How To New Verizon Customer *86 tip

[PantherWreck]

Hi All,

I couldn't find a post related to this topic here regarding the droid. I am 30 days into my droid or so and my wife and I discovered that calls to check your own voicemail using *86 show as used minutes on the bill. Calls to your own number, however, route straight to your voicemail box and count as a free call to a verizon user.

You can change your default voicemail dialing number in Settings | Voicemail settings | Voicemail number. Just change *86 to your verizon number.

Hope this is helpful to some new verizon folks.

Regards,
pw

 

[mrjam3s]

Thanks for the tip!

 

[aaronmach1]

wow very interesting thanks!

 

[chiefvelo]

call verizon customer service. i would say it may show on your bill but is not counting towards your minutes used, if i remember corectly. However the message left does count towards your minutes used unless that has been changed. you could try google voice or "youmail" and make that number one of your unlimited friends and family numbers.

 

[akkkmed]

call verizon customer service. i would say it may show on your bill but is not counting towards your minutes used, if i remember corectly. However the message left does count towards your minutes used unless that has been changed. you could try google voice or "youmail" and make that number one of your unlimited friends and family numbers.

OP- Thanks for the tip!
@chiefvelo- As long as we've been with Verizon (15 years to be specific), calling voicemail counts as minutes. So if it counts as minutes, it sounds like OP is right on that's how it shows up on the bill.
(First post here, yay!)

 

[Shadowtech]

This is why I never use my VZW voicemail. Not only is it an annoying, outdated system, but you lose minutes checking it.. no thanks.

I switched over to the free Youmail service and get free visual voicemail over data connection with their phone app. Google Voicemail is better as well.

 

[speeddemon40]

Hi All,

I couldn't find a post related to this topic here regarding the droid. I am 30 days into my droid or so and my wife and I discovered that calls to check your own voicemail using *86 show as used minutes on the bill. Calls to your own number, however, route straight to your voicemail box and count as a free call to a verizon user.

You can change your default voicemail dialing number in Settings | Voicemail settings | Voicemail number. Just change *86 to your verizon number.

Hope this is helpful to some new verizon folks.

Regards,
pw

A while ago, I saw that there was a way to put your passkey in there to. So you wouldn't have to enter it every time

 

[johnlgalt]

That's like letting your browser remember your passwords for your sites.

if anyone ever steals the device, your passwords / passcodes are now in their hands.

Bad idea.

 

[PerCompLLC]

@PantherWreck - Great tip! Thanks!

 

[TXLady]

That's like letting your browser remember your passwords for your sites.

if anyone ever steals the device, your passwords / passcodes are now in their hands.

Bad idea.

Which is also why all your computers (even at home) and phones should ALWAYS be password protected. One of the things I dislike the most about Droid is the lack of built-in password protection. The screwy pattern thing is just not adequate.

 

[jtreminio]

I'm a little confused here. Doesn't Verizon allow unlimited calls to all Verizon customers?

Doesn't your voicemail number count as a Verizon number?

 

[Shadowtech]

I'm a little confused here. Doesn't Verizon allow unlimited calls to all Verizon customers?

Doesn't your voicemail number count as a Verizon number?

Only unlimited to VZW numbers.. Voicemail isn't a mobile number. I still say it's pretty lame they make you use minutes though.