On an iPhone, dialing *86 (or sometimes holding down the '1' key) is a traditional way for some mobile carriers, like Verizon, to directly call into your voicemail service to listen to messages, especially if you're on another phone or prefer the old dial-in method over the visual voicemail app. It acts as a shortcut to your voicemail, bypassing the usual app interface and prompting you for your password to access messages, similar to dialing your own number and pressing a key to interrupt the greeting.
Basic Voicemail
Visual Voicemail users can check voicemail using the *86 method in addition to using the Visual Voicemail app. The Voicemail Notification option is controlled through the Visual Voicemail app, not via Personal Options, and isn't adjustable.
On your iPhone: Tap Voicemail, then follow the instructions. On another phone: Dial your own mobile number, press * or # (depending on your carrier) to bypass your greeting, then enter your voicemail password.
📱 Traditional Voicemail
Steps
✅ Steps to Reset Voicemail Password:
Go to Settings > Phone. Tap Change Voicemail Password. Enter a new password and confirm.
To set up voicemail on your iPhone, open the Phone app, tap the Voicemail tab, then tap Set Up Now, create a password, and record a custom or use the default greeting when prompted, completing the process by saving your choices. Remember to also check your carrier's voicemail settings in the main Settings > Phone menu for features like Live Voicemail, which provides real-time transcription, says Apple Support.
Use Your Phone (MMI) Codes to Deactivate Voicemail
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.
You can play your voicemail by calling your voicemail service. With some devices and carriers, you can view a list of your voicemails in your Phone app.
Accessing voicemail
press and hold 1. if you're calling from another phone, dial 07953 222 222 (UK) or +44 7953 222 222 (abroad) you'll need to have set up your voicemail PIN and be ready to enter it to listen to messages from another phone.
Standard Voicemail. If you don't have Visual Voicemail and/or Live Voicemail on your iPhone, regular voicemails will not be stored in the Phone app. Instead, to access to your voicemails, you'll need to call your carrier's voicemail service.
This Vertical Service Code, *82, enables calling line identification regardless of subscriber preference, dialed to unblock withheld numbers (private callers) in the U.S. on a per-call basis.
Call your voicemail
If you can't access visual voicemail and would like to listen to it, touch and hold 1 in the dialer or call your own phone number. Open the Phone app . Dial your own mobile number. When prompted, enter your voicemail PIN.
Call Retrieve Used to retrieve a parked call. Enter *88 followed by the extension that call is parked against. If the call is parked against your own extension, press the # key.
Once deleted, voicemails still aren't really deleted. They just move to the “deleted” folder and continue to take up space. To really delete a voicemail, one has to then delete the “deleted voicemails” from the “deleted” folder.
Steps to Delete Voicemail on iPhone
Block the contact:
You find voicemail settings in your phone's Phone app, usually under a dedicated Voicemail tab or in the app's Settings menu (often accessed via three dots/lines), allowing changes to greetings, notifications, and Visual Voicemail. For carrier-specific features or advanced options, you might use your mobile provider's app (like Telstra, Optus) or dial codes like *61.
Voicemail Settings: Look for an option similar to "Voicemail" or "Voicemail settings" within the Call settings menu. Tap on it to access the voicemail settings. 6. Voicemail Setup: In the Voicemail settings, you may see a toggle switch labeled "Voicemail." Disable this switch by tapping on it.
Live Voicemail lets you automatically see a real-time transcription as someone is leaving you a message. You can even pick up the call as they're leaving their voicemail. To turn on Live Voicemail, do the following: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
One common reason your visual voicemail isn't working is that call forwarding is turned on. It's easy to forget that you turned on call forwarding on your iPhone and didn't turn it off. If this is the case, calls on your iPhone are automatically sent to another number, so no voicemails come through.