So nice to find this RW community online! Very helpful info!
My transition from RW to BI went pretty smoothly. The only problem I have run into after the migration is voicemail. I have the Google Phone App and voicemails used to appear on the screen as little time lines which I could click and then it would play the voicemail audibly. But now it says “Visual voicemail isn’t working. Call voicemail and finish setting it up.” But I already did this (set up a new VM password, etc.) and the error message still says the same thing. I am able to call in and hear my messages, but can’t see them on my phone’s screen like I used to. How can I get this to work again?
Also, all my old voicemails from RW disappeared when I migrated to BI. Now the only ones I have are VMs that have happened after the migration.
And in case it’s helpful info, my phone is a Moto E6 with Android 9.
Based on your description, I’m making the educated guess you were using a My Choice plan before migrating to Boost Infinite. If I’m right about that, I’m afraid you are not going to like my answer.
Boost Infinite voicemail doesn’t work inside Google’s Phone app on your Moto E6. Boost Infinite’s solution is to use the separate Boost Visual Voicemail app:
Alternatively, you might be able to set up conditional call forwarding and use a third party visual voicemail app. Google Voice and YouMail are popular choices.
For what it’s worth, Republic members with 5.0 plans already lost visual voicemail in Google’s Phone app and won’t be getting it back should they choose to migrate to Boost Infinite. They, too, must use a separate voicemail app.
Hey Rolandh! Thanks for the help! Yes, I was on My Choice. I had thought about using a third-party VVM app, since I don’t like the looks of the Boost Visual Voicemail app. You said something about conditional call forwarding. What is that? And with a third-party app like Google Voice or YouMail, would I still be able to use the Google Phone app for voice calling without any problems?
I no longer have a phone using Android 9, so, hopefully, this is close enough to get you there:
Open the Phone app
Tap to the upper right
Tap Settings
Tap Calls
Tap Call Forwarding
For When busy, When unanswered and When unreachable; enter the phone number to which you wish voicemail to be forwarded.
The above would be intended for Google Voice.
If you prefer to use YouMail; install YouMail’s app from Google’s Play store, then follow its setup instructions. It’s possible you won’t see an option in YouMail for Boost Infinite and/or if you do it might not work. If that’s the case, try T-Mobile. The upstream carrier partner for My Choice members migrating to Boost Infinite is T-Mobile.
I followed your instructions successfully until I got to Call Forwarding. And then I got an error message that says "Call settings error. Network or SIM card error."
Does it need to be forwarded because the Google Voice app uses a different number?
Yes, to use Google Voice for voicemail requires conditional call forwarding to one’s Google Voice number.
Try tapping OK on the error dialog and see if you’re able to enter the necessary information in spite of it. If not, try T-Mobile’s activation codes for conditional call forwarding. Those are:
Using the Phone app as if you were making a phone call.
No, YouMail’s app will attempt to set up call forwarding for you, just follow the app’s prompts.
Unfortunately, some combinations of phones, versions of Android and service provider don’t support call forwarding.
I understand it’s not your preference but does Boost’s Visual Voicemail app work?
One additional thought; if your phone is connected to WiFi, try temporarily turning WiFi off while attempting conditional call forwarding setup. If doing so works, turn WiFi back on after setup.
Also, (I could be wrong about this) I’ve heard that there are two kinds of Visual Voicemail apps - when some say “visual”, they mean that they do a textual presentation of the voicemail (turning the audible words into text). I don’t want that.
I want an app that does what the Google Phone app does, just presents a visual timeline or symbol that can be clicked on for audible playback.
Google Voice definitely does transcription but also offers the ability to listen to the voicemail as you prefer.
It’s been a while since I used YouMail. It may, too, offer transcription but I expect it would be in addition to the option to listen to voicemail not instead of as with Google Voice.
Honestly, it is a 'lot’ of ‘packaging’, for a tiny little chip.
I really don’t know if ‘they’ are ‘obsolete’, already…don’t want to just ‘trash’ them, …if they could be ‘used’.
OK - I have another question re: Google Voice. It looks like it could be a good VM app to work with the Google Phone app. My concern is that it might in some way usurp Google Phone app tasks that I don’t want it to. I read somewhere that separate VM apps sometimes do things like intercept incoming calls that I actually would want to take (with my Google Phone app), and instead it sends them to VM (sometimes without making the phone ring). In one forum, one separate vm app sent every incoming call that was not in the phone owner’s contact list to vm, without ringing.
I just thought of something that might be a work-around for a lazy person like me. Since the migration, every time I get a voicemail, I also get a text from Boost that says:
“BOOST: IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED, NEW VOICEMAIL WAITING. Update the Boost Visual Voicemail app to listen now.” And then it has a link that has “visualvoicemail” in the url, which I assume is a page where I can install/update the BI VVM app.
As long as I don’t install a VVM app, will I continue to get these alert texts re: new VM? I almost never get voicemails, so I thought I might just rely on the Boost VVM alarm texts to let me know that I have a new VM, and then I can call in and listen to it. Do you think that will work? (I guess my main concern is whether or not the alarm texts from BI will continue forever, or not)
to the upper right
