How to call your voicemail inbox on an Android phone, even if you don't have access to your phone

• To call your voicemail on an Android phone, simply open your phone's dial pad and hold your finger down on the "1" key.
• You can also call your voicemail from a different phone by calling your own number and tapping the pound key.
• Some visual voicemail apps allow you to read transcripts of your voicemail messages without even calling your inbox.
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Once upon a time, phones had two functions: to facilitate phone calls, and keep voicemails.

Nowadays, voicemails aren't nearly as popular as text messages or emails. But even so, your smartphone still has its own voicemail inbox, which you can access at any time.

Different phone models have their own types of voice mailboxes, but nearly every Android phone lets you call it in the same way.

Here's how to call your voicemail inbox on an Android phone.

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How to call your voicemail on an Android phone

The easiest way to check your Android voicemail is to open up your phone's dial pad — the pad you use to enter phone numbers — and hold down the number "1." If you look closely, it should even have a little icon that looks like a tape recording below it.

You'll be taken immediately to your voicemail inbox.

If your phone isn't nearby, or the battery is dead, you can access your mailbox from another phone.

1. From another phone, call your own phone number.

2. Wait for the recorded "Please leave a message" greeting to start playing, then tap the pound key (#) on the phone's dial pad.

3. Enter your voicemail pin.

You'll now have access and control over your voicemail inbox.

If you prefer reading text transcripts of your Android voicemails, then go to the Google Play Store and install a visual voicemail app, like "My Visual Voicemail" or "Voxist."

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to change the language on an Android phone or tablet to the one you prefer

• How to change keyboard language on Android using the Gboard app

• How to video chat on an Android device using a third-party app

• How to set a reminder on an Android device using Google Calendar or Google Keep

• How to use voicemail transcription on your iPhone, so you can read your voicemails instead of listening to them