Voicemail is set to off, but still get VM messages.

[KennyWW]

I've had my voicemail switched off for over a decade. According to my account settings it is still switched off. However, over the last month or so I occasionally receive an incoming call, my phone doesn't ring or vibrate, so no indication of an incoming call, and I immediately get a VM message. My iPhone 12 Pro should ring and/or vibrate with no option for the caller to leave a message. Has EE changed something in the background? Can someone explain what can be done about this?

[bristolian]

Out of interest, what "account setting" is it that shows your VM is switched off?

If you dial 222 or speed-dial 1, do you reach your voicemail menu?

I'm wondering whether you just have no auto-divert rather than your VM being disabled.

[KennyWW]

In my EE account it states voicemail is off. I've also sent "MV OFF" to 150 several times and each time I get a response confirming my "call divert to voicemail is off". However, regardless of these settings I sometimes get a voicemail. I've been told by a couple of people attempting to contact me that my phone didn't ring and went straight to voicemail, which is the same at my end. The phone was sitting on my desk next to me, not in use when this happened, so It's not something I'm doing either. The only thing I can think of is some setting that defaults to voicemail when phone is unreachable, for example insufficent network signal. I've also switched off WIFI calling in case it's something to do with BB signal dropouts (BT Fibre).

[bristolian]

Can you post a screenshot of the account setting you're referring to?

The text command is "VM OFF" not "MV OFF" but the confirmation should be sufficient.

---

@KennyWW wrote:

The only thing I can think of is some setting that defaults to voicemail when phone is unreachable, for example insufficent network signal.

---

That would be a "conditional" divert on unreachable. I'd suggest checking your call diverts via your phone's menu, manually. You should have numerous options...

"Divert all calls" unconditionally. Then various "conditional" options such as divert when unreachable, no answer or when busy. The conditional ones should be set for +447953222222

[Plymouthbloke1]

You wouldn’t happen to be using an iPhone with iOS 18 on it perchance?

If so, it’s probably the “Live Voicemail” feature on the software (it’s new on iOS 18). This allows the phone itself to act as the voicemail service, rather than the network - this might explain why it’s intermittent as it relies on a good signal at the time.

To disable this, go to Settings -> Apps -> Phone -> Live Voicemail and then switch it off from there.

However, if you don’t have an iPhone with iOS 18 on it - I’m stumped!! 🤣

[dartguru1]

I have exactly the same problem with my Samsung Galaxy S22. I have also sent VM OFF to 150 several times, yet still get EE voicemail message notifications. Annoying that switching VM off doesn't actually do what it says on  the tin.

I've also removed the voicemail number via Phone/Settings/Voicemail, then called ##002# to clear call forwarding.

[KennyWW]

Yes, it's running the latest iOS. I had no idea this was a thing, so I have now switched it off. I've not had any VM messages since, so far so good. Thanks for the tip.

[KennyWW]

Interesting to find out the same thing is happening to someone else on an entirely different platform.

[Lesley_W]

Hi @dartguru1 

Thanks for coming to our community.

Have you spoken to our technical team about this yet? 

Lesley