going forward, try to listen to and delete voicemails regularly to prevent your inbox from filling up again. You can also adjust your voicemail settings to automatically delete older messages after a set time period.
Step 5: Wait Out Any System Outages
Check Verizon‘s website or social media pages to see if there are any reported service outages in your area. Usually Verizon is quick to acknowledge widespread outages and provide an estimate of when service will be restored.
If there is an outage, you‘ll unfortunately have to just wait it out. Luckily most outages are resolved within a few hours at most. If Verizon‘s website or support reps say there are no outages, move on to the next troubleshooting step.
Step 6: Restart Your Phone
You‘ve probably heard "have you tried turning it off and on again?" as stereotypical technology advice, but sometimes it really is the fix, especially for random software glitches!
If your voicemail isn‘t working, a simple restart of your phone might be all that‘s needed. Hold down the power button on your phone until the power menu appears, and tap "Restart" or "Reboot."
Step 7: Reset Your Network Settings
If your voicemail still isn‘t working, the next step is to try resetting your device‘s network settings. This will clear out your saved Bluetooth pairings, WiFi networks, VPN settings, and cellular network preferences. Don‘t worry, it won‘t erase any of your apps, photos, or other data – it just resets network information.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Enter your passcode when prompted and confirm you want to reset network settings. Your iPhone will restart.
On an Android phone, go to Settings > System > Advanced > Reset Options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. Confirm the reset. Your phone may restart.
After resetting the network settings, check your voicemail again. If it‘s still not working, there‘s one final troubleshooting step you can try.
Step 8: Factory Reset Your Phone
A factory reset should only be used as a last resort, as it will completely erase all data and settings from your phone. But if you‘ve tried all the other troubleshooting steps and your voicemail still isn‘t working, a factory reset can often fix stubborn software issues that may be interfering.
Before resetting your phone, be sure to back up all your important data, either to a computer or a cloud backup service. Once your data is safely backed up, you can proceed with the reset.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Confirm you want to erase your device.
On an Android phone, go to Settings > System > Advanced > Reset Options > Erase all data (factory reset). Confirm you want to reset your phone.
After the reset, your phone will be like new. Go through the setup process, making sure to log into your Verizon account when prompted to restore your service. Once your phone is set up, hopefully your voicemail will be working properly again.
Visual Voicemail Not Working?
Visual Voicemail is a convenient feature that allows you to view your voicemail messages directly in the My Verizon app (or Phone app on some Android devices), instead of having to call in to a voicemail number to listen to your messages.
If you‘re having trouble with Visual Voicemail specifically, there are a couple things you can try:
Toggle Visual Voicemail Off and On
First, open your phone‘s Settings app. On an iPhone, tap Phone, then tap Voicemail at the bottom. Next to "Visual Voicemail," toggle the switch off and then back on again.
On an Android phone, the exact location of this setting will depend on your phone model, but look in Settings for "Voicemail" or "Visual Voicemail." Again, toggle the setting off and then on.
Reinstall the Visual Voicemail App
If toggling the setting doesn‘t help, trying uninstalling and reinstalling the Visual Voicemail app itself. On iPhones, Visual Voicemail is built into the Phone app and can‘t be separately uninstalled, but Android users who have the standalone Visual Voicemail app can uninstall it from their phone and reinstall a fresh copy from the Google Play Store.
Get Help from Verizon Support
If you‘ve tried all these troubleshooting steps and your Verizon voicemail is still not working, it may be time to contact Verizon support directly for further assistance.
You should contact support if:
- You‘ve completed all the troubleshooting steps above and your voicemail still isn‘t working.
- Your voicemail hasn‘t been working for more than 24 hours.
- You want to verify your current voicemail plan and subscription status.
To contact Verizon support, call *611 from your Verizon mobile phone, or dial 1-800-922-0204 to speak to a customer service representative. Alternatively, you can chat with a live agent on Verizon‘s website.
Preventing Future Voicemail Problems
While you can‘t completely prevent technical issues from ever impacting your Verizon voicemail, there are some best practices you can follow to minimize potential voicemail headaches in the future:
- Set up voicemail notifications and alerts so you‘ll know right away if you stop receiving new voicemails or if your voicemail box is getting full.
- Regularly check for and install updates for the My Verizon app and your phone‘s operating system to ensure you‘re always running the latest, most bug-free versions.
- Try not to let your voicemail inbox reach max capacity. Get into the habit of checking and clearing out old messages regularly.
- Back up and save your most important voicemails locally to your phone so you don‘t lose them if you have any future voicemail mishaps.
You‘ve Got This!
Dealing with Verizon voicemail issues can be a headache, but in most cases, they‘re a fixable headache. By methodically troubleshooting using the steps we‘ve outlined in this guide, you‘ll be able to resolve the majority of voicemail problems on your own, and get back to confidently using your Verizon voicemail service.
Remember, if you get stuck or your voicemail issues are dragging on, you can always reach out to Verizon‘s customer support team for help. They‘re there to serve you and should be happy to assist you with any persistent voicemail woes.
Hopefully you‘ve found this guide helpful and feel empowered to take charge of your Verizon voicemail issues. Here‘s to reliable and stress-free voicemail service in 2022 and beyond!
