Any Way To Turn Voicemail On/Off Without Having To Call Customer Service ?
FiosUser42
Newbie

Hello Everyone,

I am one of the few people left on the planet who still has a fax machine and a standalone Telephone Answering Device.

Even though I have the Fios Digital Voicemail service available to me, I had requested customer service turn it off years ago when I started Fios service so that my answering machine could allow my fax to listen for incoming fax tones. It has worked well for many years.

My answering machine is getting old and does not always work as well as it should, so I was thinking if there was some way to use my phone or interent or tv to turn Voicemail on/off I could use Fios Voicemail most of the time and just turn it off and use the answering machine on those occasions when I am expecting an incoming fax.

I have looked and experimented a little and I do not see any way to do this.

Does anyone know if there is some way to on demand toggle Voicemail on/off from either the phone, the internet or from the TV remote?

TIA

P.S. I have looked into getting a new answering machine and the user reviews seem to indicate that my old not working perfectly unit functions better than the few new units on the market. I also should add that I do not want one that is integrated into a telephone because I do not use wireless phones in my home and I do not find any wired phone with integrated answering machine listed for sale.

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Re: Any Way To Turn Voicemail On/Off Without Having To Call Customer Service ?
jonjones1
Legend
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Re: Any Way To Turn Voicemail On/Off Without Having To Call Customer Service ?
FiosUser42
Newbie

Unfortunately, my interface does not even remotely resemble what is in the pdf guide.

When I get to what I think is the equivalent, this is what I see.

image

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Re: Any Way To Turn Voicemail On/Off Without Having To Call Customer Service ?
jonjones1
Legend

Sorry the photo is not viewable until the forum oks the gif.

however try this other link https://www.verizon.com/support/residential/homephone/getting-started/manage-phone-service

This site mentions on the tv etc. 

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Re: Any Way To Turn Voicemail On/Off Without Having To Call Customer Service ?
FiosUser42
Newbie

Thank you for the link.

It does take me to a webpage that matches what is in the pdf manual;

however, this is what I see and it is grayed out.

image

Clicking on it has no effect.

I am guessing that it is turned off at the central office.

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Re: Any Way To Turn Voicemail On/Off Without Having To Call Customer Service ?
jonjones1
Legend

Wow so you won’t be able to turn it on/off as you wanted. 

Bummer.

I guess you will have to call to see if there is another solution such as through a stand alone app.

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Re: Any Way To Turn Voicemail On/Off Without Having To Call Customer Service ?
FiosUser42
Newbie

Sorry, I do not know what you mean by a standalone app.

I am talking about my landline, so the only app I could think you might mean would be to  run an answering machine program on a computer that is running 24/7 to answer the phone and take messages. I do not think that I would want the computer on around the clock, but even if I did, I have never seen a program like that offered anywhere.

Have you seen one?

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Re: Any Way To Turn Voicemail On/Off Without Having To Call Customer Service ?
jonjones1
Legend

@FiosUser42wrote:

Sorry, I do not know what you mean by a standalone app.

I am talking about my landline, so the only app I could think you might mean would be to  run an answering machine program on a computer that is running 24/7 to answer the phone and take messages. I do not think that I would want the computer on around the clock, but even if I did, I have never seen a program like that offered anywhere.

Have you seen one?


Maybe APP was not the correct wording. I was thinking that your landline was Fios digital voice, or Fios VoIP in which there may be a program you can use on your tablet, computer, cell phone etc. I use a VoIP service that I can access my account features from any device to turn on voicemail, or call forwarding or 40+ other features. 

We are not using copper for our phone service.

although we use cordless phones at home the devices have when purchased a digital voicemail system which we never turn on. (We could if we wanted simply by calling our phone and entering the access code) again I am thinking Verizon may have a way to assist you. Or just get one of their newer phone services, or like we did get a VoIP service from another vendor. 

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