The fastest way depends on your phone type and voicemail service
Deleting voicemail works differently on iPhone, Android, and landline systems. On an iPhone, you open the Phone app, tap Voicemail, swipe left on the message, and tap Delete. On Android, the process varies by manufacturer and carrier — Samsung phones use the Phone app with a delete button, while others may route through Google Voice or your carrier's voicemail app. Landline voicemail typically uses spoken menu options: press a number (often 7) while listening to the message, or call your voicemail box and navigate to delete through the automated system.
The method also depends on whether you use your carrier's voicemail or a third-party service like Google Voice. Carrier voicemail deletes from your phone's voicemail app. Google Voice voicemail deletes from the Google Voice app or website. If you are unsure which service you use, check your phone's settings or contact your carrier.
Key Takeaways
- iPhone users open the Phone app, tap Voicemail, swipe left on a message, and tap Delete to remove it permanently.
- Android deletion varies by phone model and carrier, but usually involves opening the Phone or voicemail app and selecting a delete or trash icon.
- Google Voice voicemail can be deleted from the Google Voice app or at voice.google.com by clicking the trash icon next to each message.
- Landline voicemail typically requires calling your voicemail box and pressing a number (often 7) to delete messages during playback.
- Deleted voicemail is usually permanent and cannot be recovered, so double-check before confirming deletion.
Deleting voicemail on iPhone
Open the Phone app and tap the Voicemail tab at the bottom right. You will see a list of all voicemail messages with the caller's name or number, the date, and the duration. Tap on any message to play it, or swipe left across the message without playing it. A red Delete button appears on the right side. Tap Delete to remove the message.
To delete multiple messages at once, tap Edit in the top left corner of the Voicemail tab. Checkboxes appear next to each message. Select the ones you want to remove, then tap Delete in the bottom right. This is faster than deleting one at a time if your voicemail box is full.
Deleted voicemail on iPhone cannot be recovered. The message is removed from your phone and your carrier's server. If you think you might need a message later, consider saving it as a note or audio file instead of deleting it immediately.
Deleting voicemail on Android
The steps vary depending on your phone manufacturer and carrier. On Samsung phones, open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu, and select Voicemail. Find the message you want to delete, long-press it, and tap Delete or Trash. Some Samsung models show a delete button directly on the message — tap it to remove the voicemail.
On other Android phones, open your carrier's voicemail app (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or others) or the default Phone app. Look for a trash icon, delete button, or three-dot menu next to each message. Tap it and confirm deletion. If your phone does not have a dedicated voicemail app, check your phone's settings under Apps to see which voicemail service is installed.
If you use Google Voice as your voicemail service, open the Google Voice app instead. Tap the message, then tap the trash icon at the top. The message moves to your trash folder and is permanently deleted after 30 days.
Deleting voicemail through Google Voice
Google Voice stores voicemail in the cloud, so you can delete messages from the app or from any web browser. In the Google Voice app, tap the Messages tab at the bottom. Find the voicemail message, tap it to open it, and tap the trash icon at the top of the screen. The message moves to Trash.
To delete voicemail from a computer, go to voice.google.com, click Messages on the left, and find the voicemail. Hover over it and click the trash icon. Messages in your Trash folder are deleted permanently after 30 days, but you can restore them before that time by clicking Trash on the left sidebar and selecting Restore.
Google Voice also lets you delete all voicemail from a specific caller. Open a message from that person, tap the three-dot menu, and select Block or Delete All From This Number. This removes all past messages from that caller and blocks future calls from them.
Deleting voicemail on a landline or through your carrier
If you have a landline or a carrier voicemail system without a smartphone app, call your voicemail box and listen to the menu options. Most systems ask you to press a number while a message is playing to delete it — commonly 7, but check your carrier's documentation. After pressing the number, the system confirms the deletion and moves to the next message.
Some carriers let you delete voicemail through their website or customer portal. Log in to your account on AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or your carrier's website, find the voicemail section, and look for a delete option next to each message. This is often faster than calling your voicemail box, especially if you have many messages to remove.
If you want to delete all voicemail at once, contact your carrier's customer service. They can clear your entire voicemail box from their system. This is useful if your voicemail is full and you cannot access the phone to delete messages one by one.
What happens after you delete voicemail
Deleted voicemail is usually permanent and cannot be recovered. Your phone removes the message from its local storage, and your carrier or service provider removes it from their server. The only exception is Google Voice, which keeps deleted messages in Trash for 30 days before permanently removing them.
If your voicemail box is full and you cannot receive new messages, deleting old voicemail is the fastest way to free up space. Most carriers allow between 10 and 100 voicemail messages depending on your plan. Once you delete enough messages, new callers can leave voicemail again.
Some people save important voicemail messages before deleting them. On iPhone, you can share a voicemail as a file or take a screenshot of the message details. On Android, some voicemail apps let you forward messages to email or save them as audio files. Check your voicemail app's menu for save or export options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a voicemail I deleted by accident?
On most carriers and phones, no — deleted voicemail cannot be recovered. The only exception is Google Voice, which keeps deleted messages in your Trash folder for 30 days. If you use Google Voice, open the app, tap Trash, find the message, and tap Restore. For other services, contact your carrier immediately to ask if they can retrieve the message from a backup, though this is rarely possible.
Why is my voicemail box full?
Your carrier limits the number of voicemail messages you can store — typically 10 to 100 depending on your plan. Once you reach the limit, new callers cannot leave messages. Delete old voicemail to free up space. You can also ask your carrier to increase your voicemail storage limit or switch to a plan with more space.
How do I delete voicemail from a specific person?
Open your voicemail app, find a message from that person, and delete it using the steps for your phone type. If you want to delete all messages from that caller at once, Google Voice lets you tap the three-dot menu and select Delete All From This Number. For other services, you must delete each message individually or contact your carrier.
Does deleting voicemail free up phone storage?
Voicemail is stored on your carrier's server, not on your phone's internal storage, so deleting it does not free up space on your device. However, if your voicemail box is full, deleting messages allows new callers to leave voicemail. If you want to free up phone storage, delete photos, videos, or apps instead.
Can I set voicemail to delete automatically?
Most carriers and phones do not offer automatic voicemail deletion. Google Voice has an option to auto-delete voicemail after a set number of days — go to Settings in the Google Voice app and look for Voicemail settings. For other services, you must delete messages manually or contact your carrier to ask if they offer auto-deletion.