How to Listen to a Voicemail on Your iPhone

Remember the little answering machine that sat next to the phone in the hallway? A blinking red light told you someone had called, and you'd press a button to hear their message. Your iPhone works much the same way — it just doesn't blink or make a whirring sound.

Here's exactly how to check the messages people have left for you.

Finding Your Voicemail

Look at the bottom of your screen for the green icon with a white telephone on it. That's the Phone app. Tap it once.

When it opens, you'll see a row of small words along the bottom of the screen: Favorites, Recents, Contacts, Keypad, and — the one you want — Voicemail. Tap the word Voicemail on the far right.

You'll now see a list of your messages. Each one shows who called (if the number is in your contacts), the date, and how long the message is. A blue dot to the left of a message means you haven't listened to it yet, just like an unopened envelope in the mail pile.

Playing the Message

Tap once on the message you want to hear. It will open up and show a play button — a small triangle pointing to the right, the same symbol you'd see on a cassette player.

Tap that triangle, and the message will play out loud through the phone's speaker. If you can't hear it well, hold the phone up to your ear like you're on a call — the sound will come through the earpiece instead.

Underneath the play button, you'll usually see the message written out in words. That's called a transcript. Apple's phone tries to type out what the caller said so you can read it. It's not always perfect — names and unusual words sometimes come out garbled — but it's handy when you're somewhere you can't play sound out loud.

What to Do After You've Listened

Once the message finishes, you have a few choices. You can tap the play triangle again to hear it a second time. You can tap Call Back to return the call right from that screen — no need to dial the number.

If you're done with the message, you can leave it there (it won't hurt anything) or tap Delete to throw it away. Deleted messages go into a folder at the bottom of the voicemail list called Deleted Messages, in case you change your mind within about 30 days.

If You've Never Set Up Voicemail Before

The very first time you tap Voicemail, your phone may ask you to create a password and record a greeting — the little message callers hear before the beep. Follow the prompts on the screen. Pick a password you'll remember (four digits is fine), and record a short greeting like, "Hi, you've reached Margaret. Please leave a message." Tap Save when you're done.

After that, you won't have to set it up again.

Try It Today

Open the Phone app right now and tap Voicemail at the bottom right. If you've got messages waiting, listen to one. If you don't, ask a friend or family member to call you when you can't answer — say, when you're out for a walk — and leave a short message so you can practice.

Need a hand with your technology? We're here to help. Give PorchSwing a call or book an appointment, and we'll walk you through it at your own pace — no rush, no jargon.