There can be several reasons why you may want to turn off voicemail on your iPhone. Maybe your network provider is charging you extra for the voicemail feature, or you don’t have time to read those voice messages. Deactivating voicemail might seem complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. Here are 4 methods to disable voicemail on iPhone easily.
Method 1: Disable Voicemail using MMI Codes
The easiest way to turn off voicemail on an iPhone is by dialing a special code known as shortcodes or MMI (Man-made interface) codes which facilitate communication between a phone and network provider. These codes can change settings stored by your network provider, letting you manage your phone calls. Here’s how to deactivate voicemail on an iPhone:
Note:
Not all carriers support this feature so it won’t be available for everyone. Also, Shortcodes don’t work for pre-paid or pay-as-you-go plans.
- Open the Phone app and tap on Keypad. Here, type the voice deactivation code #004#
- You’ll see a screen that says “Please wait”. After a few moments, you’ll see a screen full of text with different sections telling you the deactivation of certain settings.
The issue with this method is that it will show you “Setting Deactivated Succeeded” even if the code didn’t deactivate voice mail on your iPhone. The only way to verify is to call yourself from another phone. If you don’t hear that voicemail message, great. You can turn on voicemail on your iPhone anytime by dialing *004#.
If this method doesn’t work, you can try to stop your iPhone from going to voicemail by contacting your network provider. We’ve discussed the steps below.
If you permanently wish to disable voicemail on your iPhone, you can do it by contacting your network provider. Generally, you can reach your carrier by dialing *611 or 611. In case this doesn’t work, you can call your network provider’s customer care phone number. We’ve mentioned a few common carrier support lines below:
- Verizon: *611 or 800-837-4966
- T-Mobile: 611 or 1-800-937-8997
- AT&T: 611 or 1-800-288-2020
- Xfinity Mobile: 1-800-934-6489
- Vodafone: 199
- Airtel: 121
You can talk to a representative and ask them to help you disable voicemail on your iPhone. Once disabled, your rejected or unanswered calls will be routed to a recording that says your mailbox is inactive.
Method 3: Switch to Live Voicemail
If you just want to turn off voicemail on your iPhone because that loaded mailbox feels overwhelming, you can consider switching to Live Voicemail. Earlier you had to download a third-party app, but iOS 17 brought Live Voicemail to iPhones so you can view, listen, and read transcripts of voicemails on your iPhone. With visual voicemail, you don’t need to dial in to check who called or browse through a cluttered mailbox to view the message details and duration. In short, it makes managing your voicemails much easier and faster.
To enable Live Voicemail on iPhone, go to Settings -> Phone -> Live Voicemail and turn on the Live Voicemail toggle.
If you’ve installed the latest iOS 18, open Settings -> Apps -> Phone -> Live Voicemail and turn on Live Voicemail.
For complete details, you can visit our dedicated guide on how to use Live Voicemail on iPhones.
Method 4: Turn Off Voicemail in Settings App
Depending on your location and carrier provider, you might see an option to disable voicemail in your iPhone settings. Under the Phone section in the Settings app, some iPhones may show a Voicemail tab that lets you turn the features on or off. However, not all iPhones allow you to deactivate voicemail on your device. If you find it, you can simply toggle it off to prevent your iPhone from going to voicemail.
That’s how you can deactivate voicemail on your iPhone. Once you’ve followed a method, you can call yourself from another number or ask a friend to call you. If you don’t hear any prompt to leave a voice message, you’ve successfully disabled voicemail on your iPhone.
In case of any doubts, you can reach out to us in the comments below.
