Skype voicemail improvements
Skype voicemail means that you’ll never miss a call. Your unanswered calls are sent to voicemail and you can listen to messages when you want, wherever you sign in to Skype, or using Skype To Go. To make voicemail even better, we’ve added two new features: voicemail to text and voicemail alerts.
Voicemail to text
With voicemail to text, you’ll never miss an important voicemail – thanks to our partnership with the ultra-cool SpinVox. SpinVox will convert your voicemail to text, and we’ll send it directly to your mobile by SMS for you to read (SpinVox’s blogger, James Whatley, is understandably quite excited about this 
). The SpinVox gnomes currently understand voicemail messages left in English, French, German and Spanish, and, believe me, they’re pretty good.
Each voicemail to text conversion will cost €0.20/£0.17/$0.25 plus the cost of sending up to 3 SMS at standard low Skype rates, depending on the length of the voicemail message. The number of messages we send will depend upon the length of the voicemail message – if we can’t fit it all into 3 SMSes, you’ll see an ellipsis (…) at the end of the third message, and you’ll have to sign in to Skype or call your Skype To Go number to hear the full message.
Voicemail alerts
You can now set up email or SMS voicemail alerts to let you know when you have new voicemail messages. Email alerts are free, and SMS alerts are charged at Skype’s standard low SMS rates. You can also use Skype To Go to pick up your voicemail on the move.
To make life easier for you, we’ve also introduced privacy settings for voicemail alerts, so you can get alerts only from people on your contact list. In addition, you can set a daily limit for the number of alerts.
Both of these enhancements should make Skype voicemail even more useful – and don’t forget; if you have any comments or questions about these new features, leave a comment below and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.
My voicemail does not answer either. I run a business and am trying to switch to skype. Just missed a bunch of calls from clients as a result. Its amazing that I’m paying for this and it doesn’t even work!
Can anyone else?
Thanks
Rob Hoehn
I have a subscription and a registered skype number. i pay for that and for voicemail. my voicemail has worked in the past but it no longer picks up. my options are set so that my voicemail is enabled and to forward calls to voicemail is unanswered. i am using a mac and it doesn’t seem to give the option of how long until voicemail picks up. I have read previous comments and it seems like there is an issue with the voicemail service in the skype program. this needs to be fixed within the application and an update should be released. this should not be such an issue with so many people. i am traveling outside of the U.S. a lot and i rely upon my PAID service with skype to get voicemail from calls that i miss from the the States.
And the support service is rather… well… not much of a service or a support.
I would like things I pay for to function properly. If they don’t, they should either be fixed free of charge or I should be refunded.
I’m having the same problem as described in many of the recent comments. My voicemail has worked fine in the past but is now not picking up anymore. I pay for a Skype number and voicemail is definitely turned on in my preferences.
I corrected my Skype voicemail problems ON MY IMAC by deleting the latest version of Skype from my hard drive (you have to delete EVERYTHING) and installing an older version. There seems to be a bug in the latest version of the software. FOR MACS, you can download an older version at mac.oldapps.com/skype.php The September 17, 2009 version that I uploaded from the site corrected my voicemail. IMPORTANTLY, DO NOT ACCEPT THE LATEST SOFTWARE UPDATE or the voicemail problem happens again.
This software is simply useless. I too (like the countless others) run a home business. From the outside, Skype certainly seems like it would be the ideal home business solution…if it worked.
My problem is that Skype actually does what it says it will and forwards to my voicemail after 15 seconds of ringing or when the call is ignored. My greeting plays correctly and the caller records their message! Super!
My Skype client shows a new message and (after a 5-10 minute delay) I get an email message! So far so good, eh?
Well, yes, if I could actually get my messages. I’ve been screwing around, in effect calling myself for 4-5 hours trying to figure out where to get my voicemails. They’re there, I know they are because the little voicemail icon displays. Once, in a seemingly teasing manner, the voicemail button showed up and played. Once. The rest seem to appear in the history just as regular calls (ie time stamp etc)
Skype Police Admin…I know what you’re response is going to be. I WILL NOT submit a help ticket. It will do no good. You and your service are WORTHLESS.
I will be submitting an invoice to you for the 5 billable hours I lost today screwing with your software. Thanks for your business.
I suppose I’ll have to resort to using the PHONEBOOTH on the corner wink wink, nudge nudge
I’ve had Skype for years and over the last year, voicemail has worked about 10% of the time.
@Peter Parkes None of my unanswered calls are going to voicemail. Can you please help? I am running a brand new Mac Cheers B
I have been using Skype Voicemail for as long as it has been around with no problems. Now it simply will not answer calls. I’ve run through all my settings and nothing has changed…it all looks good. Please help me it important I get this going correctly or switch from depending on Skype. Thanks Dan
My voicemail has stopped working altogether – it never picks up or records any messages – any ideas about what I can do? The main reason I got the Skype number is the voicemail!! Thanks for any help anyone can offer
Peter,
I get alerts saying I have a new voicemail, but when I open Skype to listen to the voicemail, I can’t. I see the voicemail length and them number, but no play button. Why is this?
VM is defineately turned on in Mac> preferences
VM answers after 1minute though where is the setting to have the call answered after 4 rings? Please assist.
Why can’t we get the voicemail to work? I switched to mac in hopes of VM working better and for about 6-8 months or so, it did. Now it won’t pick up and just rings on the other side for as long as they are connected. Really makes me look swell to my customer base when my phone just rings and rings.
I have been a paying subscriber for more than 2 years now and this has been an issue that just won’t go away. Is there any hope out there or do I need to cancel my account and find a service that works?
I am having the same problem as many of the posters on this thread. If I call my Skype Number it rings and rings and then after a long time and lots of rings voicemail finally picks up, but most people don’t hang out that long…Please Help, I would love to start receiving voicemail again.
I am running skype client 2.8.0.851 for Mac, it was working fine up until about a month ago. Thanks in advance.
I have one problem with skype voicemail, I need to set up an answering machine but don’t know how. How can I set up a personal skype answering machine via mobile application? Please respond as soon as possible, thank you in advance for your help.
Hi, I have the same problem-
“I get alerts saying I have a new voicemail, but when I open Skype to listen to the voicemail, I can’t. I see the voicemail length and them number, but no play button. Why is this?” Please help.
Had the same problem like the rest, and thank’s to john_e_dahl, I fixed mine!
Follow his comment below, and you’ll have your smile back:
“I corrected my Skype voicemail problems ON MY IMAC by deleting the latest version of Skype from my hard drive (you have to delete EVERYTHING) and installing an older version. There seems to be a bug in the latest version of the software. FOR MACS, you can download an older version at mac.oldapps.com/skype.php The September 17, 2009 version that I uploaded from the site corrected my voicemail. IMPORTANTLY, DO NOT ACCEPT THE LATEST SOFTWARE UPDATE or the voicemail problem happens again.”
Had the same problem like the rest, and thank’s to john_e_dahl, I fixed mine!
Follow his comment below, and you’ll have your smile back:
“I corrected my Skype voicemail problems ON MY IMAC by deleting the latest version of Skype from my hard drive (you have to delete EVERYTHING) and installing an older version. There seems to be a bug in the latest version of the software. FOR MACS, you can download an older version at mac.oldapps.com/skype.php The September 17, 2009 version that I uploaded from the site corrected my voicemail. IMPORTANTLY, DO NOT ACCEPT THE LATEST SOFTWARE UPDATE or the voicemail problem happens again.”
I am very concerned reading the above comments. I use an online number for business on a PC so that while I am travelling and in another time zone, messages can be left for me at any hour. As recently as March, this was working perfectly. However, now, when the online SkypeIn number rings, if it is not answered it cuts off on the computer, but keeps ringing forever for the caller with no voicemail message played to them. I have checked all the settings and even paid for voicemail just in case, despite it showing in my account as enabled already with the online number. No luck. Please, please, please can someone at Skype or anyone else help as this is affecting business.
@genwhite02 please get in touch with our support team – they should be able to help.
On a mac. Running Skype 2.8.0.851. Voicemail is turn ON in preferences. Verified that I see it “On” via the website. You’d think that would mean that Skype would send unanswered calls to voicemail. IT DOES NOT, AND I’M QUITE PISSED BECAUSE I _PAY_ FOR THIS SERVICE.
Can somebody PLEASE fix this damn problem????
Does anyone know if there is any way that I can manage how many rings before Skype Voicemail kicks in? It seems to now ring at least 25 times, and sometimes it never does got to VM. I am on a Mac but also have a Skype wireless handset operating.
I just bought Skype to Go. Accounts setting shows voicemail is enabled.
But doesn’t work? what the heck is going on.
This is crazy. Mine was working just fine until I decided to spend $60 for a full year and extend my subscription. Not voicemail doesn’t work???
And when I call my on-line number from my land-line it rings at least a dozen times before Skype even “rings” on my Mac. I let it ring at least 30 times and voicemail does not pick up.
This better get fixed. And I have emailed Customer Support. I hope to hear from them, but am not holding my breath when it comes to this issue. I’ve had good luck with them on other issues (like simply trying to use a charge card to order–but was forced to use that MoneyMaker thing because their site is too inept to do regular charge cards).
I can’t believe I spent $70 last night ($60 for an additional year and another $10 in credit). I should have known it would screw things up.
It seems voice mail will only work if I DO NOT have Skype running on my computer. If I don’t have it running, the voice mail works. WTF?
I have a Skype phone and when someone calls my Skype In number, they can hear it ringing at least five times before my Skype phone finally rings. Then it never goes to VM, which I have under a Skype Pro subscription.
I checked my account and VM is enabled and I have a recorded VM with the following settings:
Settings:
[ ] Forward calls (off)
[x] Send unanswered calls to voicemail
Send calls to voicemail if…
I do not answer within [5] seconds
[x] I reject an incoming call
[x] I am already in a call
But my VM never picks up. It used to work a few months ago but now it never works and I am losing a lot of business – can anyone help?
Running Skype version 4.2.0.169 on computer but not sure if this affects the Skype phone as I am not always running Skype on my computer. Skype phone is always on.
Thanks in advance!
For those of you that are having problems with voice mail not answering… I have tested this and verified over and over on my verizon phone the fact that if you have a droid phone and use skype mobile your skype voicemail will not pick up if you miss a call or if you decline the call. Even if you are on your notebook. I tested this theory using my online number. Not sure if the same problem exists with voicemail not picking up from a skype to skype call.
I deleted skype mobile from my phone and my voice mail picks up every time!
I am having the same problem and many others. My settings are all correct, my VM was working, and without making any changes, it randomly stopped picking up. The call just rings and rings and finally gets dropped. Please help!!
looks like this whole voicemail stuff is broken – at least for me:
first I tried and activated call forwarding to my mobile phone (this works). In addition I enabled voice mail, so if I don’t answer my mobile phone the call will wind up on my skype mail box. Problem: mobile phone keeps ringing indefinitely.
Then I disabled call forwarding so callers would go to my skype voice mail directly. Calls are recorded, but neither sms nor E-Mail notification work.
The combination of those 2 bugs (if they are bugs and I’m not too stupid to handle it) makes the whole affair rather worthless for me an I have to find something else – or could someone pls help me?
No matter what version of Skype, no matter what platform, MAC OS X or Windows , voicemail seems to always turn off, yet my online webportal with Skype keeps showing it as enabled. Surely there is another option, like….mmmmmm…….let me think…….Disabled?
I want voicemail gone NOW!!!!!!!!!
I too have a business that I have used Skype exclusively for. I just downloaded Yahoo and purchased a telephone number. It seems to be working fantastic. I’m not going to email all my customers yet and change the number. I’ll play with it for about 2 or 3 days (The Labor Day weekend is a perfect time to do so) and if it’s fine then see ya later Skype. Who needs the aggravation?
Jim
I have set up a Skype incoming phone number and I have set up my skype voicemail & recorded greeting & left a test mssg. I do not want to use a Skype to go number as this would involve using my mobile to retrieve messages. Can I retrieve my voicemail messages on Skype from my computer?
Same here – I get notifications that I have received voicemail, I know the number they’re coming from, and yet the VM NEVER comes in. I’M PAYING FOR THIS SERVICE SKYPE – WHAT THE HELL???
Regarding the voicemail issue.
I struggled with the same baffling behavior in that sometimes the voicemail worked without issue and sometimes it simply did not pick up and calls went unanswered. Responses from support were pre-written instructions on how to set up voicemail.
What I finally realized, after much aggravation, is that you can only have one Skype device on at a time or the voicemail settings are ignored.
I have Skype on my PC, my cell phone and on a Skype phone that connects directly to the router.
If I am signed in on any ONE of those devices, all is well with the voicemail.
The moment I sign in to two devices, I have no voicemail.
I emailed them to let them know what I discovered, but did not hear back.
Hope this helps some of you.
Skype voicemail is not working properly for me too. I called my skype number from a different land line. The incoming call rang on my pc twice then disapeared. I kept the other line ringing. After OVER 5 MINUTES, the incoming call resumed ringing on Skype. Voicemail and call forwarding are also no longer working. I too run a business and have not been able to find a viable fix for this.
This is truly “do it yourself” service. I have not been able to get voice mail to work on my Skype number as well. I have set up voicemail in Skype. I have made sure I have the latest version of Skype installed. When I call my Skype number from a land line or cell phone, I get the message, “I’m sorry, but the the person who you are calling has a voicemail that has not been set up yet”. It comes up in an “AT&T style” female voice notification. This is some sort of voice mail provisioning issue. There are no Skype technicians available to troubleshoot these issues. I am expected as the user to have the expertise to identify, troubleshoot and resolve this issue myself. That is unrealistic. All I can do is post the information on this blog. Do humans from Skype monitor this blog? If so, help! I also posted this information in a help window when the standard remedy for this problem (ensure you are running the most current version of Skype) was completed, with no result.
I have a few issues with voicemail:
1) It never picks up. The phone just rings forever.
2) I can’t find where to record a personalized greeting (Mac version).
3) I have no idea how to check voicemail messages (if I had any). The “advice” to set up a “to go number” doesn’t make any sense to me. What number do I enter there?
Thanks,
Dan
OK, I figured out a couple of things:
1) It picks up after 22 rings! Is there any way I can reduce that number to say, 6? Nobody is going to stay on the line for 22 rings to leave a voicemail
2) I figured out the personalized greeting.
3) Now that I left myself a voicemail, I see that I can listen to them on the computer, but I still don’t understand the go to number issue.
Thanks,
Dan
I got for an online # with call forwarding enabled. The Skype voicemail SIMPLY DOESN’T WORK at all. My online number just keeps ringing once the call is forwarded. Traded about 10 emails with the extremely lousy support team which has been giving me run around answers (change this/that settings, upgrade to 5.0, uninstall/reinstall Skype). Seems like they are just copying and pasting some section of their manual and provides NO solution at all. Such a unless support team! If this feature doesn’t work, just tell me so Skype. Don’t waste my time and money!!! And please do everyone a favor and don’t advertise this feature. You are just going to piss off customers.
I also became a new subscriber recently and discovered that voicemail doesn’t work, not at all in fact. How can a company tenably tout this service without functional voicemail? And the FAQs seem to conveniently ignore this problem, as if it doesn’t exist!
I sure wish I had read this post before signing up for unlimited USA calling and an online number. I’ve used Skype for chat for years and the calling is not bad at all. I’m looking to replace Vonage BUT I expected voicemail and call forwarding to work. Maybe not as well as Vonage but to at least make an attempt. Been working on it all day and it just plain does not work. How do I get my money back?
My voicemail has effectively stopped working also. It rings and rings and rings but voicemail only picks up after about 30 rings. WTF?
I only realized this was the case when clients told me my phone wasn’t working. I was shocked and just now tried it myself to see that they are right. This service is WORTHLESS to me without voicemail in a reasonable time. WORTHLESS!!!
I will be terminating my account, never to return, if this is not resolved in the next few days.
I want to set up my voicemail from my Skype phone. I don’t have a microphone which means I can not set it up on my computer. I have a IPEVO phone. I can check voicemails on it but how do I set up a personal greeting?
Well. after reading these comments, I see that I am not the only one who is having this voicemail problem. Mine has not worked for my online number for months and i have not been able to get any real help from Skype support. It is a joke except it is not funny because I’m paying for something that does not work!
Does anyone know how to fix this problem? I have done everything I can and everything that the the robo-tech people spit out in their emails. I have completely uninstalled and reinstalled, checked all my settings. Everything that has been suggested so far and still–no voice mail for my online number. (skype to skype voicemail works, though). Perhaps there should be a class action lawsuit filed against Skype for selling fraudulent services! I just want the damned thing to work. How do they get away with this? Most businesses here in the US could not get away with this. Anyway–I have just about had it and don’t want to waste anymore time.
I think I’ll just use google voice and get a new number with voicemail that actually works and cancel skype if they don’t get this fixed in the next couple of days. (new business cards again!)
Peter–the top of this voicemail comments page says: “Skype voicemail means that you’ll never miss a call. Your unanswered calls are sent to voicemail and you can listen to messages when you want, wherever you sign in to Skype, or using Skype To Go.”
This is a completely false statement, as you well know, based on all the comments you see posted here. How do you defend this? skype has real problems with this and it has obviously not been addressed. Why should it take 12 months to solve a systemic voicemail problem? I have had this problem for months, too. There is virtually no tech support. The weak attempt at skype to send out their slow emails over and over again with the same unhelpful suggestions just does not cut it. What can you do as the “head honco of this forum do to shake these people up at skype to get this fixed?
I’m switching over to google Voice this weekend for my new number and a working voicemail!
The voice-mail on my Skype account has not been working and my customers are getting extremely frustrated. I have checked to be sure that the send unanswered calls to Skype voice-mail is checked on, however it just rings and rings and rings. Please help!
I have wasted 2 days working with tech support on the VM issue and still no resolution to the problem of my voicemail not kicking in. Yes I have checked all my setting, it’s enabled, I went into the config file, I un-installed/re-installed according to email received )registry etc. Could you please explain how this is a problem on my computer when this is an online service? I accessed my VM for over a year from various Internet Cafe’s in the Amazon region of Brazil before it stopped working. Isn’t it a problem on Skype’s end? Please explain. Thank you!
Fix your voicemail – you can’t control number or rings and it never picks up. How can you have a phone service where voicemail doesn’t work? I finally started using skype as my phone but this isn’t going to work. If I’m on the computer it rings and rings. If you decline call it doesn’t go to voicemail it just hangs up.
I”m a new subscriber and your voice mail does not work. It just rings and rings and voice mail never picks up. I’ve tried everything, including forums and Skype support. Nothing works! And it seems like Skype does not have a live support number. I couldn’t even locate live chat. VERY FRUSTRATING!
I am a brand new Skype user…and the learning curve is pretty ridiculous given how simple the software appears visually. I have tried to get various answers from Google, unofficial Skype blogs…and by coming to these blogs. The main issue that seems to run through all these threads is CUSTOMER SERVICE…it’s practically non-existent from Skype. I don’t understand this…especially when we are paying customers for the service. When I see that there are 24 million users online in Skype…I multiply that by the monthly fee of 3.00 US…and go wow…what a business venture this truly is…even if only half of these people are actually paying for the service…that would still be 60 million dollars per month…not including all the extras that people subscribe to. So, with this in mind…we know that Skype is making plenty of money…enough money to pay for a reasonable customer care center, a technical issue department, with 24 hour service 7 days a week. So what gives? Why are these blogs our main source for getting information…mostly useless blogs that serve no true purpose other than to allow unhappy customers to vent themselves off into cyberspace. Does anyone else here wonder the same thing? Skype…if you want to continue enjoying the success you have had thus far…you better get to working on a more reliable software (because people are paying for it), and a better customer service experience (we are paying for that too)! I know for myself…it freaks me out to read all the complaints in here…or to read the ones on that other skype blog with the “!” in a red triangle (unanswered) because nobody knows the answer…but, to all those who are sick of reading “let me investigate this for you…I’ll skype you back!” maybe there is a bright side to all of this…it’s called the good old fashioned telephone with caller id and message service…they always work!
My voicemail does not work no matter what I do with the settings. I’m using a Skype wifi phone associated with my account, but that shouldn’t cause the problem. I’ve tried calling my number from cell phones, office phones, residence phones, other Skype accounts, but my Skype voicemail will not pick up. I’m really disappointed because I have a Skypein number and was getting ready to purchase a year subscription. But if the voicemail doesn’t work, then it’s not worth it. Nowadays, voicemail is critical. I cannot figure out how to get my problem to Skype support (do they exist?) so I’m posting on this forum to see if someone can respond and help. No matter what settings I use on my voicemail, it will not pick up…how very frustrating when something is supposed to work but it doesn’t…..