Field service
On a job
Hi, you’ve reached [Name] with [Company]. I’m on a job and can’t pick up right now. Tell me your name, number and the job address, and you’ll hear from me today.
For your work phone
A professional voicemail greeting on iPhone and Android
On a cell phone, the voicemail greeting lives with your carrier, not in the phone. You record it on the phone itself, either in the voicemail screen or by calling your mailbox. Here is how, and what to say.
iPhone: record a custom greeting
Apple describes these steps in the iPhone User Guide. The first time you tap Voicemail, iPhone asks you to create a voicemail password and record your greeting.
Open Phone
Go to the Phone app on your iPhone.
Find the greeting
Classic layout: tap Voicemail, then Greeting. Unified layout: tap Voicemails, then Edit, then Edit Voicemail Greeting.
Choose Custom
Choose Custom instead of Default and record your new greeting.
Listen and save
Play it back, record again if needed, then save.
Android: call your voicemail
On Android, Google’s Phone app Help describes calling voicemail by touching and holding 1. Visual voicemail in the Phone app is available only with some carriers.
Open the Phone app
Open the Phone app and tap Dialpad.
Call your mailbox
Touch and hold 1 to call your voicemail service.
Record and confirm
Record the greeting, listen to it and confirm.
Can I upload a file to my cell phone voicemail?
Usually not. Apple’s and Google’s guides describe recording on the phone, and the large US carriers describe recording by phone or in their voicemail app. A file upload is not part of those instructions.
There is a workaround: create your greeting in our generator, play it on a computer speaker in a quiet room, and hold the phone close while it records. You lose some sound quality, but you keep a professional voice and a well-written text. For a business line with file upload, a phone system like Quo, Grasshopper or Dialpad takes the file directly.
Scripts for a work cell phone
Sales rep
With a customer
You’ve reached [Name], [title] at [Company]. I’m with a customer at the moment. Leave a short message, and I’ll call you back before [time].
Freelancer
Solo business
Hi, this is [Name], [profession]. I’m in a session right now. Your name and number, please; I return calls between clients.
Driving
On the road
You’ve reached [Name] at [Company]. I’m driving between appointments and can’t answer safely. Your message reaches me at my next stop.
After work
Evenings and weekends
Hi, you’ve reached [Name] with [Company]. My business hours are [days], from [hours]. Messages left now get a callback the next working morning.
Questions
Why does my greeting not change after I switch phones?
The greeting is stored by your carrier, tied to your number, not to the phone. A new phone usually keeps it; a new number or carrier usually does not.
Can I use the same greeting on iPhone and Android?
Yes. The text and the recording are the same; only the steps to record it differ.
How long should a work cell greeting be?
10 to 20 seconds. Name, company, why you cannot answer, what to leave, when you call back.
Is the speaker workaround good enough?
For a personal work cell, usually yes. Record in a quiet room, keep the phone close to the speaker, and listen to the result before you save it.