How to Delete Voicemail on iPhone

This article explains how to use the iPhone's Visual Voicemail feature to delete, undelete, and permanently delete your voicemails. Instructions in this article apply to iPhones running iOS 8 and newer.

How to Delete Voicemail on iPhone

1. Tap the Phone app to launch it. If you're already in the app and just listened to a voicemail that you now want to delete, skip to Step 3.

2. Tap Voicemail in the lower-right corner of the screen.

3. Find the voicemail you want to delete. Tap it once to reveal the options beneath it. You can also swipe right to left to reveal the Delete button.

4. Tap Delete (or, on some versions of the iOS, the trash can icon) to remove the voicemail.

How to Delete Multiple Voicemails At Once on iPhone

To delete more than one voicemail, or all of your voicemails, at the same time on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. On the Voicemail screen in the Phone app, tap Edit in the top corner.

2. Tap each voicemail you want to delete. You'll know it's selected because it's marked with a blue check mark.

3. Tap Delete and all of the selected voicemails are deleted.

When Deleted iPhone Voicemails Aren't Really Deleted

Even if you delete voicemails from your inbox, the voicemails you think are deleted may not be totally gone. That's because iPhone voicemails aren't deleted until they're also cleared.

Voicemails that you delete are not immediately erased. Instead, they're marked to be deleted later and are moved out of your inbox. It's like the Trash or Recycling Bin on your computer. When you delete a file, it gets sent there, but the file still exists until you empty the Trash. Voicemail on the iPhone works basically the same way.

The voicemails you delete are stored in your account on the phone company servers. Many phone companies remove voicemails marked for deletion every 30 days. But you may want to make sure your voicemails are deleted for good right away.

To permanently delete voicemails on iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Tap the Phone app.

2. Tap Voicemail.

3. If you have deleted messages that haven’t cleared, tap Deleted Messages.

4. Tap Clear All to permanently delete the voicemails listed there.

How to Undelete Voicemails on iPhone

Because voicemails aren't deleted until they're cleared, you can often undelete voicemails. This is only possible if the voicemail is still listed in Deleted Messages. If the voicemail you want to retrieve is there, retrieve it by following these steps:

1. Go to the Voicemail screen and tap Deleted Messages.

2. Tap the voicemail you want to undelete.

3. Tap Undelete (or, on some versions of the iOS, the trash can icon with the line through it) to return it to the Voicemail screen.