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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > iPhone, iPad & iPod > iOS voicemail problem

iOS voicemail problem
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mduell
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Nov 13, 2013, 08:29 PM
 
Just switched to a 5S after 6 years of Blackberry and a week of a Nexus 5.

I have two issues relating to voicemail:

One issue I have is a blank red circle (I think it's called a badge) on the Phone app icon, and when I open the Phone app, on the Voicemail tab. How do I clear this blank red circle so it only appears on the app, with a number in it, when I've missed a call?

No amount of moving the icon around, opening the app, or rebooting the device will make it go away. I can turn off badges for Phone, which does make it go away, but then I won't get a numbered badge when I do miss a call. It's just permanently there, blank.

The second issue is I constantly have a new voicemail alert in the notification center. If I clear it, it comes back in a few minutes. How do I make this stop appearing?

The badges and notifications for all other apps are working as expected, only the phone/voicemail is malfunctioning.

If it matters I'm on T-mobile in the US and I do not have voicemail service.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Nov 14, 2013, 03:34 AM
 
I'd suggest activating visual voicemail on your account and testing it by leaving a message; see if that cures it.
     
ghporter
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Nov 17, 2013, 08:15 AM
 
What Spheric Harlot said. Visual Voicemail requires a fairly simple setup, but the phone won't know what it doesn't know (i.e. how many un-played voicemails there are) until it's set up, so the badge logic is "confused."

As far as I know, ALL iPhones have voicemail as part of the overall package; it shouldn't be an extra feature you have to sign up (or pay) for.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Spheric Harlot
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Nov 17, 2013, 09:33 AM
 
It may be as simple as sending an SMS to a specific number at your provider to activate the feature. Telekom here sometimes fails to activate VVM. Google shows the support page and the instructions. Perhaps a similar mechanism exists for your provider?
     
mduell  (op)
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Nov 17, 2013, 05:43 PM
 
I think you guys misunderstand me - I do not have and do not want voicemail service, visual or otherwise. Some foreign carriers bill for phonecalls that go to voicemail and have very high per-minute rates; the value of voicemail to me is far less than the multi-hundred dollar bill I came home to in the past.

My blackberry and nexus coped with no voicemail service fine out of the box - no erroneous indications or weird alert issues.

There's an Apple store across the street, I guess I'll make a genius appointment this week.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Nov 17, 2013, 06:04 PM
 
I'm saying that switching it on and back off again might clear the confusion.
     
ghporter
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Nov 18, 2013, 08:58 AM
 
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot View Post
I'm saying that switching it on and back off again might clear the confusion.
Yep. It may actually require a restart of the phone too, since the phone system runs in the background regardless of whether you've "opened" it or not.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
andi*pandi
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Nov 18, 2013, 11:43 AM
 
Originally Posted by mduell View Post
Some foreign carriers bill for phonecalls that go to voicemail and have very high per-minute rates...
That has got to be some kind of illegal! Although until the iphone, verizon was stupid enough to charge me for text messages I got from spammers, so...
     
ghporter
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Nov 19, 2013, 07:59 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
That has got to be some kind of illegal! Although until the iphone, verizon was stupid enough to charge me for text messages I got from spammers, so...
It seems to be common in Europe to bill the number that receives the call, which includes voicemail.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Spheric Harlot
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Nov 20, 2013, 06:33 AM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter View Post
It seems to be common in Europe to bill the number that receives the call, which includes voicemail.
International roaming will split the charges - the caller only pays normal rates, and the called pays fees for transfer to the foreign service.

I don't see how they could charge for visual voicemail, though, unless the OP forgot to switch off roaming data. When I'm outside of Germany, I get notified of voicemails and can choose to call up my voicemail (old-school) on my dime. It doesn't get transferred as visual voicemail files until I'm back in the country.

International data rate surcharges used to be HORRIFIC. They're now merely obscene, and are on the way to getting abolished. Though only since even the most technophobe EU parliamentarians have bought their iPhones and suddenly realize that using them at work in Brussels can be a little bit expensive.
     
ghporter
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Nov 20, 2013, 08:30 AM
 
I'm glad my info was out of date!

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
mduell  (op)
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Nov 23, 2013, 06:14 PM
 
Apple Store Genius confirmed there's no fix and a lousy workaround (disable ALL phone notifications/badges) for my voicemail problems.

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot View Post
I don't see how they could charge for visual voicemail, though, unless the OP forgot to switch off roaming data. When I'm outside of Germany, I get notified of voicemails and can choose to call up my voicemail (old-school) on my dime. It doesn't get transferred as visual voicemail files until I'm back in the country.
I wasn't be charged for retrieving the voicemails, I was being charged for the voicemails being left.
     
   
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