Never manage to answer your phone before it diverts to voicemail? You can alter the length of time it rings by dialling a simple number.
Reader Hayden wrote in to describe how the process works for Telstra:
Are you constantly tearing through your bag trying to find your phone because you know after that 15 seconds it will divert to MessageBank and you’ll miss the call? It’s even more annoying if it’s a call from a blocked number
In the depths of Telstra’s website there is a guide explaining how to extend that ring to a maximum of 30 seconds but of course no-one casually stumbles across it.
Call
**61*101**seconds#to extend or shorten it.So if you wanted to extend it to its maximum (30 seconds) you would dial
**61*101**30#Other possible timings are 15, 20 or 25 seconds.
Optus uses a very similar approach, though it has separate codes depending on whether you have calls going to voicemail or diverting to another number. Full instructions are on the Optus site. Vodafone lets you make the change online, which is a more transparent process but does require you to know account login details (a nuisance if you’re fixing a phone for family or friends).
We often presume with smartphones that these issues will be managed via settings, but the advantage of the dial code approach is that it works with any phone and doesn’t require support staff. Thanks Hayden!
thankyou!
One of the best posts ever!
If you don't use Messagebank but you use the default message2txt feature, be sure to dial #61# after.
This is because your phone diverts to Messagebank by diverting to +61101. If your phone diverts to message2txt, your phone actually diverts to +61418707111.
If you follow the instructions above, it will change the divert number to +61101. Attempting to turn off call diverts (by dialling #61#) will actually change it to the message2txt number. I know it's complex but take my word for it.
Ahh so there is a double benefit, you can get a longer ringtime and ditch msg2text at the same time, no one i know likes it, i never knew why i had voicemail and other telstra users had msg2text, i did this pretty soon after i got my iPhone so i probably never had time to experience msg2text.
will actually change it *back to the message2txt number
Of course if you don't want it on your account a simple ##002# will cancel all diversions basically making your voicemail useless
Will the Optus codes work with Virgin?
hmmm... would the optus instructions work with TPG sims?
just tried it on my amaysim phone and it works!
The code works for any and all mobiles in australia.
HOWEVER **61*THIS PART**seconds# is the number your phone will divert to after the seconds you choose. So if you use this code with amaysim or another carrier it will divert them to 101, which may or may not be your mailbox number.
A better explanation in the post would have stopped you wrecking your call diverts.
thread on whirlpool for all carriers, verified on virgin!
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/742820
http://bit.ly/znuVR4
I knew you could do this.. but it always annoyed me that the default was around 15 secs before it diverted which is nowhere near enough time to pick up your phone if u were half way through a convo with someone as it was... It almost seems like a cheap way for them to make money by charging u for the diversion to message bank and the caller for making the call in the first place.
I had to call the carrier up to get mine pushed out to 60 secs and now I actually have time to pick up my phone .. lol
awesome post LH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Works for most carriers. Just substitute 101 for their message bank number. ie: Virgin Mobile is **61*212**30# to extend for 30 seconds.
Many carriers restrict to 30 seconds max time
very handy post!
all thats fine for voicemail and mobiles but iwant to get rid of message bank from my landline . when i go to the optus web site and try to delete it the message comes up this answer no longer available . any clues?
VERY VERY helpfull , thank you very much
hey guys if anyone is wondering about verizon's code here it is I just figured it out right now. **61*611**30#
Help! I've followed all your suggestions but nothing works. I want to get rid of message2txt altogether and also voice message. I don't want call forwarding either. What do I do from an iPhone 4 in Australia? Thanks.
By the way, I'm using Telstra.
Just letting you know that it kinda worked except the message callers now hear is "The number you are calling is not available from this service"...which means callers will think my number is a dud and as I'm expecting business calls as well as friends - this isn't ideal.
Thanks so much - worked a treat!
Hey Rebecca,
To stop it saying "The number you are calling is not available from this service" Call #61#, Like the person up above said. I turned mine to 3 seconds then reinstated message to text by calling #61# so now it rings for the full length AND then diverts to message to text :)