Why can’t I save iphone voicemails?
QI was interested in your reply to David Nunn, in Issue 527’s Problems Solved pages. Mr Nunn wanted to get copies of his late partner’s voicemails onto his PC. I would like to do much the same, in order to save some voicemails that I’d like to keep in perpetuity. I’ve followed your answer to Mr Nunn but I see no option to tap a voicemail. In fact, I’ve never seen such an option: I tap a button and then my iphone calls a number, and then I have to tap numbers on the keypad to listen to voice messages. Was your advice wrong or for a different type of phone?
Dave Smythe
AOur advice wasn’t wrong, but the method described relies on a feature called Visual Voicemail. To make use of this, it must be supported by your mobile phone network.
Despite the fact that the iphone has been around for over a decade, not all networks support Visual Voicemail. Apple maintains a list of compatible European networks at www.snipca. com/27901 (see screenshot above). In the UK, it’s currently supported by EE, O2 and Sky (the latter’s being a ‘virtual’ service that actually rides on the back of O2’s physical network). So, if you’re not a subscriber to one of these mobile firms then you won’t have Visual Voicemail – and therefore can’t follow the method we explained.
There’s an alternative trick that works just as well, but it requires more effort. It involves using your PC to record messages played by the iphone. If you’re keen enough to want to do this,is, then first you’ll need to get yourself a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm5mm auaudio cable, like this £6 cord fromrom Amamazon – www.snipca.com/27902, ,pict ur pictured. ur ed.
Pop one end of this cableble up to your PC’S microphone jackack (often coloured pink) andd get ready to slot the other intoto your iphone’s headphonee socket. If you have an iphone 7 or later, you’ll need to also use the Lightningto-3.5mm jack adapter that came with your handset. Fire up Windows 10’s Voice Recorder app (if you don’t have this installed, it’s free from www.snipca.com/27917). Next, launch ththe Phone app on your iphone, thenen tap Voicemail followed by Call Vovoicemail. Use the iphone’s nnumeric keypad to navigate yyour mobile network’s voicemail memenu, to find the messmessagess you wish to record – bubut don’t hit the number cocorresponding to the Play cocommand yet. Connect ththe other end of the 3.3.5mm cable to your iphoiphone’sho headphone socket (oor Lighlightning socket), then click the Record button (see screenshot left) in Voice Recorder or use the keyboard shortcut Control (Ctrl)+r. Now press the number for Play. When it has finished playing, click the Stop button in Voice Recorder. Your voicemail is now stored as an MP4 (.m4a) file on your PC. Play it back in Voice Recorder, or open the folder containing the file by right-clicking the recording and choosing ‘Open file location’.