The fastest way to listen to Verizon voicemail

The quickest way to check your Verizon voicemail is to press and hold the 1 key on your phone's keypad. Your phone will dial your voicemail box automatically, and you'll hear a prompt asking for your PIN. Enter your PIN and you can listen to, delete, or save messages right away.

If you don't have a PIN yet, Verizon sets a temporary one when your account is created — usually the last four digits of your phone number. You should change this to a stronger PIN the first time you access voicemail. The system will walk you through that step.

This method works on any phone, anywhere, as long as you have cell service or are connected to Wi-Fi calling. You don't need an app or a computer.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold 1 on your phone to reach voicemail, then enter your PIN to listen to messages.
  • You can also call your own phone number from another phone and press a key to jump to voicemail when the greeting plays.
  • The My Verizon app and the Verizon website let you listen to voicemail, delete messages, and change your greeting without calling in.
  • Change your default PIN to something only you know the first time you log in, since the temporary PIN is based on your phone number.
  • Visual voicemail shows you a list of messages with caller names and lets you listen in any order, but it requires a compatible phone and a separate setup step.

Calling your voicemail from another phone

If you're away from your Verizon phone, you can reach your voicemail by calling your own phone number from any other phone. When your voicemail greeting plays, press the asterisk key (*) or the pound key (#) — the prompt will tell you which one — and enter your PIN.

This works from landlines, other cell phones, or payphones. You'll hear the same menu as if you'd pressed 1 on your own phone, so you can listen to, delete, or save messages the same way.

Using the My Verizon app to check voicemail

The My Verizon app, available on iPhone and Android, shows your voicemail messages in a list. You can see the caller's name or number, the date and time of the call, and how long the message is without having to call in.

Open the app, tap the phone icon at the bottom, then tap Voicemail. You'll see all your messages. Tap any message to listen, and you can delete it, save it, or mark it as read from that screen. You can also re-record your voicemail greeting directly in the app without calling your voicemail box.

The app requires you to sign in with your Verizon account username and password. If you don't have a My Verizon account yet, you can create one on the Verizon website or in the app itself.

Checking voicemail on the Verizon website

You can also listen to voicemail through the Verizon website without using an app. Go to verizon.com, sign in with your account credentials, and look for the voicemail section under your phone account. The layout is similar to the app — you'll see a list of messages with caller information and timestamps.

Click any message to play it, and you can delete, save, or download it from there. Some messages can be downloaded as audio files and saved to your computer. You can also change your voicemail greeting on the website by recording a new one or uploading an audio file.

Setting up visual voicemail on compatible phones

Visual voicemail is available on newer iPhones and some Android phones. Instead of listening to messages in the order they arrived, you see them listed on your screen and can tap any one to play it. This saves time if you have several messages and want to listen to a specific one first.

To set up visual voicemail, open your phone's voicemail app (on iPhone, it's the Phone app; on Android, it may be called Voicemail or Messages depending on your phone). You may see a prompt to activate visual voicemail — tap it and follow the steps. Verizon will send you a text message confirming activation, which usually takes a few minutes.

Once it's active, your voicemail messages will appear as a list in the app. You can listen, delete, or save them without dialing in. Visual voicemail works over cellular data or Wi-Fi, so you don't need a phone signal to listen to messages if you're on Wi-Fi.

Changing your voicemail PIN and greeting

Your voicemail PIN protects your messages from being heard by someone else. To change it, press and hold 1 to reach voicemail, enter your current PIN, and listen for the main menu. Press 5 or 6 (the exact key varies) to access settings, then follow the prompts to change your PIN. Write down your new PIN and store it somewhere safe.

To change your voicemail greeting, you can record a new one by pressing 1 to reach voicemail, then pressing 4 or 5 for the greeting menu. You can also record a greeting in the My Verizon app or on the website without calling in. A greeting should be brief — just your name or a short message letting callers know you'll get back to them.

Troubleshooting voicemail problems

If pressing 1 doesn't reach voicemail, check that you have cell service or Wi-Fi calling enabled. If you're on Wi-Fi, make sure Wi-Fi calling is turned on in your phone's settings. If you still can't reach voicemail, restart your phone and try again.

If you forgot your PIN, you can reset it through the My Verizon app or website. Sign in to your account, go to voicemail settings, and look for a PIN reset option. You may need to verify your identity by answering security questions or entering a code sent to your phone. If you can't reset it online, call Verizon customer service and they can reset it for you.

If voicemail messages aren't showing up in the app, try signing out and signing back in. If that doesn't work, uninstall the app, restart your phone, and reinstall it. Make sure your phone has the latest software update, as older versions sometimes have trouble syncing with Verizon's servers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between regular voicemail and visual voicemail?

Regular voicemail plays messages in the order they arrived and requires you to listen to each one in sequence. Visual voicemail shows all messages in a list on your screen, so you can pick which one to listen to first. Visual voicemail is faster if you have many messages, but it only works on newer phones.

Can I listen to my Verizon voicemail on a non-Verizon phone?

Yes. Call your own phone number from any phone, and when your greeting plays, press * or # to reach your voicemail. Enter your PIN and you can listen to messages the same way. You can also use the My Verizon app or website from any phone with internet access.

What happens if I don't change my temporary PIN?

Your voicemail will still work, but anyone who knows your phone number can guess your PIN and listen to your messages. Verizon recommends changing it to a unique number that's not based on your phone number or birthdate. You can change it anytime by pressing 1, entering your current PIN, and selecting the PIN change option.

Can I save voicemail messages permanently?

Yes. In the My Verizon app or website, you can mark messages as saved, which keeps them from being automatically deleted. You can also download messages as audio files and save them to your computer. Saved messages stay in your voicemail box until you manually delete them.

How long does Verizon keep voicemail messages?

Verizon keeps voicemail messages for 30 days. After that, they're automatically deleted. If you want to keep a message longer, mark it as saved in the app or website, or download it as an audio file to your computer.