If there’s one thing you wouldn’t want to happen to a voice message you’ve left, being ignored has to be at the top of that list. So, the million-dollar question now is how to see if someone listened to your voicemail.
Lucky for you, there’s no need to feel frustrated about this matter. In this post, we’ll detail unique ways you can discern if someone has gone through your voicemail, and be rest assured your message hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.
FIX 1. Request for a Voicemail Receipt
A quick way to know if a voicemail has been read is via the voicemail receipt. A voicemail may be more personal, but it is still an online message that behaves like those chat messages you send via Facebook Messenger.
As you may recall, online messaging platforms have unique ways to tell you your message has been read. In Whatsapp, two grey checkmarks denote a message sent, while two blue ones indicate the message has been read.
Similarly, you must set up the voicemail settings for your phone right to make the most out of it. A voicemail receipt is a status report telling you what happened to your voicemail, and as such, there are three main types.
- Delivery receipt
- Read receipt
- Non-delivery receipt
Delivery receipts tell you your voicemail message has been sent like those grey Whatsapp checkmarks. From there, you can get a read receipt telling you the voice message has been heard or a non-delivery receipt to tell you otherwise.
How to Enable Read Receipts on iPhone
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any smartphone |
So, how to see if someone listened to your voicemail? The answer lies in enabling the “Send Read Receipt” feature.
The good news is turning this on is a walk in the park.
Step 1: Tap Settings.  |
Step 2: Scroll down and select Messages.  |
Step 3: Go down and toggle Send Read Receipts to on.  |
Once the feature is activated, a notification will pop up on your device once the voicemail you’ve sent is read. To do that, tap on the voicemail tab and tap on “i” icon beside the voicemail you want to check.
How to Enable Read Receipts on Android
| Difficulty | Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 45 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any Android phone |
Read receipts are also available on Android. However, the process of toggling it may vary from one manufacturer to another.
Step 1: Tap Settings.  |
Step 2: Scroll down and select Apps.  |
Step 3: Go down and tap Messages.  |
Step 4: Tap Message settings.  |
Step 5: Tap on Chat Settings.  |
Step 6: Toggle Show when read in Multimedia messages. |
Take note that if voicemail is not set up correctly, then there’s a good chance you’ll miss connecting with people. That’s because people who cannot contact you may be unable to leave you a message via voicemail.
FIX 2. Set Up Voicemail Correctly
You can set up voicemail with your carrier. But before you do that, you must configure your phone settings to make the voicemail feature as smooth and seamless as possible.
The reason is simple. Even if you set up a voicemail with your account, the feature will fall flat on your face if you have not configured your mobile device correctly.
If you don’t want to use your carrier voicemail, you can use Google Voice service as an alternative voicemail server. This is the most popular choice, but to do that, remember that the steps may vary depending on the smartphone you’re using.
If you want to know how to see if someone listened to your voicemails, then setting up voicemails correctly is a good start. Here, we’ll show you a step-by-step guide on how to do that on either an iPhone or Android smartphone.
How to Set Up Voicemail Correctly on Android
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 2 to 3 minutes |
| Things Needed | Any Android smartphone |
Most Android phones carry similar features, and the voicemail feature is one of them. So, the steps below to set up voicemail correctly should guide you; if these instructions seem not applicable, we recommend you look at the user guide.
Now, if you’re unsure if you have an Android phone, check the device brand and model on the back of your smartphone. If not, you can also check your user guide, indicating whether your portable device is Android.
Step 1: Tap on the Phone app.  |
Step 2: Activate the keypad button (bottom-right corner). |
Step 3: Press and hold the number one on your keypad to activate your voicemail service.  |
| Step 3: A prompt will tell you to confirm the language to use by pressing a certain number. One is for English. |
Step 4: When finalized, confirm changes by pressing the pound on the keypad.  |
Step 5: Enter your 4-digit Voicemail PIN. Press pound to confirm.  Note: Four consecutive numbers will not be considered; you can use a pattern to easily remember your number. The system will ask you to reenter and reconfirm the valid PIN. |
Step 6: The prompt will ask you to record your voicemail message. Press 1 to record a new personal greeting or press 2 to play the default greeting that should play your phone number.  |
| Step 6: Press # to confirm your recording. Press the star on your keypad to re record the greeting. |
Take note that the procedure above could vary depending on the mobile carrier that you’re using. So, U.S. Cellular phones may have different procedures than Verizon phones, so you must follow the prompt.
How to Set Up Voicemail Correctly on iPhone
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 2 to 3 minutes |
| Things Needed | Any iPhone |
Like Android, iPhones have a pretty straightforward process to set up voicemail. The procedure is similar, with some minor differences.
Step 1: Tap on the Phone app.  |
Step 2: Tap the Voicemail Option (bottom right). |
Step 3: Press “Set Up” once the Voicemail feature pops up.  |
Step 4: Enter a 4 to 6-digit voicemail password.  |
Step 5: Create a Voicemail Greeting.  Note: You can choose a default greeting or create a new unique one by tapping Custom and the Record button. |
| Step 6: Click Done when finished. |
Of course, if you find your recorded voicemail greetings sound off, you can re-record a new one. You must get one that fits your target audience so you don’t sound too formal when most of your phone contacts are your inner circle.
Troubleshooting Guide when Your Voicemail Is Not Getting Through
If you’re having trouble sending voicemail, you need to consider certain technical aspects that could have caused your message to not stick. For one, a reliable cellular data connection is a must.
Why cellular data? Note that voicemail is a carrier service, and unlike instant messaging, it requires reliable cellular data to be turned on.
Then, there’s the case for your smartphone. You are bound to encounter issues if your phone’s memory is filled to the brim; you must also ensure you’re using your operating system’s latest version.
On the other hand, it’s not all about you either. There’s also the issue of the recipient and his phone, which, if not appropriately configured, could mean undelivered voice messages.
If call forwarding is activated on the other end, your voicemail may not get through. Then, you may have to tell your friend or colleague to check whether the feature is activated on his phone.
How to Toggle Off Call Forwarding on iPhone
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any iPhone |
Call forwarding is a nifty feature, but this can interfere with voicemail as the message will be redirected to another receiver phone. It’s essential, therefore, that the feature be disabled for voicemail to work.
Step 1: Tap on Settings.  |
Step 2: Scroll down and tap on the Phone app.  |
Step 3: Scroll down and tap on Call Forwarding.  |
Step 4: Tap to toggle it to off.  |
If call forwarding is activated on another phone, your voicemail will be redirected to the number to which the call forwarding is set. So, no matter how often you send a voicemail, it will fall on deaf ears and won’t get through.
How to Toggle Off Call Forwarding on Android
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 seconds |
| Things Needed | Any Android smartphone |
The process to turn off call forwarding on Android is similar to that of iPhone. Also, note that if toggled to on, this feature means calls will be sent to another number, thereby making voicemail unavailable.
Step 1: Tap on Settings.  |
Step 2: Scroll down and tap Calls. |
Step 3: Tap on Call Forwarding and toggle it to off.  |
Another feature that would block voicemail effectively is a smartphone’s “Silence Unknown Callers” feature. If this is turned on, anyone not on your call list cannot leave a voicemail, as their call is rejected from the onset.
A voicemail receiver needs to toggle this feature to get a voicemail from just about everyone. iPhone users can go to Settings, then Phone, scroll down, and tap the Silence Unknown Callers feature to toggle it off.
For Android, the procedure is similar. Start with the Phone app, tap the More option, tap Settings, tap the Blocked numbers option, and then turn off the Unknown option.
Of course, if the person you’re dealing with is a friend and your caller ID appears on his phone, the voice messages you leave will push through. The problem starts when you leave a message for a total stranger, not an acquaintance.
If not, if you’ve ticked all the boxes but still find your voicemail messages not getting through, it’s probably time to switch to a more robust phone carrier. In this regard, you can do your due diligence; asking your friends and colleagues is a good start.
FAQs on Checking Voicemail If Listened To
Can someone tell if you listened to their voicemail?
It’s possible that someone can be notified when you listen to their voicemail. To do that, voicemail receipts must be enabled, and more importantly, voicemail settings must be set up correctly on that user’s phone.
Do audio messages disappear when someone listens to them?
By default, smartphones do away with audio messages two minutes after you send them or two minutes after you listen. This is a good protocol to prevent these messages from occupying a huge part of your phone storage.
However, you can choose to keep these messages if you so desire. For iPhones, tap Settings, select Messages, choose Expire, then tap Never; as for Android, tap on the Voicemail app, tap the message you want to save, and click Save.
Can someone see how many times you listen to an audio message?
There is no way someone can see how often you listen to an audio message he sent. However, the sender could know if the message was delivered successfully, listened to, or saved on the receiver’s device.
Are there ways to avoid showing blue ticks for voice messages on WhatsApp?
You can listen to WhatsApp voice messages without blue ticks acknowledging your action. To do this, enable Airplane Mode on your Android smartphone to listen to WhatsApp messages without being discovered.
Another way is to create a Whatsapp group and forward the voice message there. For iPhone users, head to Settings > Account > Privacy and uncheck the Read Receipts box to listen to voice messages without the sender knowing.
