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Android Native Visual Voicemail Trouble

J

I'm using a Pixel2XL on T-Mobile and the native Visual Voicemail (built into the Google Phone app) will not activate. The VM tab does show, and I have the option checked in the menu settings for the Phone app. I continue to get the messages "Visual Voicemail Activating" and "Can't activate Visual Voicemail". I have VVM on my plan via the ONE Plus add-on.

I have removed the T-Mobile VVM app as I know that it will deactivate the native VVM. I have reset network settings, restarted the phone, and spoken with both T-Mobile and Google. I have yet to be given a reason this is not working.

(Note: brought the phone over from Verizon but it's unlocked - all other data and voice functionality is good)

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Best answer by tmo_mike_c 2 March 2021, 16:40

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J

Just bought a Moto G7 running Android 9 PIE and can not get either the T-mo or native visual voicemail to work.

Ssame errors as everyone else.

ERROR: can't provision.

I've confirmed that the native Android VVM identifies the carrier and voicemail ph#.

It just looks like T-mo lacks the configuration information.

Taking a note from Windows system administration - I'm guessing that the issue is that each device identifies itself and requests a config. The T-mo VVM server looks, probably doesn't see a config for that specific device and so it responds back with some sorta denial message.

That's just my guess, at this point.

I hope I'm not correct because that would mean the the T-mo VVM server would have to store configs for every make/model.

Hopefully there is a generic or universal config that just needs to be slightly updated in order to support Android 9 PIE devices.

Something like:

IF OS VERSION =>8.1 THEN gen_config_file1.0

L

To add insult to the injury T-Mobile keeps bombarding me with texts to install their stinky VM app 😠 . BTW, I have 8.1 and I doesn't work either.

K

Same here.  I am beyond frustrated.

K

Yes, the T-Mobile VM app is garbage.  And, they charge you $4 to take out their garbage for them every month.  Seriously?  Who the heck charges for voicemail anymore?  Is it 1998 and someone didn't tell me?

L

@kayplaysmusic​ where did you find out about the $4? If they are truly charging us for this this is truly a 'class action'. Maybe we if join forces we can get T-Mobile to fix it. It is in their hands as it did work with prepaid before I switched to T-Mobile ONE.

T

I chatted with someone from support the other day and they said they no longer support the native/stock Android visual voicemail. Can that be right? I specifically chose my phone because it's running Android One so I wouldn't have to use a bunch of crappy software from other vendors. I've had nothing but problems with T-Mobile's vvm on all three phones I've had it on. I've missed important messages including some when my mom was in hospice. I've only ever had T-Mobile as a provider but if I'm forced into using their vvm I'll be shopping around to see if their competition supports Android's vvm.

C
Userlevel 1

@tangerine​ That isn't correct. Android native VVM should be working just fine at the moment. Once all the profiles were set up correctly, most people were able to connect and use the native VVM without issue. To my knowledge, it hasn't quit since it started working.

U

I can attest that android native vvm quit working a month ago after properly working for many months on nokia android one phone 6.1. Also it doesn't work on newer android one nokia phones 9 pureview and 4.2.

So it looks like tmo has been pulling and/or neglecting support for it.

M
Userlevel 2
Badge +1 
carrierlost wrote:
 @tangerine That isn't correct. Android native VVM should be working just fine at the moment. Once all the profiles were set up correctly, most people were able to connect and use the native VVM without issue. To my knowledge, it hasn't quit since it started working.

It does work but only on certain devices.  Devices that used to have the native VVM working no longer work with the native VVM. I've had two such devices that used to work fine with native VVM that no longer work.

F

I have a factory-unlocked Moto G5Splus.  My first Android phone.  Everything worked beautifully with no bloatware.  The native Android VVM worked beautifully until late May 2019.  Now, I might get a notice that I have a voicemail message waiting . . . or I might not.  The native VVM app that had worked well since December 2016 now petulantly refuses to work.  Cycling it on/off did not help.  Rebooting phone did not help.  Cycling it off, rebooting and then turning on did not help.  Removing the T-Mobile SIM (I'm on a prepaid plan) and cycling on/off has not helped.  Next step is to back up and factory-reset.  I keep getting this error: https://support.t-mobile.com/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/2-669747-222533/415-900/Screenshot_20181221-175505.jpg

To wit: I am told "Can't activate visual voicemail . . . try again?"

Motorola tech support says it's a carrier app (it is not, it's the app native to a MOTOROLA phone) and is zero help.

T-Mobile equally unhelpful, stating that from their end, my visual voicemail is activated (free, I'm prepaid) and wondering why I haven't installed their crappy VVM app . . . because if I WANTED their bloatware, I would have bought my phone through a 2yr contract.  I buy all my cellphones factory-unlocked specifically to avoid such crapware.

Anyone know how to reach the Android people about this?  My phone started misbehaving shortly after a security upgrade pushed out by Motorola

C
Userlevel 1

(Un)Fortunately mine is still working on my Pixel3, so I can't really tell whether or not it's a broken T-Mobile function again. Earlier in this thread I posted instructions on grabbing logs from an android. If you read back through my posts, you should be able to pull the logs from your phone and verify if it's the same issue it was previously, or if you're getting a new error message that may help narrow down the issue.

If it broke after a security upgrade, they may have changed the VVM code, so you'll (hopefully) see a new error message that can point you in the right direction.

L

@carrierlost Same error here. It was working when I was on prepaid but not after I went T-Mobile ONE.

Either get another carrier or put up with this. No support or sympathy from Motorola or T-Mobile.

M

I was having the same issue on my Pixel 3 and this is what I did to fix the issue.

I uninstalled the T-Mobile visual voicemail app. Then I went into the voicemail settings of the stock phone dialer. I deactivated it trying to activate VVM and then I enabled it. Visual voicemail enabled immediately and the tab appeared on the phone dialer. It then activated correctly  

M

Essential stock Android Pie/9.

Others (all phone) are having the same problem where the VM *does not* work properly after uninstalling TM VVM.

https://support.t-mobile.com/message/687644?et=watches.email.thread#687644

Just tried again, and after uninstalling TM VVM and reenabled VVM in the stock dialer - we are all getting this error:

"Visual voicemail isn't working

Call voicemail to finish setting it up"

(and of course there's no "set up" section in the VM that impacts this)

L

I tried the App and decided it did not work for me. After uninstalling it I have been unable to get visual voicemail back on my android (Essential) phone. Same messages as yours.

J

I'm having the same issue on my BlackBerry Key2. I've used the same SIM for my past few devices and even when using it on my current device the native vvm worked. I accidentally toggled visual voicemail off in the phone app settings back around June and since then cannot get it to enable. It's so frustrating.  The tmobile app is slow and I don't want to open another app just to check voicemail. Should all be done right from the phone app. I liked mobile when I first switch a few years ago from Verizon, but they seem to be slowly disabling features. Wi-Fi calling stopped and not vvm. ( wifi calling worked perfect on my key2 out of the box, then future updates disabled it). 

M

Dear T-Mobile:  It is very frustrating that this issue is being reported for so long without a solution.  Being a stock Android user, it is not hard to switch to a carrier that works properly.  I sincerely hope T-mobile will take care of this soon?

M
Userlevel 2
Badge +1 
tmo_amanda wrote:
Absolutely,  @magenta6815496! I'm currently working with a few people on the multiple voicemail issues that have popped up around the Support Community. When I have answers to the VVM issues, I will most definitely update this thread.

How's the solution coming along?  Any updates to report?

N

Its sad that these asshats don't know their own network.

here is the fix

Download the T Mobile visual voicemail app

let it install and authenticate your phone, ( log in and listen to a voicemail with it)

uninstall it the TMO VV app

then go into the native android phone app and go into settings, and turn on visual voicemail.

(on one of my phones this last step was necessary, and on the other as soon as i uninstalled TMO VV app it just worked on my phone)

TMO apparently fails in the phone authentication  without using their own  app, I have had to do the after every major OS jump (Android 8-9-10) but not during incremental updates

V

Unfortunately, this does not work for me.  I am using a Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra.  Without the crappy Tmobile app installed, I can turn on VMM in my voicemail settings but it will say that VMM is not activated at this time with no option to activate it at all.  It's grayed out and voicemails do not show in my phone app despite the tab showing there.  If I install the crappy Tmobile app, the option to use VMM in my phone app is entirely removed.  No option to turn it on and the tab disappears from the phone app entirely! 

I have followed your process several times to no avail.  It's just a vicious circle for me because Tmobile wants to force me into using their crappy app that I want nothing to do with.  I liked having the VMM feature integrated seamlessly into my phone app.  That's where it belongs.  That's how it should be.  I should NOT be forced to used a secound external app just to use VMM!  What the heck is Tmobile getting out of doing this to us?

My next step is going to be rooting my phone.

B

Late to the party, but glad I could make it...

Have a factory unlocked Moto G5. Android VM used to work great, now nothing. Not sure what changed, but I've done factory resets, reset carrier settings, deleted and manually set APN info, deleted that that and let the phone retrieve it's own settings. Cleared phone cache, cleared dialer app cache, etc.

I was also getting DNS errors for wifi calling, and guess what? No more DNS error, so that is cool, but still no native VMs.

M
Userlevel 2
Badge +1 
bobnotblob wrote:
Late to the party, but glad I could make it...
Have a factory unlocked Moto G5. Android VM used to work great, now nothing. Not sure what changed, but I've done factory resets, reset carrier settings, deleted and manually set APN info, deleted that that and let the phone retrieve it's own settings. Cleared phone cache, cleared dialer app cache, etc.
I was also getting DNS errors for wifi calling, and guess what? No more DNS error, so that is cool, but still no native VMs.

"Welcome to the party pal."  A very disappointing party though.  The lack of any information from anybody at T-Mobile is a telling sign of just how much of a non-issue this is to them.  It's been a sticking point with me about the Un-carrier's attitude towards this issue.  This thread is a perfect example of just how much T-Mobile seems to care.  Nov. 19th 2018 was the last correspondence from T-Mobile.

B

Maybe every user in this thread should create a new support ticket and

threaten switching carriers, lol. I bet there would be more response then.

M
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Here's another thread that's being ignored too.

It sucks TMo is disabling android native visual voicemail

C

@ @nakeddroid, Thank you!! Your instructions did the trick!  I have a Moto X Pure Edition with Android 7.0 and the stock visual voicemail stopped working months ago. I thought it was because of the Android update, but now I'm not so sure. It's been frustrating as I couldn't tell if I had voicemail or not. I didn't get any sort of notifications like I would normally.  Now things are back to normal, thanks to you! In case anyone asks, I did exactly as instructed, including playing a voicemail from the TMO VVM app. At first, I didn't do this step and it didn't work.  I rebooted my phone and tried again from the beginning (install the TMO VVM app, played a voicemail, uninstalled). As soon as I uninstalled, the stock visual voicemail filled up with voicemails.

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