Need to change the message callers hear before voicemail picks up? On iPhone, the greeting usually lives in the Phone app; on many Android phones, your carrier handles it through the voicemail keypad.
The right path depends on whether you use carrier voicemail, Google Voice, Google Fi, home phone voicemail, or Microsoft Teams. Start with the option that matches where your voicemail actually lives.
Change Your iPhone Greeting In The Phone App
The most common reason iPhone greeting steps look different is that Apple has a newer unified Phone app layout and a classic Voicemail tab layout.
Open the Phone app. In the newer layout, tap Calls, choose Edit, then tap Edit Voicemail Greeting. Choose Custom and tap Record.
On the classic layout, open Phone, tap Voicemail, then tap Greeting. Choose Custom and tap Record.
Apple's carrier voicemail greeting controls require Visual Voicemail or carrier support, and the feature is not available with every carrier or in every country or region.
On an iPad with Phone and voicemail features, open Phone, tap the Filter button, choose Voicemails, tap Edit, then tap Edit Voicemail Greeting. Choose Custom and tap Record.
Use The Android Voicemail Shortcut
On Android phones using Phone by Google, open Phone, tap Dialpad, then touch and hold 1. Follow your carrier's voicemail prompts to record or change the greeting.
Google supports this dialpad path on Android 6.0 and up. Once the voicemail system answers, your mobile carrier controls the exact greeting menu.
If holding 1 does not reach voicemail, check the carrier setup next: open Phone, tap More options, go to Settings, Voicemail, Advanced Settings, and Service, make sure Your carrier is selected, review Setup for the voicemail access number, then call voicemail again.
Set Up Voicemail Before Choosing Custom
Use these setup steps when the phone asks you to create the mailbox before it lets you record a greeting.
- 1.On iPhone, open Phone. In the newer unified layout, tap the Filter button, tap Voicemails, tap Edit, then tap Edit Voicemail Greeting. On the classic layout, tap Voicemail at the bottom of the screen, then tap Greeting.
- 2.Create the voicemail password, then choose Default or Custom.
- 3.Choose Custom when you want callers to hear your own recording, then record the greeting.
- 4.On iPad with Phone voicemail features, open Phone, tap Voicemail, tap Set Up Now, create the password, then choose Default or Custom.
- 5.On AT&T Basic or Enhanced voicemail, press and hold 1 from your AT&T wireless phone, choose your language, create a 7- to 15-digit password, and follow the prompts to finish the greeting.
Record A Google Voice Greeting
This fixes the greeting for calls that go to Google Voice.
Open Google Voice on Android, iPhone, or iPad.
Tap Menu, then open Settings.
Go to Voicemail greeting and choose Record a greeting.
Tap Record, say your greeting, then tap Stop.
Tap Save, enter a name, then tap Save again.
Tap More next to a saved greeting and choose Set as active to switch greetings. Google Voice recordings can be up to 3 minutes, and you can keep up to 10 greetings.
On a computer, open voice.google.com in a supported browser, go to Settings, Voicemail, Active greeting, Record a greeting, Record, Stop, and Save. To switch later, go to Manage all greetings, tap More next to the greeting, and choose Set as active.
Manage Greetings In Your Carrier App
Use a carrier app when Visual Voicemail is the voicemail experience on your phone and the app includes greeting controls. This route applies to T-Mobile Visual Voicemail on Android, Google Fi on Android, Verizon mobile Visual Voicemail, and AT&T Visual Voicemail setup paths.
On T-Mobile Visual Voicemail for Android, open Visual Voicemail, tap the Menu button with three vertical dots, open Settings, then select the active greeting under Greetings & Pin. Tap the microphone icon, name your greeting, use Record to start and stop, then tap Save.
To activate a saved T-Mobile greeting, choose the greeting name and tap Set as Active. To remove one, choose the greeting name, tap Delete, then tap OK.
On Google Fi for Android 6.0 and newer, open the Google Fi app, go to the Home tab, then Phone settings, Voicemail, and Manage greeting. Tap the microphone icon, allow microphone access when prompted, record up to 40 seconds, tap Keep, name the greeting, and tap Save; use Redo before saving when you want another take.
To set an existing Google Fi greeting active, open Manage greeting, tap the down arrow next to the voicemail, and choose Set as active.
On Google Fi for iPhone or iPad, use the iOS Phone app voicemail greeting path instead.
On Verizon mobile Visual Voicemail, open the Voicemail app on your mobile device and use the greeting controls in the app. Available controls vary by phone and voicemail product.
On AT&T Samsung phones, use the Visual Voicemail app during setup and follow the prompts to set your password and greeting. On compatible AT&T Android phones without built-in Visual Voicemail, use the AT&T Visual Voicemail app and follow the prompts.
Call Your Carrier Voicemail System
The most common reason a carrier app has no greeting button is that the greeting menu lives inside the voicemail phone system.
On Verizon mobile, dial *86 from your Verizon phone and follow the prompts to change your greeting.
From another phone, call your Verizon mobile number. When your greeting starts, press #, enter your password, press 4 for Personal Options, then follow the prompts to change the greeting.
On T-Mobile, long press 1, enter your PIN when prompted, then choose 3 for Create a greeting. Choose 2 to record a greeting, 4 to record your name as the greeting, or 5 to use your phone number as the greeting.
When long pressing 1 does not work on T-Mobile, dial 1-805-637-7249, enter your 10-digit number, press * while the greeting plays, enter your password, then choose 3 for Create a greeting.
Former UScellular customers whose voicemail has moved to T-Mobile need to restart the phone, then long press 1, dial their own number, or dial 123 to create the new PIN and greeting. The old *86 shortcut does not work with the new T-Mobile voicemail box.
On AT&T feature phones, press and hold 1 or the Voicemail key, enter your voicemail password when prompted, and use the voicemail prompts to manage the greeting.
On Xfinity Mobile manual voicemail, reach the voicemail system by pressing and holding 1, dialing *86, or dialing your own number. From the main menu, press 4 for Personal options, then press 3 for Greetings or recorded name. Follow the prompts to change the greeting or recorded name. Change administration options is option 2 on that same Personal options menu and does not lead to greetings.
Update Home Phone Voicemail Greetings
For Xfinity Voice home phone, dial *99 or your Xfinity Voice number.
Enter your passcode.
Press 4 for Personal Options.
Press 3 for Greetings, then follow the prompts to record or choose the greeting.
To create scheduled Xfinity greetings, stay in Greetings and press 6 for Scheduled Greetings.
For Verizon Fios Digital Voice home voicemail, dial the voicemail access number and enter your passcode.
Press #, then press 4 for Personal Options.
Press 2 for Greetings.
Choose 1 for Name Recording, 2 for Busy Greeting, 3 for Personal Greeting, or 4 for Extended Absence Greeting.
Tip: Verizon Fios home voicemail can be removed from the service when you prefer an answering machine or no Verizon voicemail greeting.
Record Work Voicemail In Microsoft Teams
This applies when your voicemail is handled by Microsoft Teams and voicemail is enabled by your organization or calling plan. Stay in Teams call settings unless your IT admin has made you an authorized user for a call queue or auto attendant line.
In Teams, open Settings and more, then Settings, Calls, and Manage voicemail. Choose Record a greeting and follow the instructions to record your message.
For a call queue or auto attendant line you are an authorized user for, open the same Calls settings and choose that line. Your IT admin grants this by creating a voice applications policy, and the Queues app that surfaces these controls is included with Teams Premium. Use the greeting dropdown to choose No greeting, Add a greeting message, or Play an audio file, then enter the message or upload the accepted audio file and tap Save.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change a carrier voicemail greeting with Siri or Google Assistant?
No current official Siri or Google Assistant path changes a mobile carrier voicemail greeting. Use the phone's voicemail screen, a carrier app, or the carrier voicemail keypad menu.
Why don't I see Greeting on my iPhone?
Apple's carrier voicemail greeting controls depend on Visual Voicemail and carrier support. They are not available with every carrier or in every country or region.
How many Google Voice greetings can I keep?
Google Voice supports recordings up to 3 minutes and lets you keep up to 10 greetings.
Does Google Fi use the same voicemail greeting steps on iPhone and Android?
No. Google Fi on Android uses the Google Fi app greeting controls, while Google Fi on iPhone and iPad uses the iOS Phone app voicemail interface.