iOS 26 and Live Voicemail

What is Live Voicemail?

Live Voicemail is an existing iPhone feature that was recently updated in iOS 26.

Note: If Live Voicemail is currently disabled on your iPhone, you can disregard this message. To check your settings or disable this feature, follow the steps seen here. 

Impact on Sideline

Sideline voicemails will not route properly (they will be directed to your iPhone's voicemail inbox and not Sideline) if you decline any incoming Sideline calls AND if all of the criteria below are true: 

• You have Live Voicemail enabled in iPhone Settings.
• You are on iOS version 26.

Our Recommendations

Because of the issue above, we recommend the following: 

Do not decline incoming calls to Sideline

To avoid the voicemail issue, do not decline incoming Sideline calls. Instead, mute the call, let it go to voicemail, and call back when you're free.

By doing so, you can keep Live Voicemail enabled (if you choose to do so) and can disregard the steps below.

Disable Live Voicemail in iPhone Settings

If you need to decline Sideline calls, we suggest you disable the Live Voicemail feature on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone, then tap Phone.
2. Tap Live Voicemail.
3. Turn Live Voicemail OFF.

That way, you can still decline the Sideline call without affecting the current voicemail experience. Don't worry, "Voicemail to Text" remains available, so you can view voicemail transcriptions in your Sideline Inbox. 

Enable Call Announcement 

To enable this feature in Sideline:

1. View your Sideline settings.
2. Under the Calling section, tap the button 'Call Announcement' to enable.

More information on this feature can be found here. Note that Team Sharing accounts do NOT have this setting option because it is enabled by default. 

Enable VoIP Calling 

To enable Voice Over IP (VoIP) calling in Sideline:

1. View your Sideline settings.
2. Under the Calling section, tap the button 'VoIP Calling' to enable.

Note: VoIP calls rely on a strong WiFi signal and are less reliable than carrier data, so they aren't a permanent calling solution.

If you have any further questions or require assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our support team.