- Use for Blocking Spam Calls.
- Only available for English in the US and Canada.
- To Enable this: Go to Settings > Phone > Live Voicemail > Toggle on.
- View Transcriptions: Open the Phone app > Voicemail tab > See the list > Tap on listen.
In the latest iOS update, Apple introduced many cool features, and one of my favorites is Live Voicemail. This feature is great because when you’re too busy to answer your phone, it turns the voice calls into text. You can see a live-text transcription of what the caller is saying and save it in your iPhone’s voicemail section.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to turn on and use this feature to block spam calls. It’s super helpful when you’re busy.
Why Use Live Voicemail?
- Get a live text version of your incoming calls
- Identify and block spam calls
Note: This is only available in English in the US and Canada. Standard call rates might apply.
How Does It Work?
- If you can’t pick up, the call goes to voicemail.
- The caller hears a message saying their call will be recorded and sent to voicemail, then a beep.
- As they talk, your iPhone turns their voice into text using machine learning, showing it on your screen.
Note: This also works if you hang up the call. If a caller leaves a voicemail, you’ll see a voicemail icon in your status bar. Tap on it to read the transcription.
How to Turn On and Use Live Voicemail
When it is on, you can see live texts of calls right on your iPhone screen. It’s usually on by default after every iOS update. Here’s how to turn it on:
Step 1: Go to Settings and tap on “Phone.” Then select Live Voicemail.
Step 3: Turn on the “Live Voicemail” switch.
Viewing Voicemails on Your iPhone
When someone leaves a voicemail, it’s automatically transcribed and saved on your iPhone. To see it:
Step 1: Open the Phone app and tap the voicemail section at the bottom right.
Step 2: You’ll see a list of voicemails and choose one of them.
Step 3: To listen, tap the speaker button.
This feature makes it easy to figure out spam calls and block them. Plus, if you use the “Silence Unknown Callers” feature, unknown numbers go straight to voicemail.