Phone basics
Voicemail
Voicemail allows callers to leave a recorded message when nobody is available or when the inbox's routing intentionally sends them to voicemail. Each voicemail belongs to the personal or shared inbox that handled the call, allowing the appropriate teammates to listen and follow up.
How callers reach voicemail
A caller may reach voicemail when:
- Nobody answers and the published routing uses voicemail as its fallback.
- The inbox is closed and its after-hours route ends in voicemail.
- The caller selects a phone-menu option that leads to voicemail.
- A teammate selects Send to voicemail (Voicemail on the mobile incoming-call screen) while the incoming call is ringing.
- Another custom call-flow branch ends at a Voicemail step.
A voicemail does not always mean everyone was rung
A call can be sent directly to voicemail or reach it through several different routes. Review the call timeline when you need to understand how a particular caller reached voicemail.
The greeting and message are different
The voicemail greeting is the audio callers hear before the beep. The voicemail message is the recording the caller leaves afterward. Changing a greeting does not change or delete previously received messages.
See Default Voicemail Recording and Call Flow Voicemail for greeting and routing configuration.
Before you begin
- Confirm that you can access the personal or shared inbox that received the call.
- Make sure the inbox's published routing can reach voicemail.
- Configure a useful greeting before directing customers to the number.
- Decide whether Voicemail should appear under the inbox's Unhandled Calls.
- Allow recently received messages time to finish processing.
Viewing a voicemail and following up use different permissions. Viewer access does not let you call or text from the inbox or mark its calls handled. See Inbox Participants.
Where to find voicemail
Open Phone → Calls on the web or the Calls tab on mobile. Select Status → Voicemail, then select the call you want to review.
You can search by the caller’s name or phone number using the instructions in Call History. Search does not find words inside a voicemail transcription.
If a voicemail is missing, clear the search and date restriction, and check the selected inbox. Choosing All in the inbox filter does not clear the other filters.
Open and review a voicemail
- Open Calls.
- Choose the appropriate inbox and select Status → Voicemail. To review messages awaiting follow-up, select Unhandled instead; this replaces the selected inbox scope. See Unhandled Calls.
- Select the call marked Voicemail.
- Confirm the caller, handling inbox, business line, and time received.
- Read the transcription when available.
- Play the recording to hear the caller's complete message.
- Review the timeline when you need to understand how the caller reached voicemail.
Understand the voicemail details
Depending on the message and your access, the details can show:
- Caller name or phone number.
- Inbox that received the message.
- Business number the caller reached.
- Date and duration.
- Voicemail transcription.
- Recorded audio.
- Call timeline.
- Call, Message, and Handled actions.
The voicemail transcription is a written version of the caller's recorded message generated by Waveline. It helps you quickly understand why someone called, identify requested follow-up, and review a message when listening to audio is inconvenient. You can also play the original recording anytime to hear the caller's message in their own voice.
New messages may take a moment to appear
The call can appear before its recording and transcription have finished processing. Wait briefly and reopen or refresh the details before assuming the message is missing.
Follow up with the caller
Depending on the call and your inbox access:
- Select Call to return the call using the appropriate Waveline line.
- Select Message when messaging is available for the number.
- Select Handled on mobile, or the Mark handled check icon on the web, when no additional follow-up is required.
When someone follows up through Waveline, the call can leave Unhandled automatically. Marking it handled manually removes it from Unhandled without deleting the call or voicemail.
See Unhandled Calls for follow-up settings and more information about marking calls handled.
Personal and shared voicemail
- A voicemail for a personal inbox belongs to that teammate's business line.
- A voicemail for a shared inbox can be reviewed by the teammates who have access to that inbox.
- Sending a shared-inbox call to voicemail uses the handling inbox's default greeting.
- The message remains associated with the inbox even if a particular teammate was the last person rung.
Control when callers reach voicemail
Voicemail does not activate merely because a greeting was uploaded. The published call flow must reach a Voicemail step, or a teammate must select Send to voicemail (Voicemail on the mobile incoming-call screen) while the call is ringing.
For detailed configuration, review:
Best practices
- Use a greeting that identifies the business, department, or teammate.
- Ask callers to leave their name, number, and reason for calling.
- Tell callers when they can realistically expect a response.
- Listen to the audio when the transcription is unclear.
- Review unhandled voicemail regularly.
- Return calls from the inbox or business line the customer originally reached.
- Mark the voicemail handled after the necessary follow-up is complete.
- Test every route that is expected to reach voicemail.
Troubleshooting
Callers never reach voicemail
Uploading a greeting does not change call routing. Confirm that the published call flow connects the relevant no-answer, after-hours, menu, or other route to a Voicemail step. See Call Flow Voicemail.
The wrong greeting plays
Confirm which inbox handled the call and whether the Voicemail step uses the inbox default or its own uploaded greeting. See Default Voicemail Recording for help understanding which greeting takes precedence.
The voicemail does not appear
Confirm that the caller waited for the beep and left a message. Allow the call time to finish processing, reopen Calls, and verify that you can access the handling inbox.
The recording or transcription is still processing
Recently completed voicemail can appear before its media is ready. Wait briefly, then reopen or refresh the call details.
I need to hear the original message
Select the audio player in the voicemail details to listen to the caller's original recording at any time.
The voicemail appears under the wrong inbox
The voicemail belongs to the inbox that handled the call when it reached the Voicemail step. Review the call timeline and published routing to confirm how the call moved between inboxes or destinations.
Voicemail is missing from Unhandled
Ask someone who manages the inbox to confirm that it tracks Voicemail under Unhandled Calls. A message can also leave Unhandled after successful follow-up or after someone marks it handled. Clear other active filters before checking again.
The voicemail remains Unhandled after follow-up
Allow the follow-up action time to update the list. If no additional work is required and the action remains available, open the voicemail and select Handled on mobile, or the Mark handled check icon on the web.
A caller reached voicemail immediately
Confirm that the intended teammates are available. If they are already on calls, review Allow Concurrent Calls under Settings → Preferences. Then review the inbox's hours, Default Ring Order, and published call flow to make sure the route does not send callers directly to voicemail.
Send to voicemail did not work
The call may have been answered, cancelled, or moved to another routing step before the request completed. Try again only while the incoming call is actively ringing.
The audio will not play
Wait for processing to finish, then reopen the voicemail. Confirm that your device can play other audio and try refreshing or restarting the app if the player remains unavailable.