To leave someone a voicemail, call their number, wait for the greeting and recording signal, then speak and follow the mailbox instructions. To record your own greeting or save a received message, use your phone or carrier’s voicemail settings instead.
Updated October 29, 2026: separated leaving a message, recording a greeting and exporting received audio; replaced the generic smartphone steps with documented options. VocalJet is not presented as a carrier voicemail service. Instructions were checked in official documentation, not tested on every carrier.
First, choose what you want to record
| Task | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Leave a message for another person | Call their number and wait for their voicemail prompt. |
| Record the greeting callers hear on your number | Open your own voicemail greeting settings. |
| Keep a copy of a message someone left you | Open the received voicemail and look for Share or export. |
| Send an ordinary audio recording by email or chat | Use a voice recorder; this is not telephone voicemail. |
Leave someone a voicemail
Call the intended number. If their mailbox answers, wait until the greeting finishes and the service indicates that recording has started. Give your name, the reason for calling, and the next step you need. Follow any end-of-message instructions provided by that mailbox.
Do not assume every carrier lets you review, rerecord or delete a message before delivery. If the mailbox is full or unavailable, use another appropriate contact method.
Fictional message template: “Hi Alex, this is Sam from the project team. I’m calling to confirm whether Friday’s review still works. Please call me back on [number], or reply to my email. Thank you.”
Record your iPhone voicemail greeting
Apple documents different routes for its Phone app layouts:
- In the Classic layout, open Phone → Voicemail → Greeting.
- In the Unified layout, open Phone → Calls → Edit → Edit Voicemail Greeting.
Choose a custom greeting and record it, then use the controls shown to review and save. Availability depends on the carrier, country and software. See Apple’s greeting settings and voicemail setup guide.
Fictional greeting template: “You’ve reached [name] at [business]. Please leave your name, number and a short message. I’ll return your call when available.”
Record an Android voicemail greeting
There is no single path that works on every Android phone and carrier. In Google’s Phone app, you can open the dial pad and hold 1 to call your mailbox. Follow your carrier’s menu to change the greeting.
Visual Voicemail and its settings depend on the device and provider. Google documents these limits and mailbox access in Check your voicemail. If holding 1 does not reach a configured mailbox, check your carrier’s setup instructions.
Save a voicemail someone left you
On a supported iPhone setup, open the voicemail in Phone and choose Share to save or send a copy. In the Unified layout, use the voicemail filter to find the message first. See Apple’s voicemail playback and sharing guide.
Save important audio outside the mailbox and check the saved file. Carrier storage and retention are not a permanent backup, and Android export options differ by app and provider.
Can you record a greeting from a computer?
For an available Google Voice account, Google documents a browser route: open Google Voice, go to Settings → Voicemail, record a greeting, stop, review and save it. See Manage your voicemail greeting.
That changes the greeting for the relevant Google Voice service, not every mobile carrier mailbox. An ordinary web voice recorder cannot automatically replace your carrier’s greeting.
To send an audio file rather than telephone voicemail, use the iPhone voice memo sharing guide.