Get the Official T-Mobile Visual Voicemail on the Android G1
August 1, 2009 – 1:10 pmI’m not sure if this has been covered in the blogging world, but I wanted to blog about it since I now know that Visual Voicemail is possible on Android through T-Mobile. No missed call forwarding is necessary. It uses your current T-Mobile voicemail inbox and same setup remains intact. I have it set up on my own phone so I can confirm that it works. I can only confirm that it works in the USA, as I’m in Chicago. Here are the steps:
1. Call T-Mobile support and request them to activate the “Android” data plan. All G1 phones have been on the older data plan. This new data plan does not cost any extra, and the only difference (from what the T-Mobile rep told me) is that it allows for visual voice, which completed for the roll-out of the myTouch 3G, but G1 users are also free to use it.
2. Go to the Android Market and search for “visual voicemail”. Several apps will pop up, but you just need to download the one by T-Mobile.
3. Once the app is installed, run it and it will sync with any voicemails you currently have. You now have visual voicemail on your G1!
I’m pretty pleased because when I first got the G1 back in October 2008 I was a little disappointed that they didn’t include visual voicemail. Enjoy!
5 Responses to “Get the Official T-Mobile Visual Voicemail on the Android G1”
Shame that this is only for US customers. Why are us UK users left behind? I am pretty sure that T-Mobile can put some effort into parity across it’s networks
By Ross on Aug 1, 2009
Ross,
I agree. T-Mobile should 1) improve network parity and 2) better communicate new features to an energized fan base.
I get the sense that this feature has been live for maybe a few days? But nobody has known about it. I only discovered it when I called in to get a replacement on a G1 we have with a non-responsive touchscreen.
All it would take from T-Mobile is a features and updates blog that they update frequently. Twitter would probably even suffice.
By Jonathan on Aug 1, 2009
I can’t get this to work. I keep getting a prompt to upgrade my service that sends me to a (T-Mobile?) web2go site that says I can’t update.
I called T-Mobile and they said that I am on the Android plan. They also said that they are getting a lot of complaints about this “endless loop upgrade” problem and that they are working on it. I hope they finish soon.
By Destry on Aug 2, 2009
@Destry:
Simply give T-Mobile a quick call.
Change your plan as instructed, and there you have it! Problem solved.
By Stefan on Aug 3, 2009
Yeah the tech I talked to knew nothing about this and insisted that I was already on the android plan. Tried the app again today and it said I had to login to tmobile and update my plan. I logged in today and there was an option to change from the g1 plan to the android plan for the same price but the 400 text messages of the g1 plan weren’t mentioned in the android plan. I called tech support and they said that I still get the 400 texts! She said it’ll take a few hours for the change so hopefully this’ll be done when I go to work tomorrow morning!
By Destry on Aug 3, 2009