Phone, Messages, and FaceTime
Live Voicemail
Most people call this seeing a voicemail transcribed while it is being left.
When someone leaves a voicemail you see a live transcript as they speak, and you can pick up mid message if it matters.
Whether you see this depends on your country and carrier.
- Availability depends on country, language and carrier
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 18 and later
- Settings
- Apps
- Phone
- Live Voicemail
What it does
Transcription happens on the device. Calls identified as spam by the carrier are declined without ever reaching you. Availability depends on language and country.
What changes
When it is on
Voicemails are transcribed live and you can answer part way through.
When it is off
Voicemail works the traditional way.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Screen calls without missing the important ones.
- Transcription runs on the device.
- Works well alongside Silence Unknown Callers.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Not available in every language or country.
- Some callers hang up when they hear the greeting.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: On where supported.
What your iPhone needs
- Needs iOS 17 or later
- Availability depends on country, language and carrier
Where this setting used to live
Apple moves settings between releases. This is every location we have on file.
-
iOS 18 and later
Settings > Apps > Phone > Live Voicemail
-
iOS 17
Settings > Phone > Live Voicemail
Questions people actually ask
- Can I see what someone is saying before I answer?
- Yes, with Live Voicemail, where it is offered. The transcript appears as they speak.
If it is not working
- If the option is missing, it is not offered in your country or language yet.
- It requires a carrier that supports the feature.