O2 Voicemail Setup: Complete Guide

Voicemail is an essential feature that ensures you never miss important calls when you're unavailable. For full details on O2's voicemail service, you can also visit O2's official support page. This complete guide covers everything you need to know about setting up and managing your O2 voicemail service.

Setting Up O2 Voicemail for the First Time

If you've never used O2 voicemail before, here's how to get started:

Step 1: Activate Voicemail

1. Dial 901 from your O2 mobile
2. Follow the voice prompts to set up your voicemail
3. Create a secure PIN (4-6 digits)
4. Record your personal greeting

Step 2: Choose Your Greeting

You have several greeting options:

• Personal greeting: Record your own message
• Standard greeting: "The person you are calling is not available..."
• Name greeting: "[Your name] is not available..."

Accessing Your Voicemail

From Your O2 Phone

• Dial 901
• Or press and hold the "1" key
• Enter your PIN when prompted

From Another Phone

1. Dial your O2 mobile number
2. Wait for voicemail to answer
3. Press * (star) during the greeting
4. Enter your O2 mobile number
5. Enter your PIN

From Abroad

1. Dial +44 7802 090901
2. Enter your O2 mobile number
3. Enter your PIN

Voicemail Menu Options

Once you've accessed your voicemail, you'll hear the main menu:

Press	Function
1	Listen to messages
2	Change folders (new, saved, deleted)
3	Greeting options
4	Personal options (PIN, etc.)
5	Send a message to another O2 user
0	Help
*	Return to main menu
#	End call

Managing Your Messages

While Listening to a Message

• Press 1: Replay message
• Press 2: Save message
• Press 3: Delete message
• Press 4: Reply to message (O2 to O2 only)
• Press 5: Forward message
• Press 6: Hear message details (time, date)
• Press 7: Skip back 5 seconds
• Press 8: Pause/Resume
• Press 9: Skip forward 5 seconds

Troubleshooting Common Voicemail Issues

"Voicemail Not Set Up" Error

If you hear this message when calling your own number:

1. Dial 901 to activate voicemail
2. Follow the setup prompts
3. Test by calling your number from another phone

Forgotten PIN

If you've forgotten your voicemail PIN:

1. Dial 901
2. When asked for your PIN, press * (star)
3. Follow the prompts to reset your PIN

Voicemail Not Picking Up

If calls aren't going to voicemail:

1. Check call forwarding settings on your phone
2. Ensure voicemail is activated (dial 901)
3. Contact O2 if problems persist

Visual Voicemail on O2

Visual Voicemail is a feature available on most modern smartphones that lets you see a list of your voicemails and play them in any order, without having to dial 901. It is a significant upgrade from the traditional phone-based voicemail system.

Setting Up Visual Voicemail on iPhone

Most iPhones on O2 support Visual Voicemail natively. To set it up:

1. Open the Phone app on your iPhone
2. Tap the Voicemail tab at the bottom right
3. If prompted, tap Set Up Now
4. Create a voicemail password (this is separate from your network PIN)
5. Choose a greeting type — Default or Custom
6. If you choose Custom, record your greeting and tap Save

Once configured, your voicemails will appear as a list in the Voicemail tab. You can tap any message to play it, see its duration, and read a transcription if your iPhone supports it (available on iPhone 6s and later with iOS 10+).

Setting Up Visual Voicemail on Android

Visual Voicemail availability on Android depends on both your phone model and your O2 plan. Many Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, and OnePlus devices support it. To check and set up:

1. Open the Phone app
2. Tap the three dots (menu) in the top right
3. Select Settings > Voicemail
4. Look for Visual Voicemail — if available, toggle it on
5. If not available, you may need to download a voicemail app from the Google Play Store or contact O2 to check plan eligibility

Visual Voicemail Transcription

iPhones running iOS 10 or later can automatically transcribe voicemails into text. This is incredibly useful when you are in meetings or noisy environments. The transcription appears directly below each voicemail in the list. While not always perfectly accurate, it gives you a quick summary of what the caller said without needing to listen to the full message.

O2 Voicemail Costs and Charges

Understanding the costs associated with O2 voicemail helps you avoid unexpected charges on your bill. If you are concerned about billing, check out our complete guide to understanding your O2 bill.

Action	Cost	Notes
Receiving a voicemail	Free	The caller pays their normal call rate
Listening to voicemail (UK)	Free from O2 mobiles	Dialling 901 is free on most O2 plans
Listening to voicemail (abroad)	Roaming charges apply	Check our O2 roaming guide for rates
Missed call alerts	Free	Text alerts sent automatically
Voicemail storage	Free	Messages stored for up to 30 days
Voicemail to email	Not available	Use Visual Voicemail as alternative

Advanced Voicemail Settings

Changing How Long Before Voicemail Picks Up

By default, O2 voicemail answers after about 15 seconds (4-5 rings). You can change this delay to give yourself more time to answer, or reduce it so callers reach voicemail faster:

1. Open your phone's dialler
2. Enter **61*+447802090901**[seconds]# and press call
3. Replace [seconds] with your preferred delay: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30
4. You will hear a confirmation tone

For example, to set a 25-second delay before voicemail picks up, dial **61*+447802090901**25#.

Turning Off Voicemail Completely

If you do not want voicemail at all, you can deactivate it:

1. Dial ##002# from your O2 mobile and press call
2. This removes all call forwarding to voicemail
3. To reactivate voicemail later, dial 901

Conditional Call Forwarding

O2 allows you to set different forwarding rules for different scenarios:

Scenario	Activate Code	Deactivate Code
No answer	**61*+447802090901#	##61#
Busy	**67*+447802090901#	##67#
Not reachable	**62*+447802090901#	##62#
All calls	**21*+447802090901#	##21#

O2 Voicemail vs Other Networks

How does O2's voicemail service compare with other UK mobile networks? Here is a quick comparison to help you understand the differences. For a broader network comparison, see our O2 vs EE comparison guide.

Feature	O2	EE	Three	Vodafone
Access number	901	121	123	121
Visual Voicemail	Yes (iPhone/select Android)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Listening cost (UK)	Free	Free	Free	Free
Message storage	30 days	30 days	21 days	30 days
Max message length	3 minutes	3 minutes	2 minutes	3 minutes
Transcription	iPhone only	iPhone only	iPhone only	iPhone only

Tips for Getting the Most from O2 Voicemail

• Keep your PIN secure: Choose a PIN that is not easy to guess (avoid 1234, 0000, or your birth year). Change it regularly for security.
• Record a professional greeting: If you use your phone for business, record a clear, professional greeting that includes your name and a brief message.
• Check messages regularly: Messages are automatically deleted after 30 days, so make sure to listen and save important ones.
• Use Visual Voicemail: If your phone supports it, Visual Voicemail is faster and more convenient than dialling 901.
• Set the right ring time: If you find yourself missing calls because voicemail picks up too quickly, increase the ring time to 25 or 30 seconds.
• Check signal strength: Voicemail issues are sometimes caused by poor signal. See our guide to fixing O2 signal problems if you are experiencing dropped calls.
• Consider WiFi Calling: If you have poor signal indoors, enabling WiFi Calling can ensure voicemail is properly set up and calls are routed correctly even with weak mobile signal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is O2 voicemail free?

Yes, listening to voicemail by dialling 901 from your O2 mobile in the UK is free on most O2 plans. However, accessing voicemail while abroad will incur roaming charges. Receiving voicemail messages is always free — the caller pays their normal call rate.

How do I reset my O2 voicemail PIN?

Dial 901 from your O2 mobile. When prompted for your PIN, press the star (*) key. Follow the automated prompts to create a new PIN. If this does not work, contact O2 customer service or call us on 01202 925102 for assistance.

Why is my O2 voicemail not working?

Common reasons include: voicemail not being activated (dial 901 to activate), call forwarding settings being changed on your phone, poor signal strength preventing calls from reaching voicemail, or a network outage in your area. Try restarting your phone and checking your APN settings if the issue persists.

How long are O2 voicemail messages stored?

O2 stores voicemail messages for up to 30 days. After 30 days, unlistened and unsaved messages are automatically deleted. Saved messages are kept for an additional 30 days from the date you saved them. It is good practice to regularly check and save important messages.

Can I access O2 voicemail from a landline?

Yes. Dial your O2 mobile number from any phone. Wait for the voicemail greeting to start, then press the star (*) key. Enter your O2 mobile number followed by the hash (#) key, then enter your voicemail PIN. Standard call charges from the landline will apply.

How do I turn off O2 voicemail?

Dial ##002# from your O2 mobile and press call. This disables all call forwarding to voicemail. Callers will hear the phone ring without being diverted. To reactivate voicemail at any time, simply dial 901.

Does O2 offer voicemail to email?

O2 does not currently offer a voicemail-to-email service. However, you can use Visual Voicemail on supported smartphones to see and manage voicemails directly on your device without calling 901. iPhone users can also benefit from automatic voicemail transcription.

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