Check Skype for Business voicemail and options
Applies ToSkype for Business Online operated by 21Vianet Skype for Business Skype for Business Basic Skype for Business Online Skype for Business Online operated by 21Vianet - admin centre

You can access listen to your voicemail messages from Microsoft Teams apps or phones, Skype for Business apps or phones, or Outlook apps. 

Listen to your voicemail in Skype for Business

When you have new voicemail, the Phone tab in the Skype for Business main window displays the number of your messages.

  1. Click the Phone tab to see your messages and the caller’s info.

    Phone tab.

  2. Pause on a voicemail picture area, and click the arrow to Play.

    Play voicemail button in Skype for Business.

  3. Click More Options, and select one of the choices, such as:

    • Call the contact.

    • Start a Video Call with the contact.

    • See Contact Card opens the caller's contact card, which lists their phone number, email address, office location, and so on.

    • Open Item in Outlook provides more information about the call.

    • Delete Item deletes the voicemail from Skype for Business.

    • Mark Item as Read.

Voicemail More Options.

You can also click View more in Outlook to open the Voicemail folder for more info.

Listen to your voicemail at a different speed

You can play a voice message at different speeds and pause/resume the message, using desktop client visual voicemail, or by dialing into their voicemail. Pressing a certain key on your phone controls how you can hear the voicemail:

  • Pressing the 1 key will rewind the voicemail message.

  • Pressing the 2 key will pause or resume the voicemail message.

  • Pressing the 3 key will fast forward the voicemail message.

  • Pressing the 4 key will make reading of the voicemail message slower.

  • Pressing the 6 key will make reading of the voicemail message faster.

Read your voicemail transcription

By default beginning April 2017, voicemail transcription is available for all Phone System in Microsoft 365 users. When you receive a voicemail, the message will be transcribed in the body of the voicemail email you receive in your mailbox. If you do not want to have transcription for your messages, ask your admin to disable it for you.

For more accessibility options, see Learn how to navigate Skype for Business using accessible features.

Change your voicemail greeting

If the you haven't changed your personal greeting, a default system greeting will be played for callers. For example, "Please leave a message for John Smith. After the tone, please record your message. When you finish recording hang-up or press the pound key for more options."

Text to Speech (TTS) will also be used to say your name.

Your voicemail is set up with a default greeting, but you can record a personal greeting any time you want.

  1. On the Phone tab, click the voicemail icon below the dial pad, and then click Change Greetings.

  2. Skype for Business calls your voicemail and guides you to record a personal greeting.

  3. When asked to press a number, pause on the phone/mic icon and click a number under the DIAL PAD tab.

  4. Follow the prompts to record your greeting.

You can ask your admin to change the greeting language for everyone in your organization. Your admin should see this topic for instructions: Change the default language for greetings and emails.

Change your voicemail settings

You can change your voicemail settings from the Skype for Business Settings page. You can get to the page by using one of the following methods:

  • From any standard browser, go to https://aka.ms/vmsettings.

  • From the Skype for Business desktop app (if you are running Click-2-Run build C2R  8201.1002 or later), select Set Up Voice Mail.

  • From the voicemail email, click the Set Up Voice Mail hyperlink.

On the Skype for Business Settings page, select Voicemail.

User Setting Portal

On the Voicemail settings page, you can configure the following settings:

  • Change your Call Answering Rules  You can change what options your callers have when they reach the voicemail service; get disconnected, hear your greeting, record a message, choose to be transferred to the number or user you select.

  • Change your prompt language    This is the prompt language that is played to callers. For list of supported languages, see Languages for voicemail greetings and messages from Skype for Business.

  • Configure your Out of Office greeting    This is the customized greeting message that is played to callers when your status is Out of Office. This option can be activated "Always," when you have an active "Auto Reply" in Outlook, or whenever you have an out-of-office calendar appointment. 

Where you can get your voicemail messages from

You can get you voicemail messages using:

  • A supported email client such as Outlook.

  • Visual voicemail on a Skype for Business desktop phone, Skype for Business app, or the Lync client for Mac.

  • Visual voicemail on a Microsoft Teams desktop phone, or Microsoft Teams apps

To enable visual voicemail, ask your admin to make sure you are enabled for Exchange Unified Messaging, following instructions in the Configure Skype for Business Cloud Connector Edition guide.

Missed call and message notifications

When you receive a voicemail, a notification will alert you on Skype for Business apps, desktop phone, and email app. If the caller hangs-up before leaving a message, you will receive a Missed-Call Notification email with the caller information (if it was not blocked).

What's it like for callers to leave messages?

  • Depending on the users settings for Call Answering Rules    Callers can hear a greeting, record a message (up to 5 minutes), and/or choose to be transferred to the target defined by the user. Visit your User Settings Portal https://aka.ms/vmsettings to learn more.

  • Repeat menu    All of the menu prompts will be repeated for callers so if they don't press a key on their phone before hanging-up, the menu prompt will be repeated three times.

  • Caller options    Callers will have the options to:

    • Record a message.

    • Replay a message.

    • Delete or re-record their message.

    • Continue to record their message.

    • Mark the message as high importance.

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