# How to listen to, return, and delete business voicemails

Onyx Phone saves every voicemail left on your business lines with a written transcript, so your whole team can see who called and what they need. This guide shows you how to find voicemails, play them, read the transcript, call the person back, mark the voicemail returned, and delete or restore it, in the web app and in the iPhone and Android apps.

Works on: Web app, Android app, iPhone app. Updated November 6, 2026. Web page with labeled screenshots: https://www.onyxphone.io/guides/voicemail

## Step 1. Find your voicemails on the web (Web app)

- Step 1.a: In the left menu, click Calls.
- Step 1.b: Click the Voicemail filter above the list.
- Step 1.c: Choose which voicemails to see. All voicemail shows every message, Not returned shows the ones nobody has called back yet, and Trash shows deleted voicemails you can still restore.
- Step 1.d: Read the start of the transcript in each row to see what the caller wanted. Unread voicemails are bold with a blue dot.

![The Calls page showing the Voicemail filter, with All voicemail, Not returned, and Trash options and voicemail rows with transcript previews.](https://www.onyxphone.io/guides/shots/web-voicemail-list.webp)

## Step 2. Listen to a voicemail and read the transcript (Web app)

- Step 2.a: Click the voicemail's row to open it.
- Step 2.b: Under Voicemail, click the play button. Use Download to save the recording as an audio file.
- Step 2.c: Read the full message under Transcription.

![A voicemail's page with the audio player, the Download button, and the transcription highlighted.](https://www.onyxphone.io/guides/shots/web-voicemail-play.webp)

## Step 3. Return the call and mark it returned (Web app)

- Step 3.a: At the top of the voicemail's page, click Call back. The Keypad opens with the caller's number and the right line chosen; click Place call.
- Step 3.b: After you've reached them, click Mark returned. The voicemail leaves the Not returned list for everyone on the line, and its row says Returned.

![The voicemail's page with the Call back and Mark returned buttons highlighted.](https://www.onyxphone.io/guides/shots/web-voicemail-return.webp)

## Step 4. Delete a voicemail, or restore one from the trash (Web app)

- Step 4.a: On the voicemail's page, click Delete voicemail, then click OK to confirm. It moves to the trash.
- Step 4.b: To get it back, go to Calls, click Voicemail, then Trash, and open the voicemail.
- Step 4.c: Click Restore voicemail. Voicemails stay in the trash for 30 days, then they are deleted for good.

![The Delete voicemail button on a voicemail's page.](https://www.onyxphone.io/guides/shots/web-voicemail-trash.webp)

![The Trash list of deleted voicemails on the Calls page.](https://www.onyxphone.io/guides/shots/web-voicemail-restore.webp)

## Step 5. Check voicemail in the iPhone or Android app (iPhone and Android)

- Step 5.a: Open the Onyx Phone app and tap Voicemail at the bottom of the screen. The red number on the tab counts new voicemails.
- Step 5.b: Read the caller, the line, the length, and the start of the transcript in each row. A blue dot marks a new voicemail.
- Step 5.c: Tap a voicemail to open its controls.
- Step 5.d: Tap the play button to listen. Tap the speaker button to play it out loud instead of through the earpiece.
- Step 5.e: Tap Call back to return the call from the line they called.
- Step 5.f: Tap the check mark button to mark it returned.
- Step 5.g: Tap the trash button to delete it. You can also swipe the voicemail to the left. Deleted voicemails go to the trash on the website, where they can be restored for 30 days.
- Step 5.h: Pull the list down to check for new voicemails.

![The Voicemail tab in the Onyx Phone app, listing voicemails with the caller, line, length, and the start of each transcript.](https://www.onyxphone.io/guides/shots/app-voicemail-list.webp)

![An open voicemail in the Onyx Phone app with the play, speaker, Call back, mark returned, and delete buttons.](https://www.onyxphone.io/guides/shots/app-voicemail-open.webp)

## Questions and answers

### Does everyone on the team hear the same voicemails?

Yes. Voicemails belong to the line, so everyone assigned to that line sees them, and anyone can return one. Marking a voicemail returned or opening it updates it for everyone, so two people don't call back the same customer.

### Can I get voicemails by email?

Yes. An admin can set a voicemail email address for each line in the line's settings, under Greeting and voicemail. Each new voicemail is emailed there with the recording attached and the transcript. See Line settings, ringing, and voicemail.

### How accurate are voicemail transcripts?

Transcripts are made by AI speech-to-text and are usually accurate for clear speech. Names, addresses, and numbers can be misheard, so play the recording before acting on details. Very short messages with no words are marked as having no speech.

### How do I change the voicemail greeting callers hear?

Admins set each line's voicemail greeting in the line's settings. Each person can also set a personal greeting on My profile, used when a call rings only them. See Line settings, ringing, and voicemail.

### Can I recover a voicemail I deleted?

Yes, for 30 days. On the website, open Calls, click Voicemail, then Trash, open the voicemail, and click Restore voicemail. After 30 days it's deleted for good.

### Why didn't my phone ring before the call went to voicemail?

Calls go to voicemail when nobody answers within the line's ring time, outside business hours, outside your alert hours, or when the caller chooses voicemail in a phone menu. See Alert hours and Business hours.