Visual voicemail keeps stopping

[Members_bFxSTfN]

This is their response after I asked Google about the latest Android update that has rendered the pre-installed Samsung Visual Voicemail app inoperable. The VV app was working until the last systemwide Android update.

Brian KO
Original Poster
May 6, 2025

Newest systemwide Android update conflict
I have a Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphone. The newest Android system update at the beginning of May, 2025, has caused a software coding conflict with the pre-installed Samsung Visual Voicemail app. The app will not open at all. Error message is "Visual Voicemail keeps stopping." This app cannot be uninstalled and reinstalled. Doing all of Samsung's technical support troubleshooting steps offered no help. Doing my cell service provider's technical support steps offered no help. Clearing the cache/data for the app, resetting all settings, and restarting the phone offered no help. This is an issue that needs to be corrected with the newest systemwide update to the Android operating system.

Fred SR.
You should Contact Samsung Phones Support
Samsung phones run their own proprietary version of Android, and their own proprietary user interface. Samsung devices often have proprietary apps that behave differently from similar apps on other Android phones.
Fred

Brian KO
Original Poster
Already spoke to them. They go round and round insisting that the Visual Voicemail is controlled by the makers of the operating system, i.e., not them. My phone service provider said the same. Now, you're sending me back to them. Bottom line: The Samsung pre-installed Visual Voicemail was working until the latest Android system update. So, the software coding conflict needs to be fixed.

Fred SR.

This is the process for distributing Android versions: Google creates the original version and sends it to manufacturers. Manufacturers then customize it as needed and release their own version. They are responsible for the Android updates.
Fred

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So, to Samsung: fix your proprietary version of the newest Android operating system and release an update so your Samsung Visual Voicemail app does not remain inoperable with the error message "Visual Voicemail keeps stopping."

[LongHiker]

@Members_bFxSTfN For immediate assistance, one option is to use the Samsung Members app -> Support -> Send text. This will open up live troubleshooting.

Another option is to contact Samsung support via https://www.samsung.com/us/support/contact/

Lastly you can submit a bug report via the Samsung Members app -> Support -> Send feedback. 

[Members_bFxSTfN]

Thanks for your reply. I don't have, or know how to access, the Samsung Members app. If you can give more info about that, I'd appreciate it. The Samsung support contact link doesn't help when trying to send feedback to Samsung about anything that's their issue rather than your own phone/account.

[LongHiker]

The Samsung Members app is free and on the Samsung Galaxy Store.

[realaud]

It should be preinstalled on your phone in the Samsung folder in your app drawer

[realaud]

Who  is your carrier, they may have their own VVM app, and then you can stop using Samsung's entirely?  You just may have to face the fact of incompatibility.  You are right, though, once you uninstall the app, you will not be able to get it back because I do not believe that Samsung offers it for download nor pre-installs it on their phones (I could be wrong about that, though. It was not pre-installed on my S10 lite or my A54).  Fortunately T-Mobile has it's own app and it works perfectly fine.  It may work with other carriers - or not.  It's available in the Play store.

[Members_bFxSTfN]

I downloaded my carrier's VV app a while ago, and it still works, though not as well as it did before the latest Android update in terms of loading new voicemails. I have to manually refresh it most of the time. At least the basic voicemail reel-to-reel icon appears & chimes to let me know I have messages waiting. And yep, if you uninstall the Samsung VV app, you can't reinstall it. I believe you can get it back if you do a hard factory reset on your phone, though.

[realaud]

I turned off notifications for my VV app because I didn't want a notification both from the app and the voicemailbox.  I just know when I get the double reel notification to look at the VV app.  Nothing in there is important anyway, mostly spam calls, which I delete without listening to.  If I miss a call from a doctor or something else that caller ID identifies as not spam, I know to listen to the message.  

[SamsulS20]

That actually makes a lot of sense. I’ve also found that most VV notifications are just noise, and relying on caller ID helps filter what’s worth checking. Curious though, have you ever had a legit voicemail get marked as spam or missed because of this setup?

[realaud]

Not that I recall. Sometimes a robocall for a doctor's appt reminder may be marked as possible spam, but I usually also get a text for those as well. I do notice there are subtle language variances in the caller I D. Scam likely means it's usually a telemarketer with no identifiable caller ID. Possible spam is just an unknown number not in your contacts list.  For the most part, though, legitimate calls usually just come up as the number with no designator. So, instead of saying "spam likely 444-555-1234", it would just say "444-555-1234"