Live Voicemail* is a handy tool that keeps you in the loop with your contacts when you can't answer their calls. This guide will show you how to enable and use this feature on your iPhone with iOS 17.
Live Voicemail Availability
Currently, Live Voicemail is available to users residing in the U.S. and Canada with their default device language set to English. However, it appears usable outside these regions as long as the language is set to English. This availability may change with subsequent iOS 17 updates.
Enabling Live Voicemail
Here are the steps to enable Live Voicemail:
- Open the Settings App: Start by opening the Settings app on your iPhone, then tap "Phone."
- Access Live Voicemail Settings: Scroll down until you find "Live Voicemail," then tap on it.
- Enable Live Voicemail: Tap and enable the toggle for Live Voicemail at the top.
Congratulations! You have enabled Live Voicemail on your iPhone. All future voicemails you receive will now be transcribed in real-time.
Using Live Voicemail
Once Live Voicemail is enabled, you don't need to do anything special to use it. Here's how:
- When a message is sent to Voicemail, it will be automatically transcribed. This transcription will be available on your screen while the message is being recorded in real-time.
- You can send a call to voicemail by tapping "Voicemail" when receiving a call.
- If you wish, tap the "Message" icon to send a message to the contact, or "Pick Up" if you want to answer the call based on the voicemail's context.
To view a Live Voicemail for a call you received earlier:
- Open the Phone app and tap "Recents" at the bottom.
- Tap "Voicemail" under a call that was sent to Voicemail.
- You can now play the message in real-time, and the transcribed message will also be visible under "Transcription."
- Tap the "Play" icon to preview the Voicemail, or the "Delete" icon to delete it.
- You can tap the "Speaker" icon if you want to hear the Voicemail message over your phone's speaker.
- If you wish, you can tap the "Call" icon to call back the person who left you the Voicemail.
How "Silence Unknown Callers" Affects Live Voicemail
If "Silence Unknown Callers" is turned on, then unknown callers will be automatically sent to Voicemail, and their calls won't ring on your device. Their Voicemail messages, if left, will be automatically transcribed on your iPhone. The transcription will show up in real-time while it is being recorded, and will also be available in your call logs.
Live Voicemail and Spam Calls
Calls marked as Spam by your carrier will be instantly declined. They won't be sent to Voicemail, and no Live Voicemail will be recorded for them. If you wish to receive Voicemails from such callers, you need to mark them as "Not Spam."
Now you know how to enable and use Live Voicemail on your iPhone with iOS 17. It's a convenient tool that helps you stay informed even when you're unable to pick up a call.
