The same four steps work on iPhone, Android, Samsung, every UK network, and every business phone system — here's the universal process, plus exact instructions for your device.
Don't want to record it yourself? Get a studio-quality greeting in minutes.
Create Your GreetingWondering how to change your voicemail greeting? The good news: whether you're on an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy, a landline, or a business phone system like RingCentral or Microsoft Teams, the process always follows the same four steps. Menus and button labels vary, but once you know the pattern you can update the greeting on any phone in under three minutes.
Every voicemail greeting is managed in one of three places:
Look for a setting labeled Greeting, Voicemail greeting, or Greetings. On iPhone it's the button in the top-left corner of the Voicemail screen; on Android it lives inside the Phone app's voicemail settings. If you're calling your voicemail box instead, listen for the menu option announced as "personal options," "greetings," or "mailbox setup" — commonly key 3 or 4, depending on the carrier.
Don't see a greeting option? That means your carrier doesn't support visual voicemail on your line. It's not a problem — the dial-in method always works. Skip to the carrier shortcut table for the exact number to call.
You now have three options, depending on your setup:
Save the new greeting (tap Save, or follow the audio prompts to confirm). Then do the one thing most people skip: call your own number from another phone and listen to exactly what callers will hear. Carrier servers occasionally take a few minutes to propagate changes, so if you still hear the old greeting, wait five minutes and test again.
The four steps above work everywhere, but every device hides the greeting option in a slightly different place. Pick your phone or phone system for exact instructions:
If your phone doesn't show a greeting option, call your voicemail box directly and change the greeting through the audio menu. These are the shortcuts for the major UK networks — after connecting, enter your PIN if prompted, then follow the prompts to "greetings" or "personal options":
| Network | Call voicemail | Then |
|---|---|---|
| EE | Dial 222 (or hold 1) | Main menu → option 2 for greetings |
| O2 | Dial 901 | Press * → option 3 → 2 to record |
| Vodafone | Dial 121 (or hold 1) | Option 3 — personal greeting |
| Three | Dial 123 (or hold 1) | Option 3 — greeting settings |
| giffgaff | Dial 443 | Press * → option 3 → 2 to record |
| BT landline | Dial 1571 | Option 2 → 1 to record your own |
| Any other network | Press and hold 1, or dial your own number | Enter PIN → listen for the greetings menu |
Tip: after recording, hang up and call your own number from another phone to hear exactly what callers will hear.
Get a studio-quality greeting that works on any phone and any carrier — ready in minutes.
Knowing how to change my voicemail greeting is only half the job — the other half is knowing what to record. A good greeting covers three things in 20–30 seconds: who the caller reached, why you can't answer, and what happens next. Here are three ready-to-use examples:
"Hi, you've reached Sarah Mitchell. I'm not able to take your call right now, but leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for calling."
"Thank you for calling Riverside Plumbing. We're currently assisting other customers. Please leave your name, number, and a short description of what you need, and we'll return your call within one business day. For emergencies, please text this number."
"Hello, you've reached David Chen. I'm out of the office until Monday, June 15th, with limited access to voicemail. Please leave a message and I'll respond when I return — or for urgent matters, contact our main office at 020 7946 0123."
Need more inspiration? Browse our ready-made answerphone message scripts organised by situation, or see our full collection of voicemail greeting examples with audio samples.
Open your phone's voicemail settings — the Voicemail tab on iPhone, or the Phone app's three-dot menu → Settings → Voicemail on Android — tap the greeting option, record your new message, and save. If your phone doesn't show a greeting option, call your voicemail box directly (hold 1 on most carriers, or dial your network's shortcode, such as 222 on EE) and follow the audio menu to greetings or personal options.
Call your voicemail box from your own phone: press and hold the 1 key in the dialer, or use your carrier's shortcut like 222 on EE. Enter your PIN if prompted, then follow the menu announced as "personal options," "greetings," or "mailbox setup" and record a new greeting after the tone. This works on every phone and every carrier.
Business VoIP systems accept direct audio uploads. Mobile carriers don't — on a mobile phone, the workaround is to start recording a new greeting and play the MP3 from a second device held close to your phone's microphone. A professionally mastered file sounds excellent over a phone line even this way.
Aim for 20–30 seconds. That's enough time to state who the caller reached, that you'll return the call, and any essential details like business hours or an alternate contact — without losing impatient callers before the tone.
The in-app greeting option only appears when your carrier supports visual voicemail on your line. If it's missing, your carrier uses traditional voicemail — use the dial-in method from the carrier shortcut table above, or check whether your carrier offers a separate visual voicemail app.
Step-by-step instructions for the most common phones and platforms.
