Is the voicemail notification icon on your Android notification bar stuck? Usually you can remove it by resetting the phone app data, but this may only work temporarily. If you continue to experience it, you will need to contact your carrier or perform a factory reset on your device.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Clearing Phone App Data
Step 1. Open the Settings app on your device
If your voicemail notification icon is stuck and there are no new messages in your account, you can reset the phone app data to temporarily fix this issue.
Step 2. Tap "Apps" or "Application Management"
This will display a list of apps on your phone, which will automatically go to the "Downloads" category.
Step 3. Scroll all the way to the "All" category
This step will display all the apps installed on your device, including system apps.
Step 4. Scroll down until you find "Phone"
There may be several of these options.
Step 5. Tap on the first “Phone” app in the list
This step will open the application options.
Step 6. Tap on “Clear Data” and confirm
This step will delete phone app data, but won't affect your contacts.
Step 7. Repeat for all additional "Phone" apps
Make sure you perform the Clear Data step for each app named "Phone" or "Phone/Message Storage".
Step 8. Scroll down and tap on the “Voicemail” app
This will open the voicemail app settings.
Step 9. Tap on “Clear Data” and confirm
After deleting all of these, the notification should be gone.
Step 10. Disable and re-enable notifications
While still in the Settings menu of the Voicemail app, uncheck "Show notifications" and confirm that you want to disable it. Once disabled, check the box again to enable notifications. This step will reset your voicemail notifications.
Step 11. Use this method again when restarting the phone
Most likely the notification will appear again when you turn on Android. You can clear the app's data again to get rid of it, or try one of the long-term fixes below.
Part 2 of 2: Long Term Improvement
Step 1. Check your messages again
Even if you checked and there are no new messages, call your voicemail again. Maybe you have a long stored message and it triggers a notification icon. Make sure absolutely no messages are left in your voicemail inbox.
Step 2. Contact your carrier's customer service
Occasionally, voicemail notifications crash due to an error in the inbox, and this can be reset by the phone operator. Explain that your voicemail icon is stuck, and ask to have your inbox reset. This step has fixed the problem for many users.
Step 3. Perform a factory reset of your Android device
It's a last resort, but sometimes a device factory reset will fix your problem. The data in the phone will be erased in the process. So you should only do this if everything is backed up safely.
- You can back up data on your phone quickly by connecting it to a computer and copying all important data. Make sure you take all photo and music files before reformatting.
- Back up your contacts by syncing your device with your Google account. Your contacts will be saved and restored when you log back in after resetting.
- You can reset your phone from the "Backup & Reset" section of the Settings app. Select "Factory data reset" from the menu to start the reset process.
