Is this your problem?
You're in the right place if you're seeing any of these:
- Callers tell you they can't leave a message, or hear that your mailbox is full
- You've deleted voicemails on the iPhone but the problem hasn't gone away
- Voicemails in the iPhone's Phone app don't match what you hear when you dial 101
Why this happens
There are two different voicemail services on a Telstra iPhone, and they don't always agree. Telstra MessageBank Plus (Visual Voicemail) stores your messages on Telstra's network and shows them in the Phone app. Apple Live Voicemail — switched on by default on recent iPhones — stores messages on the iPhone itself, not in Telstra's MessageBank.
When the two get out of step, messages you delete on the iPhone can stay in Telstra's mailbox. The mailbox fills up and callers can no longer leave a message. The fix is to switch Visual Voicemail off, clear Telstra's mailbox directly through 101, then switch it back on so everything re-synchronises.
Turn off Apple Live Voicemail
Step 1: Open the Live Voicemail setting
On the iPhone, open Settings › Apps › Phone › Live Voicemail.
Step 2: Switch Live Voicemail off
Turn Live Voicemail off. This makes sure new messages are handled by Telstra rather than intercepted by the iPhone.
Turn off Telstra Visual Voicemail
This switches off MessageBank Plus without cancelling your underlying MessageBank service, so you can get into the mailbox directly.
Step 3: Text VVM OFF to 144
Open the Messages app and send a text to 144 that says
VVM OFF.Step 4: Wait for Telstra's confirmation
Don't go any further until Telstra's confirmation SMS arrives.
Clear your Telstra MessageBank mailbox
Step 5: Dial 101
Call 101 from the iPhone to reach the messages stored on Telstra's network.
Step 6: Press 5 to delete each message
Listen to each message and press 5 while it plays to delete it. Keep going until every unwanted message is gone.
Step 7: Check saved and old messages too
Saved and previously heard messages also take up space — make sure you clear those as well as new messages.
Turn Visual Voicemail back on
Step 8: Text VVM ON to 144
Send another text to 144 that says
VVM ON, and wait for the confirmation SMS.Step 9: Restart the iPhone
Turn the iPhone off and on again once the confirmation arrives.
Step 10: Test it
Open the Phone app and check Voicemail. Then call the iPhone from another phone, leave a test message, and check it appears correctly.
Empty the iPhone's Deleted Messages folder
Step 11: Open Voicemail
Open Phone › Voicemail (in the newer Phone app layout, filter by Voicemails).
Step 12: Clear all deleted messages
Open Deleted Messages and tap Clear All.
Should you turn Live Voicemail back on?
Our recommendation: leave Telstra Visual Voicemail on and Apple Live Voicemail off, then make a test call to confirm new messages appear and that deleting a message on the iPhone also removes it from Telstra's 101 mailbox.
Once you're happy it's working, you can turn Live Voicemail back on if you want its live transcription — open Settings › Apps › Phone › Live Voicemail and switch it on. Just be aware this can bring the confusion back: messages captured by the iPhone won't appear in Telstra's 101 mailbox.
If the problem keeps coming back
There have been reports from May 2026 onwards of iPhone voicemail deletions not synchronising back to Telstra's 101 MessageBank, even after clearing Deleted Messages and toggling Visual Voicemail. Treat the steps above as a solid repair attempt rather than a guaranteed fix.
For a persistent problem, Telstra's documented alternative is to text VVM OFF to 144, then text Audio On to 144. Voicemails then arrive as audio messages by SMS, and you manage the mailbox by dialling 101.
Sources and further reading
From the field: we first fixed this for a client on and most recently on .
Written by Tim Jones, Founder & Principal Consultant, Nifty Computing
Published · Last reviewed
Applies to: Australian businesses