Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

My phone is not displaying new voice mails randomly, I will have a voicemail left and no notification or MWI will be left. However when you call the voicemail they're all there. So obviously the carriers voicemail box is functioning the way it should, but apples visual voicemail service is not reading my mailbox correctly, is this a known issue that will be fixed in an update soon? Or is there possibly something wrong with my device alone? Many friends of mine are having this issue as well, we have decided to download the carriers visual voicemail app in the meantime to make sure we are getting our VM but we shouldn't have to.

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 iPhone voicemail not working, here’s how to fix it.

  1. Verify that Voicemail is set up on your iPhone
  2. Try calling your Voicemail directly
  3. Force close and reopen the Phone app
  4. Toggle Cellular Service on and off
  5. Switch on and switch off Airplane Mode
  6. Restart your iPhone
  7. Check for and install a Carrier Settings update
  8. Disable Wi-Fi on your iPhone
  9. Reset Time Zone and set Date & Time automatically
  10. Make sure Call Forwarding is off
  11. Reset iPhone voicemail password
  12. Reset Network Settings
  13. Contact your carrier
  14. Contact Apple Support

1. Verify that Voicemail is set up on your iPhone

Before we proceed with the means to fix your voicemail not working on your 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 SettingsPhone → 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.

Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

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.

Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

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

Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

5. Switch on and switch off Airplane Mode

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

  1. 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.
  2. Tap the plane icon to turn Airplane Mode ON and disable all connections.
  3. After 30 seconds, tap the same plane icon to toggle Airplane Mode off.

Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

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

6. Restart your iPhone

“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 SettingsGeneralAbout → If there is an update, you will see a pop-up. → Tap Update.

Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

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 SettingsWi-Fi → and toggle it off. Now try using voicemail.

Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

9. 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 SettingsGeneralDate & Time → Toggle on Set Automatically.

Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

10. 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 SettingsPhoneCall Forwarding → Ensure the toggle is set to off.

Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

11. Reset iPhone 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.

  1. Go to SettingsPhoneChange Voicemail Password.
  2. 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 SettingsGeneralResetReset Network Settings → Enter your password → Reset Network Settings.

Why is my Phone not giving me voicemails?

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.

You may like to take a peek at…

  • How to Delete All Voicemail Messages on iPhone
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  • No Service on iPhone? Try these 10 fixes!
  • How to turn off voicemail on an iPhone

A tech-aficionado whose superpower lies in blabbering interminably about new technologies. After 4+ years and 4500+ content pieces that helped diverse companies grow, I followed my passion and made iGeeks Media my home. When not gushing over technology, you will find me immersed in a fictional world, either reading or creating one.

Why is my Phone not receiving voicemails?

Start by making sure the voicemail and greeting are set up properly on the voicemail tab of the Phone app. You can also check to make sure call forwarding isn't turned on and make sure the voicemail service is working at the carrier by dialing the number directly.

How do I turn my voicemail back on?

Turn on voicemail access & set or change PIN In the "Account" tab, under "Phone settings," tap Voicemail. Turn on Call to listen. Enter your PIN and tap Save.

Why do my voicemails not show up on my Iphone?

Make Sure Call Forwarding Is Off While disabled by default, sometimes it can accidentally get enabled if you're playing around with the settings. If it's enabled, this is why you aren't receiving voicemails. To disable it, head to Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding and toggle it off.