If you get a lot of voicemails, use a visual voicemail app to transcribe incoming voicemail messages. A transcript makes it easy to read a message so that you can decide what to do with it. Here are some of the best visual voicemail apps for iPhone and Android.
The Best Visual Voicemail App for Access on Any Device: YouMail
YouMail is an award-winning visual voicemail app for iPhone and Android that lets you read your voice messages. You can view the transcription from your phone, tablet, or computer, browsing transcripts in the order you prefer. You can also have YouMail convert voicemails to email and text message format.
Access YouMail on any device.
Range of features beyond visual voicemail.
Can block spammers and robocalls.
Ads on the free plan.
Only transcribes first 15 seconds of the message.
Much like a Swiss Army Knife, YouMail has a surprisingly massive variety of optional features, like robocall blocking, personalized voicemail greetings, and conference calling.
YouMail is free to download, but some features require a paid subscription plan.
Download For:
The Best Free Visual Voicemail App: Google Voice
Google Voice has offered visual voicemail for longer than most of the competition. Before Google acquired Google Voice, it was known as Grand Central. Whether you use iPhone or Android, Google Voice is the best free visual voicemail app out there today.
Free and easy to set up.
Supports transcriptions in Spanish.
By default, tries to set up a new number.
$10 to change a Google Voice number.
Google Voice gives you a dedicated, free phone number you can set to ring (or not) on any device you choose. When a new voicemail message arrives, Google Voice sends a transcription right away by email, text, or both.
The Best Visual Voicemail App for Heavy Voicemail Transcription Users: HulloMail
HulloMail is another terrific visual voicemail app available for iPhone and Android users. You can use it to scan the voicemail messages in your voicemail inbox, then read the transcriptions and decide how you want to follow up. Should you wish, you can send copies of the transcriptions through email.
Search transcripts functionality.
Block unwanted callers.
Assign individual greetings for different callers.
No free version.
Only comes with a two-week free trial.
Does not answer Sprint calls.
If you want unlimited cloud storage for your transcriptions, or the ability to search through transcripts to find a specific message, you may want to level up to a paid subscription plan.
The Best Visual Voicemail App for One-Stop Shopping: InstaVoice
InstaVoice provides visual voicemail transcription, but with a twist. It aims to provide a single interface to manage an unlimited number of voice messages from every phone number you want.
Visual voicemail for up to ten phone numbers.
Access and handle voicemail in one place.
Helpful customer support.
Not as many features as competitors.
If you get a ton of voicemail messages on a regular basis, to the point that people tell you they got the dreaded “the mailbox is full” message when calling you, this is the app for you.
In addition to accessing voice-to-text transcriptions on the spot, you can also call or text the person who left a message by using a chat-like interface within InstaVoice. It’s a great way to maintain a large volume of voicemails across multiple phone numbers, handling them with the same speed and efficiency you would a text message or email.
The Best No-Fuss Voicemail Transcription: Your Carrier’s Visual Voicemail
Most carriers offer visual voicemail, so it’s worth checking with yours to find out how to access voicemail-to-text services on your phone. If you don’t want to mess around with third-party apps or pay for an additional software package, this is a solid option to explore.
Access robust technical support anytime.
No third-party app needed.
Some cellphone carriers charge a fee.
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