How to Call Your Voicemail — All 5 Big US Networks Included

When you reset your phone or get a new device, the voicemail settings may be lost. 

To reset your voicemail, you need the voicemail retrieval number. 

If you are away from the phone, or your battery is dead, it is possible to dial into your voicemail from any device.

Every network carrier has a unique process for calling voicemail.

Most have a shortcode, many have voicemail on speed dial on your device, and others have dedicated numbers. 

Read on to discover all the ways to access voicemail from your smartphone, home phone system, or how to access your voicemail while roaming.

 

How to Call Your Voicemail

To call your voicemail, try to press and hold the number 1 key, or dial the code *86. Remote voicemail access works by calling your own number, and then interrupting the voicemail greeting by pressing the * (star) key. Home phone voicemails may use a local prefix and a dedicated voicemail number.
 

Easy Voicemail Access Methods for the Big 5 National Networks

If the above does not work for you, you will need to dig deeper into the mechanics of calling your voicemail. 

Five national mobile network operators maintain the bulk of the network infrastructure in the US.

Those are:

• AT&T
• Dish Wireless
• T-Mobile (formerly Sprint)
• U.S. Cellular
• Verizon

Most of the tier-two networks are maintained by the big five, each having the same settings to access voicemail. 
 

How to Call Your Voicemail (AT&T, Dish Wireless, and T-Mobile US)

To call your voicemail, follow these steps: 

1. Press and hold the number 1 key on your device’s keypad 
2. Enter your voicemail password. 

 

Retrieve voicemail from another phone

To retrieve your voicemail from another phone, follow these steps:

1. Dial your own number
2. Wait for the voicemail greeting to play then press the * (star) sign
3. Enter your password

 

The default passwords for AT&T, Dish Wireless and T-Mobile US

• The default pin for AT&T is the last six digits of your phone number
• The default pin for Dish Wireless voicemail is 9999. (The Dish Wireless network includes Boost Mobile, Ting Mobile, Republic Wireless, and Gen Mobile)
• The default pin for T-Mobile US is the last four digits of your phone number.

 

How to Call Your Voicemail (Verizon and U.S. Cellular)

To call your voicemail, follow these steps:

1. Call the shortcode voicemail number *86
2. Follow the prompts

From a different number, including calling your voicemail from a landline, 

1. Dial your 10-digit phone number
2. Wait until the voicemail greeting plays
3. Press the * (star) key
4. Enter your security pin 

If your handset has the voicemail set as speed dial option number one on your keypad, long press on the number one to access voicemail.

Once connected, you will be prompted to key in your security pin. 

The default passwords for Verizon and U.S. Cellular

• The default security pin for Verizon voicemail is the last four digits of your phone number.
• On U.S. Cellular, the password is set when you set up your voicemail

If you struggle to remember what the shortcode is to call your voicemail, try *86 first. 

The “*86” shortcode is essentially dialing the letters VM. 
 

Other networks that use the Verizon network infrastructure include: 

Tracfone, Net10 Wireless, SafeLink, Straight Talk, Page Plus Cellular, GoSmart Mobile, Simple Mobile, Walmart Family Mobile, Total Wireless, and Visible.

Each of those networks has the same process as Verizon to call your voicemail.  
 

Networks with Voicemail on Speed Dial Number 1

A number of cell phones have the number 1 on the keypad dedicated to the voicemail speed dial. 

This is indicated by the voicemail symbol on the keypad. 

To use this,

1. Long-press the voicemail button.
2. After two to three seconds, voicemail connects. 

This method is used on the following US networks

• AT&T
• Cellular One
• C Spire
• Carolina West Wireless
• Chariton Valley Wireless
• Choice Wireless
• Dish Wireless
• Inland Cellular
• Lexvor Wireless (a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that runs on Verizon)
• NorthwestCell
• Patriot Mobile
• Southern Linc
• T-Mobile US
• Union Wireless (including Westlink Communications)
• Verizon and all sub-networks using Verizon’s infrastructure.
• Viaero Wireless
• West Central Wireless

This only works to connect to the voicemail for the handset you are using. You cannot press 1 to access voicemail remotely. 

Remote access to voicemail can only be done by dialing your number from another phone. 
 

Networks That Let You Call Your Voicemail from Another Number

Many networks let you remotely access your voicemail. This works by dialing your own number, waiting for the voicemail greeting, then interrupting it by pressing the * (star) key. 

Once connected to your voicemail, you usually need to enter a security pin to access messages followed by pressing the # (hash or pound) key.

Aside from the big five network operators that each have remote voicemail retrieval, each of the networks listed below has remote access, too. 

If you have not set up security for your voicemail, the default PIN is listed for each network. 

• Appalachian Wireless – The default PIN is the last four digits of your phone number
• Big River Broadband – The default PIN is the last four digits of your phone number
• Cellcom – The default password is the last 7 digits of your phone number
• Illinois Valley Cellular – On an iPhone, interrupt the voicemail greeting with the * (star) key. On an Android device, interrupt the voicemail greeting by pressing the #  (hash or pound) key.
• Inland Cellular
• Nemont (including Sagebrush Cellular) – If you are calling from outside of your service area, dial 1 first, followed by your area code, and then your 7-digit number. 
• Southern Linc (remotely calling voicemail can only be done once pin security is set)
• STRATA Networks
• Triangle Mobile – The default pin is 0000
• Union Wireless

 

Shortcodes to Call Your Voicemail (Listed by Network)

• *86 (more easily remember as the letters VM)

Networks that use this include: U.S. Cellular, Verizon, Inland Cellular, Pine Belt Wireless Tracfone, Net10 Wireless, SafeLink, Straight Talk, Page Plus Cellular, GoSmart Mobile, Simple Mobile, Walmart Family Mobile, Total Wireless, and Visible.

• *14 is the shortcode for voicemail on Colorado Valley Communications. The default pin is 0000. 
• *69 is used on the Nex-Tech Wireless network to access voicemail
• *318 is used by the Silver Star Communications network
• *98 is used by AT&T on home phones
• *99 is the voicemail shortcode used by Triangle Mobile, GoTo Connect, XFINITY, Sasktel (Canada), and Comcast.
• *88 is used on the NNTC Wireless network. This only works after the voicemail is set up, and that can only be done from the home phone. 

 

How to configure voicemail on NNTC Wireless

• Call the voicemail access number from your home phone using the local area prefix followed by 2255. E.g. 632-2255. 
• If you are on the gold-level voicemail plan, the voicemail access number is the prefix followed by 2999. 

The default pin to access voicemail is 0000. 

Once set up with a security pin, you can use the *88 shortcode to call your voicemail. 

• VTel (Vermont Telephone Company, Inc.) has two shortcodes for voicemail. *33 is used to dial voicemail by customers on the Legacy Copper exchange. *99 is used by customers on the upgraded Fiber-Optic lines. 

 

Dedicated Voicemail Telephone Numbers by Network

 

C Spire Home Phone Digital Voicemail 

As part of the Fiber to the Home digital services, C Spire customers can request digital voicemail for their home phones. 

It is complimentary but you do need to ask for it to be activated. Dial 1.855.Get.100x (tel:+18554381009) 

Once activated, you can check your voicemail by dialing your own number, then press the # (hash or pound) key, then key in your 4-digit security code followed by the # (hash or pound) key. 

• AT&T Home phones – Call 888-288-8893
• Chariton Valley Wireless – Call 660-395-1000 
• Choice Wireless – US customers can call 775-403-0245 to access voicemail from another phone.
• Custer Telephone Cooperative
  • Call 208-879-9999 from a local phone
  • Call 1-208-879-9999 to access voice mail from a non-local number.

The default PIN code for Custer Telephone Cooperative is 287837. This is required the first time you access the voicemail. 

• DTC Wireless – Call 615-409-1010 or 615-588-1010 if you are calling within the Carthage area. The default passcode is 0000.  
• FTC Wireless – The voicemail is the first 3 digits of your phone number followed by 9985. 
• Illinois Valley Cellular – Call 815-488-6245.
• Limitless Mobile – Call 610-468-6245. The default pin is 1234. 
• NVC – Call 315.845.MAIL (315.845.6245)
• STRATA Networks – Call 435‑823‑9090
• T-Mobile US – Call 1-805-637-7249
• Union Wireless – Call 1-800-385-6245

 

How to Call Voicemail Using the Local Area Exchange Prefix

Local telephony companies have localized services. Two in particular that require area prefixes are Pioneer Cellular and PTCI (Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc.). 
 

Pioneer Cellular voicemail instructions

The Pioneer Cellular voicemail can be accessed by calling the 3-digit local area exchange prefix followed by 8371. (xxx-8371). 

If calling from a different phone number, dial the same number format (xxx-8371), followed by your phone number. 
 

PTCI voicemail instructions

PTCI has various voicemail access numbers based on your location.

Find your access number in the list below, then call it followed by the # (hash or pound) key. 

• Adams 253-2301
• Balko 646-8888
• Beaver 625 8888
• Boise City 544-8888
• Bryans Corner 361-8888
• Eva 545-2301
• Felt & Kenton 426-8888
• Forgan & Floris 487-3810
• Gate 934-1111
• Guymon & Goodwell 468-2301
• Cellular 468-2301
• Griggs 543-8888
• Hardesty 888-2301
• Hooker 652-3210
• Keyes 546-8888
• Laverne 921-1111
• Logan 837-8888
• Perryton 648-1031
• Spearman 644-1031
• Texhoma 423-8888
• Turpin 778-3512
• Tyrone 854-2301

If you call from your home phone, it uses auto-login. No security pin is required. 

If calling from another phone, enter the access number from the list above, followed by your 10-digit phone number. A prompt will be issued to enter your security pin. 

If you have not set a pin, the default security pin for PTCI voicemail is 0000.