How to turn off voicemail | Samsung S10

Hate receiving voicemails? Get rid of them for good

There are a few ways to turn off voicemail. Depending on your phone, you may be able to use a carrier code, adjust your phone settings, or use a third-party app. There are also less techy options that do the trick. Here are four methods to disable voicemails, or at least limit voicemail messages.

How to Disable Voicemail on Android 

If you have an Android phone, you might be able to disable voicemail by adjusting your call-forwarding settings. You can disable three functions, such as Forward When Busy, Forward When Unanswered, and Forward When Unreached. In some cases, you can disable all call forwarding.

  1. Check if you have call forwarding. Open the Phone app, select the Menu icon, then choose Settings.

  2. Scroll through the settings and select Call-forwarding if it's an option.

    You may have to open Advanced or More Settings to find this.

  3. Disable all call-forwarding functions. Your phone should stop forwarding calls to your voicemail provider. 

Your options might not match exactly, and not all Android smartphones have this setting.

How to Use Carrier Codes to Remove Voicemail

Your carrier may be able to help disable voicemail. You can also use a carrier code to call customer service or call the helpline directly to talk to a representative. Dial 611 from your smartphone if you use AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon in the U.S. You should be able to talk to someone who can shut off your voicemail while you're on the line.

Fill Your Mailbox

One surefire way to kick voicemail to the curb is by filling up your mailbox. When you reject or miss a call, a greeting tells the caller that the mailbox is full, and they won't be able to leave a message.

Here are a few ways to stuff your mailbox:

  • Never delete your voicemail messages and wait for it to fill up.
  • Call your phone, wait for the beep, and play music into the speaker. You might have to record a few messages if voicemails have a cutoff time, but once you do, you can't receive new messages.
  • Change your greeting to say that nobody is checking the mailbox and that they should send a text or email instead of leaving a message.

Turn Voicemail into Text

Voicemail isn't going anywhere in the short term, but you can take the voice part out of it by using visual voicemail, which transcribes your messages. Mobile carriers offer paid options, but Google Voice does it for free.

To use Google Voice, forward your calls to a Google Voice number, which is also free. When you get a voicemail, Google transcribes it and texts or emails it to you.

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How to turn off voicemail | Samsung S10

Last update: Jul 30, 20201 answer

How to turn off Voicemail | Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Best Answer

  1. From a Home screen, navigate: Phone icon > Menu icon. > Settings. If not available, swipe up to display all apps then tap the Phone icon.
  2. Tap Voicemail. If unavailable, tap Call Settings > Voicemail.
  3. Tap the Visual Voicemail switch to turn on or off . If unavailable, tap Notifications.

How to Turn Off Voicemail on Galaxy S20 / Ultra / Plus

Whether it is the time, money, or cat-and-mouse game that is involved with voicemails, there are many reasons why you may want to disable your voicemail service.

Keep reading to get step-by-step guidance on how to turn off your phone's voicemail, using several different methods depending on what works for your device and your service provider.

Also, consider the many alternatives that can make voicemail useful to you, particularly if your phone is your main point of contact for business. If you are still wanting the benefits of voicemail, but just wish it was simpler, consider using a smart voicemail app. Apps like Vxt Voicemail are make it so you can read you voicemails as if they were text messages. Vxt is available on the App Store and Google Play.

1. Use Your Phone (MMI) Codes to Deactivate Voicemail

If you want to turn off your voicemail outright so that others cannot leave you messages, the quickest and easiest way to do so is by using a MMI code. A MMI code, or Man-Machine-Interface code, is a way for your phone to communicate with your mobile service provider and change settings which affect how your phone handles calls (among other things).

One of these codes is ##004#, which tells your mobile service provider to disable your conditional call forwarding settings. This disables a feature that your voicemail relies on to work. Therefore, when your conditional call forwarding settings are disabled, your voicemail is too.

However, not all mobile service providers comply with global standards around MMI codes, even though they are required to. This means that depending on your provider, this method might not work. Try dialling ##004# from your phone app as shown in the screenshot below, and then give yourself a test call using another phone to see if your voicemail has turned off successfully.

How to turn off voicemail | Samsung S10

Some phone providers, like Optus in Australia for example, don't allow ##004# as a method to turn off your voicemail, but they do provide alternatives.

In the case of Optus, you can dial 1509 and call the number. Follow the prompts and select the ‘voicemail’ option and follow this by choosing the ‘deactivate’ option. If you’re using a Postpaid mobile service you can also use the Optus SMS menu by texting the number ‘8’ to 9999 and following the remaining prompts.

The service codes for other popular carriers should be available on their websites. If calling ##004# doesn't work for you then try googling "call forwarding codes [carriers name]" or "how to turn off voicemail [carriers name]". Or you can try any of the other methods outlined below.

2. Disable Your Voicemail through Your Phone Settings

This method unfortunately only works for Android devices. For iPhone users, try the other methods provided.

The specific type of voicemail settings you will have access to will depend on the phone you are using and the service provider you are with. You may not have the capacity to deactivate your voicemail in some cases. In that case, also have a go at the other methods.

To see if your phone is capable of turning off voicemail through its settings, look in the voicemail settings and search for a "deactivate" or ‘turn off’ option. If you find the correct option, disabling it will turn off the voicemail function. Remember, you can always enable your voicemail services again by using this method in reverse.

You may also be able to turn off 'call forwarding' through your phone's call settings. This can be found by accessing the settings in your phone's calling app, then choosing "supplementary services" then choosing "disable" for forwarding when busy, unanswered, or unreachable. If you need more help on how to do this, check out this video which will take you step by step through all the best methods available.

How to turn off voicemail | Samsung S10

3. Use a Smart Voicemail App

Having to check voicemail messages is a dreaded task for many. To get the benefits of using voicemail without the hassel, consider switching to a visual voicemail app. A visual voicemail app makes checking your voicemails more like checking text messages. Visual voicemail apps work alongside your service provider to make your life easier.

With a visual voicemail app, your messages are transcribed and displayed in an email-like display, allowing you to quickly read and prioritize them without painstakingly listening to every single audio message. You don't even need to dial a number to find out who left the call, how long the message lasted, or what the content of the message was. Simply open the app and scroll through and read your voicemails, in any order you choose.

How to turn off voicemail | Samsung S10

Some voicemail apps have an integrations marketplace, meaning you can receive your messages in third-party apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce. You can also use voicemail apps with landlines and toll-free numbers, not just mobile phone numbers. Also, if you're a busy professional, you can share your voicemail inbox with others like your colleagues, and set up multiple inboxes if you have more than one phone number.

Voicemail apps like Vxt have options for both individuals, professionals, and business owners, who get left a lot of voicemail. The time saved can accumulate to hours each week, which can be spent on other more meaningful tasks.

iPhone: Download Vxt for iOS on the Apple App Store.

Android: Download Vxt for Android on the Google Play Store.

Desktop: Try Vxt for free on Google Chrome, Safari, and other browsers at Vxt.

4. Contact Your Phone Provider Directly

While some phones will allow you to manually deactivate your voicemail, most voicemail services are controlled by your service provider. This means you may need to contact your mobile carrier’s support team to disable your voicemail. Calling your service provider’s helpline will put you in touch with a representative who will be able to help you (for example, in the case of Optus call 13 39 37). The contact information for your specific carrier will be available on their website.

If you are unsure of who your service provider is, check your phone’s homepage or billing information. Service hotlines are free of charge, however, consider setting aside some time in your day if you do decide to call. Calling traffic can be high depending on the time of day and you may be kept on hold for a long period of time as you wait to get in contact with someone.

Alternatively, you can go online and register your profile with your service provider on their website. Once you have made an account, you can usually change your voicemail function in the account settings tab. This will save you the time and hassle of contacting the service provider directly.

Done!

How to turn off voicemail | Samsung S10

Once you’ve gone through the various methods of deactivating your voicemail one way or another, it is a good idea to check for yourself that it’s been done. Call your number from another phone, or get a friend to dial your number and give your phone a test run. Don’t answer the incoming call and see if the calling line is prompted to leave a message. If there is no voicemail option, you’ll know you have successfully removed your voicemail.

How do I turn off voicemail on Samsung?

On some Android phones, you may be able to disable voicemail by opening your phone's settings, tapping Call or Phone, tapping Voicemail, tapping your voicemail number, and deleting it. <b>Thanks!

How do you turn off voicemail on Samsung Galaxy s10?

Apart from the person who left the voicemail, you'll see the message's duration and timestamp. To listen to it, just press the “Play” icon. You can rewind and forward the message too. After listening to it, you can delete it by tapping on the trash can icon in the bottom left corner.

How do I turn voicemail settings off?

To see if your phone is capable of turning off voicemail through its settings, look in the voicemail settings and search for a "deactivate" or 'turn off' option. If you find the correct option, disabling it will turn off the voicemail function.