This guide provides a clear walkthrough for users who want to turn off voicemail on an iPhone. While voicemail can be a useful feature for catching missed calls, some users prefer to manage their communications without it. iPhones offer both traditional audio voicemail and a visual voicemail feature that transcribes messages, and this article will show you how to handle both.
How to turn off voicemail on an iPhone
You can either disable the live transcription feature or contact your carrier to deactivate the service entirely by following the methods outlined below.
Method 1: Turn off live voicemail transcription
- Navigate to the Settings app on your iPhone’s home screen.
- Scroll down and tap on the Phone option.
- Inside the phone settings, find and select the Live Voicemail menu.
- Tap the toggle switch next to Live Voicemail to turn it to the off position. This will stop your iPhone from transcribing voicemails in real-time.
Method 2: Disable voicemail through your carrier
- Open the Phone app and select the Keypad tab at the bottom.
- Dial the deactivation code specific to your mobile carrier to turn off call forwarding to voicemail. This step requires you to know your carrier’s specific code.
- For many GSM carriers: You can try dialing ##004# and then pressing the green call button.
- If that code fails: You will need to contact your carrier’s customer support directly to proceed.
- When speaking with customer support, clearly state that you want to disable the voicemail service completely for your phone number. They will handle the deactivation from their end.
Taking control of your voicemail settings allows you to customize your communication experience. For many, disabling voicemail reduces the pressure to respond to messages and eliminates unwanted notifications, leading to a more streamlined and less cluttered digital life. It encourages callers to use other methods like texting or calling back later, which you may prefer.
Furthermore, turning the feature off completely can be a matter of privacy. By ensuring no voice messages can be left, you prevent sensitive information from being stored on a server or your device. This gives you full control over who can leave you information and ensures that all important communication happens directly with you, rather than through a recorded message.
