Key Points
- Setting up voicemail on your iPhone is important for maintaining connections, upholding your image, and communicating information to callers.
- Your voicemail is the first impression missed callers have of you, so it’s crucial to have a welcoming and professional greeting.
- Voicemails help callers choose their next step in trying to reach you by providing alternative contact information.
- To set up voicemail on your iPhone, open the Phone app, tap the Voicemail icon, select the Greeting button, and choose a default or custom voicemail message.
You’ve set up your iPhone, logged into your Apple ID, and downloaded all your favorite apps. You’ve even set your lock screen. But did you take the time to set up voicemail on your iPhone? In all the excitement of playing with a new phone, it’s possible you saved this particular step for later. Fear not; we’re here to help you learn how to set up your voicemail on your iPhone in just a handful of simple steps. Follow along with the walkthrough below, and you’ll have a friendly greeting to offer your future callers in no time at all.
Why Set Up Voicemail on iPhone?

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Your voicemail is a fundamental feature on your iPhone. It might seem inconsequential, but your voicemail plays a pivotal role in maintaining connections, upholding your image, and communicating information to your contacts. Let’s take a closer look at why these three reasons are so important. We’ll then go over the steps required to set up your voicemail below.
Maintain Connections
Your voicemail is the first thing missed callers hear when you don’t pick up. Whether you’re a professional who relies on building clientele, an instructor who needs to relay an authoritative voice, or an interviewee awaiting an important call from a potential employer, your voicemail plays a major part in establishing and maintaining connections.
Uphold Image
Further, your voicemail helps uphold your image. If you miss a cold call from a potential client in your professional life, your voicemail is going to play a vital role in making a good first impression. Imagine you give someone your contact information and then miss their call. An unwelcoming or default voicemail could reflect a worse image than you’d probably prefer to convey.
Communicate Information
Voicemails also help communicate information to callers. Whether you offer an email they can reach you at, an alternative phone number they can try, or an address they can visit, your voicemail can help missed callers choose their next step in trying to reach you. Without a voicemail, you may turn people away by leaving them with no other way to get in touch.
How to Set Up Voicemail on iPhone
Now that you know how important it is to set up the voicemail on your iPhone, let’s break down the four simple steps to get it done. We should note that these tips are exclusive to iOS users — Android smartphone users will need to follow a different set of instructions to set up their voicemails. iPhone users can follow along with the steps and photos below to get set up.
Step One: Open Phone

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First, open up the Phone app on your iPhone. Apple places this app in the bottom left corner of your device by default, but you can also find it by searching for it by name in the search bar.
Step Two: Hit Voicemail

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Once inside the Phone app, tap the Voicemail icon at the bottom on the far right side of the screen. This will take you to a collection of your saved voicemails as well as your voicemail settings.
Step Three: Tap Greeting

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On the Voicemail tab, tap the Greeting button in the top left corner of the screen. This reveals a pop-up menu with settings pertaining to your voicemail and outgoing message.
Step Four: Set Up and Save

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On the Greeting menu, choose if you want a default voicemail or a custom one. If you choose custom, you can hit the Record button to record your outgoing message. Then, hit the Save button to make it official. That’s all there is to it. If you ever want to change your voicemail again, you can simply follow the same steps as above.
Summary Table
Step | Instructions |
---|---|
Step One: Open Phone | Open up the Phone app on your iPhone. Apple places this app in the bottom left corner of your device by default, but you can also find it by searching for it by name in the search bar. |
Step Two: Hit Voicemail | Once inside the Phone app, tap the Voicemail icon at the bottom on the far right side of the screen. This will take you to a collection of your saved voicemails â as well as your voicemail settings. |
Step Three: Tap Greeting | On the Voicemail tab, tap the Greeting button in the top left corner of the screen. This reveals a pop-up menu with settings pertaining to your voicemail and outgoing message. |
Step Four: Set Up and Save | On the Greeting menu, choose if you want a default voicemail or a custom one. If you choose custom, you can hit the Record button to record your outgoing message. Then, hit the Save button to make it official. Thatâs all there is to it. If you ever want to change your voicemail again, you can simply follow the same steps as above. |
The image featured at the top of this post is ©N.Z.Photography/Shutterstock.com.