Bye-Bye Visual Voice Mail

[primortal]

Those of us that currently use the wonderful Lumia Icon might have received a text message from VZW that as of 7/8 ($2.99 Visual Voice Mail Service Will Be Discontinued on 782016 | Verizon Wireless) that the Icon is no longer supported for visual voice mail (also the Lumia 822 and 928. Phones Affected by the 782016 $2.99 Visual Voice Mail Discontinuation | Verizon Wireless).  This is outrageous that Lumia 735 can support it but the older Lumia's cannot.

So we're forced to dial *86 now to check voice mail....

Keep it up VZW you're making me want to switch to AT&T/T-Mobile more and more....

[rcschnoor]

You could always use Google Voice as visual voicemail. Not sure that they have an app for Windows Phones, though. You could still use it and view the messages in a browser or have them texted/emailed to you, though.

[primortal]

Thanks but that's not the point.  There is no good reason to sunset visual voice mail specially that it still works on the Lumia 735.  The only other reason is that the Icon and 822 won't be upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile and VZW is hoping you'll upgrade to a newer device.

Also I don't care to have Google translating my voice mail to text/email

[ARTSTOYAOVSKY]

Same issue for Verizon HTC M8 even though it's running the most current version of Android. Not only that but Verizon does not provide settings for third-party visual voicemail apps like Google Voice which would be a great alternative but unfortunately impossible to configure without hacking into Verizon or kidnapping an employee

[Ann154]

I believe you use the forwarding options to send calls to Google Voice or another third party voicemail system.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/call-forwarding-faqs/

[TheMcPartlin_sInTexas]

Yeah I think It is *71

Sent from my iPhone (arrggh)

[Ann154]

In reading the links it sounds like the Basic Visual Voicemail could still be an option. If you prefer a visual voicemail, I would suggest verifying if the Basic Visual Voicemail will still work on your preferred devices.

[primortal]

Not sure and the announcement doesn't state that Basic Visual Voicemail is an option; just Basic Voice Mail.

Looking at the voice mail comparison site (Voice Mail Comparison | Verizon Wireless).  It looks like Visual Voice Mail is using AnyPath & Comverse and the voice mail platform where as the others are using IMS.  Wonder if they are sun setting AnyPath & Comverse and any device that was using Visual Voice Mail was the casualty of sun setting that voice mail platform.

[Ann154]

At the bottom of the first page you linked it talked about alternatives including Basic Visual Voicemail.

[Ann154]

Are the Windows phones compatible with the Premium Visual Voicemail which has the same cost and many of the same features?

[drjoeward]

according the VZW rep that i chatted with a couple hours ago premium is going away too!  I was just trying to get clarification, hopefully someone can clarify here on the forums.  Hopefully it is just they are getting rid of Comverse and Anypath, and the technology using IMS is staying... Wouldn't it be wonderful if VZW would make a clear announcement right off the bat.

Here is the post I started:

Can someone please clarify the visual voicemail termination?

[TheMcPartlin_sInTexas]

So both of our Icon's are not working with the voice mail app on the phone.  One is running 8.1 and the other is on Windows 10.  Neither work.  SO what was basic visual voice mail and why does it not work with the Icon?

Does anyone's icon work with the voicemail app now?

Anyone get a third party app to work?

[Ann154]

The older phones like the Lumia Icon used the Anypath & Comverse technology to get the voicemail from the server to the phone.  Since Verizon has decided to sunset that tech on the visual voicemail, the only option available from Verizon is the basic non-visual voicemail.  They are not going to make the newer system (IMS) compatible with the older devices.  The Basic Visual Voicemail uses the newer system.

[robert5050]

The phone is old but the OS is now Windows 10, the latest and greatest so it doesn't make much sense as to why it wouldn't work.  I've never had an issue with T-Mobile or AT&T, only the largest carrier, Verizon doesn't seem to know what they are doing or just doesn't care.

[Ann154]

The software might be new, but the hardware isn't. It could easily be a hardware limitation too.

[primortal]

I highly doubt it a hardware limitation.  I've never heard of a phone that doesn't support the "band" for visual voice mail .

It's just VZW is too lazy to fix their visual mail software for the windows phone and found it easier to drop it and piss off a few customers.

AT&T keeps look better everyday; visual voice mail at no charge, better support for newer Windows Phones.

[Ann154]

I found something interesting regarding the voicemail for Windows. There might be an OEM component involved too. Visual voicemail - Windows 10 hardware dev

[primortal]

The thing is that's native Voice Mail support in Windows Phone 8.1 which VZW had Microsoft disabled so that users were forced to pay $2.99/month to use their crappy supported app.

[LENNYEDGE]

star 86 beats charges per month.

[IRISHGUYPTOWN]

They just disabled it for certain phones.  It is a tactic to get people to upgrade.  People with newer phones still get to use it, it isn't a change for all Verizon customers.  This is completely shameless.  I was about to upgrade but no way I am giving any more business to this garbage company.  I will be changing carriers within the month, probably the week. 

[TheMcPartlin_sInTexas]

it may be shameless but it happened and apparently all the carriers are doing it. AT&T has it on their roadmap too.

Apple made this possible when they took ownership of users voicemail, Apple houses all users voicemail not the Telco provider.  With the bulk of users on iphones it became a way to save money. turn off and stop support of all these older systems.

I am pissed as well but I feel like I have less options to go to...