Voicemails came from the earlier days of landlines and answering machines but are helpful for smartphones. Because you may not always be around to take a call when you receive it, having someone leave a recorded message to view later is beneficial. Even the best budget Android phones give you access to all the voicemail features you'll need. You can use various methods to check and manage your voicemails after you create your dedicated voicemail number. In this guide, we go over how you can access the voicemail feature on your Verizon Wireless smartphone.

Set up your first Verizon voicemail number

Basic Voicemail is what Verizon calls the minimal voicemail service experience that has the simple option you'd expect from. As a Verizon customer, this feature comes with your phone plan, which allows you to quickly check voicemails by dialing your dedicated voicemail number. You'll interact with an automated messaging system to select several voicemail options before using it for the first time, such as a password or a new greeting message. The setup process is quite simple overall.

To get started setting up your Verizon voicemail number, do the following:

1. Open the Phone app that came preinstalled with your device.
2. Type *86 on the keypad, then dial the number to access the main menu. Alternatively, dial your 10-digit phone number from another phone to set up your voicemail.
3. Listen for the language options, then press the number followed by the Pound key (#) to confirm. For example, pressing 1 and then # to select the English option.
4. Listen to the instructions and wait until you hear the password option.
5. Choose a 4-digit to 7-digit password. You'll use this password to lock and access your voicemail.
6. Enter that password using the keypad, then press # to confirm.
7. When asked about the signature, which is your name, say it when prompted and press the # key to save it.
8. Record your new greeting, which others will hear when they reach your voicemail.
9. Press # to create the message.
10. Press # once more to finalize and save your voicemail greeting.
11. That's it! Your voicemail number and basic features are now set up. You can hang up the call and move on to the sections below.

How to check your Verizon voicemails

When it comes to checking your voicemails and managing them, you can use a few methods depending on your needs. From dialing your voicemail number in the phone dialer app to using a dedicated voicemail app, we cover what you need to know in the sections below.

Dial your voicemail number

This is the basic form of checking your voicemails on your mobile phone, which has you dialing your new voicemail number for the phone dialer. It's the same method you used when setting up the Basic Voicemail feature on your Verizon phone.

To check your voicemails using the phone dialer, check out the following steps:

1. Open the Phone app that came preinstalled with your device.
2. Type *86 on the keypad, then dial the number to continue. You can also long-press the number 1 key on the keypad to dial your voicemail number quickly.
3. Once the call connects, listen for the option to check your voicemails.
   2 Images

   Close
4. Enter the numbered choice when prompted to do so.
5. Type your Verizon voicemail password to manage your voicemails from there.

Use the Visual Voicemail app

Visual Voicemail is the next step above Verizon's Basic Voicemail feature, which offers extra features you might find beneficial. It allows you to visually interact with your voicemails using an app instead of relying on an automated voice messaging system. Think of it as how you manage your RCS chats or text messages but with voicemails. However, Visual Voicemail doesn't work on only Wi-Fi. You need a data plan.

Visual Voicemail should be preinstalled on your phone, but the free version is limited. You'll need to upgrade to the premium plan for additional features, which will cost you a few dollars extra per month. Some premium options include a longer message duration for your voicemails, double the amount of voicemail box space, call forwarding, and a transcription of each voicemail to view them at a glance.

To check your voicemails using the Visual Voicemail app, do the following:

1. Open the Visual Voicemail app that's preinstalled on your device.
2. Scroll through the list of voicemails.
3. Select a voicemail you want to manage.
4. Play back the message or delete it as needed.

Use the default phone app

If you want an easier method of checking your voicemails, there's a third option to consider. You can always use the built-in Phone app if an automated messaging system or Visual Voicemail doesn't fit your needs. Google worked with many major cellphone wireless carriers to make its Phone app the default dialer. It should be preinstalled with your device in some form, but the voicemail feature is likely there. Alternatively, you can download the Phone by Google app from the Google Play Store as needed to get the voicemail feature.

To check your voicemails from the Phone app, check out the following:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the Voicemail tab in the lower-right corner.
3. Review and accept the terms if needed.
4. Scroll through your voicemails and manage them from here.
   2 Images

   Close

Accessing your voicemails is simple

You have plenty of options for viewing and managing your voicemails on your Verizon smartphone, but the one you pick should work best for you. If you want to keep things simple, dialing your voicemail number from the phone is the most classic of these methods. However, you might want something more helpful to interact with instead of listening to a voice menu. In that case, using Visual Voicemail or the voicemail tab in your built-in Phone app is the better choice. No matter what, managing your voicemails doesn't have to be complicated.

If you use Google Voice for phone calls and voicemails, check out how you can change your Google Voice number. We walk you through the steps you need to take to get a new number in no time.