No voicemail on Verizon prepaid plan

[MarkF-AshvilleNC]

I have an unlocked S20 Ultra on a Verizon prepaid plan.  Everything works fine except I have no access to voicemail.  When I try voicemail I get a "call cannot be completed as dialed" recording.  If I try to activate visual voicemail, I get a "data network not available" message.  I spent hours on the phone with Verizon last week with no result.  The tech said sometimes these things happen with new phones, but that is not acceptable.  He suggested I go to a post-paid plan, basically doubling my bill.  Anyone else have (or solved) this issue?

[Anonymous]

Same issue here with my unlocked Samsung S20. I have a ticket opened up with Verizon currently so hopefully they get it working.

[MrZell · Accepted solution]

I would continue to work with your Carrier, as voicemail is a carrier provided feature. 

[usernvTj25KJ2n]

I had the same issue until I was playing around in the settings of the phone app and turned on Wi-Fi calling. 

1. Open the "Phone" app.

2. Click on the three dot vertical in the top right hand corner of the app.

3. Click on Settings.

4. Find "Wi-Fi Calling" and press on the toggle.

5. Enter in your address information.

6. After entering in your infomation try dialing "*86" and it should go to voicemail.

Let me know if this works for you, as it did for me.

[MarkF-AshvilleNC]

Excellent!  Thanks.  I had already activated wi-fi calling but went through the process again, verified my address, and voicemail worked!  Too bad the Verizon support people don't know about this - would have saved me a ton of time.

[usernvTj25KJ2n]

I actually discovered it with them yesterday while following up on my own trouble ticket.