1 Solution
I think I already posted this but I can't find it.
I am getting a message that my Android (Pixel) phone cannot communicate with voicemail. It tells me very unhelpfully to call a number and provide an error code - unfortunately , the robot that answers starts explaining basic use of voicemail and never allows for a path where it doesn't work. Nor is there a moment to provide a code. (Which is pretty maddening all in itself).
It doesn't help that there seems to be NO way to reach a human agent, despite a chipper message telling me my call might be monitored.
I CAN call the *86 number and get my messages. If I know I have them (which is relatively rare). But I'm not getting alerts. And the inability to reach any actual Support is infuriating.
jimcheval (for use in search)
Solved! Go to Correct Answer
The person I reached through private messaging immediately solved my problem by fixing a provisioning error. Now I get a vibrating notification and no more error message.
For anyone else experiencing long-term problems, note that it took me over a week to be forwarded to someone who solved my problem in a few minutes. I wasted a LOT of time in the interim. If your problem lasts more than a few days, push to escalate it.
Thanks, SynthpopAddict, for your insight. My reel-to-reel symbol appears at bottom right and ONLY if I've activated Visual Voicemail. It displays the number of messages in voicemail but ONLY if you access the phone app (which I rarely do).
We are sorry to read that you've been having issues with your voicemail, we'll be glad to help out. What happens when you open the voicemail app? Are you not getting notifications for new voicemails?
~Freddy
So, today I'm getting this message again:
"Can't Connect to your Voice Mailbox
Sorry, we're having trouble connecting to your voice mailbox. If you're in an area with poor signal strength [I'm not], wait until you have a strong signal and try again. If there is still a problem, please contact Customer Service at (800) 922-0202 and tell them the error code is 9004."
But if I call Customer Service and tell the robot (the only responder) I'm having trouble with voicemail, I get a methodical explanation of how to access voicemail. Normally, when things work ("happy path"); NOT when I'm having the problem cited. And there is never any option to give anyone the code.
Why am I getting a useless message? And how do I stop this recurring?
(The phone DOES display the number for the missed call, but does not inform me I have a message.)
That is indeed a strange error message, jimcheval. We definitely want to make sure you're able to access your voicemail messages on the rare occasion you get them. Let's keep digging into this. What model Pixel phone are you using? What happens when you check for a software update for the device? Is this a Verizon branded device, or an unlocked Pixel device?
-Joseph
Pixel 7 Pro, unlocked. System up to date.
I don't see how this would affect my getting an error message that sends me to a number that won't accept the error code shown. But I'll play along...
Thanks for confirming those details. If you dial *86 to access your voicemail the classic way, is that where you're getting that error message? Also are you using Visual Voicemail at all, via the app for it on your device?
-John
Yes, I am using Visual Voicemail, which displays a small barbell or reel-to-reel symbol at bottom right for voicemail. But it doesn't do anything. If I dial *86, I can get in; it's in exiting that I get the message I transcribed. There might be other cases too; it comes and goes.
jimcheval, thanks for letting me know. I consulted a list of error codes when it comes to voicemail. The one you shared indicated the voicemail isn't connecting...shocking I know...with the voicemail server. So, to fix that, it's advise that you clear the voicemail app's data, then power cycle ie turn off then on your phone. This will then ensure we've got the latest connection. If you need steps on how to do that, we've got them outlined here: https://www.verizon.com/support/knowledge-base-303219/
You'll do it for the voicemail app specifically. Please give that a try, and then see if you have any issues trying to use your voicemail.
-John
The Pixel 7 Pro does not have a separate Voicemail app. So I had to clear the cache and storage for the whole phone. Which reset Visual Voicemail, which is now resetting. Since the problem seems related to that, I won't know if it worked for a while.
Thank you for taking those steps, jimcheval. If you continue to run into an issue with your voicemail, please let us know as we are here to help make sure this is working for you.
-Lauren
Nope. Didn't work.
The problem is it takes some time to check, since clearing cache and storage disables Visual Voicemail. Once that's enabled, it takes time to fully activate. Once it did, I called Voicemail and when I came out the message was back.
Surely Verizon has access to the team that actually WROTE and programmed that message, so we don't have to keep guessing?
We definitely want to look further into this with you Jimcheval. What model Pixel phone are you using? What happens when you check for a software update for the device? Is this a Verizon branded device, or an unlocked Pixel device? -Joe
See above. I already answered all these questions.
Please, please do not make me go in circles.
(Note that I first posted about this issue on 12-28-2023 09:03 AM - it has thus far taken Verizon over a week to debug a message displayed by... Verizon. Clearly someone needs to dig deeper on this issue rather than repeating the same steps and suggestions.)
I had something similar happen when I changed carriers briefly before returning to Verizon. If your unlocked phone was a different carrier's phone originally, it was probably set up to call voicemail using a different process than *86, so the error message is popping up because the phone is trying to access voicemail using the other carrier's process. If manually dialing *86 works for accessing voicemail otherwise, you'll have to add that to your contacts and use that for getting into voicemail. My phone displays a little tape reel looking symbol in the top left corner when I have a new voicemail, plus there's a message in my notifications. Could you adjust your notification settings to get some kind of heads-up when you get new voicemail?
The person I reached through private messaging immediately solved my problem by fixing a provisioning error. Now I get a vibrating notification and no more error message.
For anyone else experiencing long-term problems, note that it took me over a week to be forwarded to someone who solved my problem in a few minutes. I wasted a LOT of time in the interim. If your problem lasts more than a few days, push to escalate it.
Thanks, SynthpopAddict, for your insight. My reel-to-reel symbol appears at bottom right and ONLY if I've activated Visual Voicemail. It displays the number of messages in voicemail but ONLY if you access the phone app (which I rarely do).
Hello, we're sorry to learn you're having issues with your device. We will be sending you a private message to further assist.
~Ivone
Could you please post the steps needed to fix this issue? I have the issue intermittently, and would like to know how to fix it.
Thank you for following up, jimcheval. We're going to send you a Private Message so we can take a closer look at the situation.
~Jesse
I get a message that my pin is incorrect.
Hi Bev2Gary, we want to make sure you're able to access your voicemail Please follow the steps here: https://www.verizon.com/support/knowledge-base-17076/
-Melissa
We're sorry to read that you had this issue with your voicemails, as we understand the importance of keeping those memories. Unfortunately, we do not have an option to restore voicemails once they have been deleted from your device. We apologize for the inconvenience.
~Freddy
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