As iMessage and other communication options have become more and more popular, voicemail use has no doubt seen a decline. However, it’s still an important feature to have working properly for most people. Follow along for how to set up or recover voicemail on iPhone.

Whether you’re switching carriers, just got a new iPhone, or had an interruption with your voicemail, there are a few scenarios where you’ll need to go through the voicemail set up or retrieval process on iPhone.

How to set up or recover voicemail on iPhone

  • Launch the Phone app
  • Tap on Voicemail in the bottom right corner
  • Create a password (it will ask to you to enter it twice to confirm it)
  • Tap Done on the top right corner when finished
  • Choose to use the default greeting or create a custom one, tap Save when finished

The example shown above shows what it looks like when creating a new voicemail, with a new password. If your iPhone is asking for a previously set up password to recover your voicemail, enter it if you know it.

If you don’t remember your voicemail password, give 0000 a shot. If you’re still locked out, call your carrier to reset your voicemail password. For the major US carriers you can dial 611 to be connected to customer support.

For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:

  • How to turn off autocorrect on Mac
  • Apple TV: How to download, update, and delete apps
  • How to check which apps have access to your iPhone’s camera and microphone
  • How to change and customize your Watch face on Apple Watch
  • How to make iPhone buttons easier to use
  • How to change the Siri voice on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, or HomePod
  • How to take screenshots on Mac
  • How to clean your dirty AirPods and charging case