Visual Voicemail greyed out problem - iOS 8.1.3

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I'm having an intermittent problem with Visual Voicemail. My phone will notify me that I've a message, but when I try to listen to it, I can see the message, who left it and how long it is, but the play triangle is greyed out as is the progress bar.

I've got a 4s, running iOS 8.1.3.

I've turned it off and on, I've rebooted it - home and top buttons together, I've reset the network settings. I've turned voicemail off and on again.

The problem is more prevalent when on GPRS (rarely get 3G around here). Rarely but occasionally happens when I've got access to wi-fi.

Incidentally, as iOS updates have been released, I've found GPRS to be less and less useful. Sometimes I find that it's absolutely useless for data. 

Currently updating to 8.2, but I'm not hopeful that it will improve matters.

Any help appreciated.

SPD.

[MI5]

You've already done what I'd suggest so get the latest update, check your carrier settings are updated and try again....

[Anonymous]

Thanks, 8.2 now installed. Had already got O2 18.1 carrier settings.

If at times it works, I take it that it's likely that it's not a case of it being a problem with my account?

Thanks,

SPD.

[MI5]

It's most likely a poor connection to data services.
I would expect it to work well with good data coverage (wifi, 3g etc) but less reliable with 2g.

[Anonymous]

I suspected as much myself - pretty much all 2G around here, with limited 3G in town.

I can be holding my handset on my sofa with 3 bars, within seconds I've got nothing.

Recently drove 7 or so miles from town to a job, through some areas where I get no coverage. During my journey someone left me a message. Got to my destination, saw the VM notification. Three minute long message. Couldn't listen to it though without dialing 901.

Pretty much noticed that these days, I might as well not bother trying to access any data related services on GPRS or EDGE with my 4s. Never used to be as bad.

Can't say I've ever noticed a problem when in areas with solid 3G.

Suppose I'm going to have to out up with it...

A couple of questions spring to mind.

Presumably, when I receive a message, O2 sends a notification to my handset and my handset then downloads the message?

If so, why doesn't the iPhone try to re-download the message when I've got a stronger data connection? (When VVM's are greyed out, rebooting generally doesn't help, they stay that way. I usually have to listen to them by dialing 901).

Thanks,

SPD.

[MI5]

I would guess that once the phone has downloaded the vvm it doesn't know if it came through good or not and it just assumes you can play it.

[viridis]

Hi,

VVM needs mobile data and will not work over wifi. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201299

your issue will just be poor mobile data. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201436 is apples guide for what to do when you have vvm issues

(credit to Adam Temperton)

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply.

The first link I'd not seen, but I had tried everything in the second 😞

SPD.