How to Lengthen Ringtime on any O2 Mobile

[jonsie]

The following method will work on any O2 mobile and means you can control the time interval before a call goes to Voicemail.

Enter the following into your keypad as though you were just making a call :

**61*901*11*30# then simply press 'call'.

please note 30 is the time in seconds before voicemail kicks in and can be set in increments of 5 ie. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 to a maximum of 30 seconds. (also see video)

If this doesn't do the trick try turning off WiFi and changing the setting network type to 2G only.

Alternatively, you can switch voicemail off completely by calling 1760 from your mobile when you know you will be available to answer calls. Switch on again when needed by calling 1750.

More info on Voicemail here : Using Voicemail | Support | O2

Just a tip : To avoid charges when travelling overseas switch off voicemail before you go as you cannot do so once you have left the UK 

[NC201]

Further to this you'll be glad I've managed to resolve this issue 😊

As MI5 has suggested, it appears the VoLTE and VoWLAN (LTE) voice calling screws up the ability to make changes and the MMI codes on the network don't work with it enabled. Calling CS and asking them to disable LTE voice services, 4G and WiFi calling, make the change (send **61*901*11*30#) then after confirmation of testing call CS to re-enable LTE voice calling once more. After this I did notice it defaulted back to 20 seconds and the voicemail number read off the network to the phone, whilst the LTE voice calling was disabled, had changed to something random I'd not seen. After LTE calling was re-provisioned on the network but not yet actually enabled on the phone, and after the CS call, send the MMI command once more (**61*901*11*30), to restore back to 30 seconds once more. I'm not sure exactly what happens here but something gets reset when the LTE provision is re-applied.

After about an hour the LTE voice calling was back on the phone, note the phone needs a reboot to pick LTE calling back up again.

[MI5]

Pleased you got there in the end.

Just don't remove your sim now or you'll have to start again

[pgn]

Unless WiFi Calling is active on your account, it seems the MMI short codes all break:

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Tech-Support/Extend-ring-time/m-p/1578006/highlight/true#M25897

[Enlli]

@pgn It is interesting that *#61# works and correctly reports divert times. 

[pgn]

Seems anything more complex just fails - it should be called out in the guide that speaks to Voicemail and tho follow-on post about ring time adjustment.

I also don't use Voicemail, preferring to let the caller either hear "busy" and try later, or hang up on no answer and try again, @Enlli.

[MartW]

I have to say it is impressively embarrassing that a phone company can't even get this right! I mean, not being able to adjust the amount of time the phone rings before it hangs up and goes to voicemail is pretty important, especially for those of us who use the phone for business! A missed phonecall is potentially missed business and lost revenue.

This really needs to be addressed, it's staggering that months have passed and O2's phone system is still broken! Is it really beyond O2 to fix this?

[scooby369]

Thank you for sending me the information. I've got everything sorted. Cheers!

[jiver2]

@NC201still struggling here in 2024! gonna call back 202 but first, after asking CS to disable LTE, 4G and Wifi, and the first sending of the MMI code, why are you only asking for LTE to be reprovisioned, why not 4G and Wifi too? Also, how do you know the exact moment LTE has been reprovisioned so you can send the MMI the second time?

[Oxonian]

I think that you have already got a thread about this @jiver2 ; let's keep it there as if we have questions and answers about the same thing on two different threads, it becomes impossible for folks to follow. 👍  

[MI5]

Except that @jiver2 was asking a question here of @NC201 directly, so relevant in this case.