15

How can I download my voicemail from the iPhone to my computer?

Technically, I know it is not voicemail on the iPhone - it is in ATT's phone system but you knew what I meant.

How can I download my ATT voicemail from the iPhone/iTunes to my computer?

|improve this question
18

There is another way. Per this instructables an iTunes backup of the iPhone contains the voicemail files in these folders:

  • ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
    Mac
  • \Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
    Windows XP
  • \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
    Vista and Windows 7

However, the bad news is that these voicemail files are mixed in with a ton of other random files from your iPhone, and all the files have long, meaningless filenames with no extensions. To determine what the files are, use the file * command. Note that the backup must not be encrypted for this approach to work.

file * | grep audio
file * | grep GSM

(on Windows install Cygwin and use the Cygwin terminal to get the file command)

The two file contents that seem likely are

RIFF (little-endian) data, WAVE audio, Microsoft PCM, 8 bit, mono 44100 Hz
Adaptive Multi-Rate Codec (GSM telephony)
|improve this answer
  • You can also get file on Windows from GnuWin32, which is a lighter install than Cygwin, since you can cherry pick just the file utility. – Edward Brey Mar 5 '15 at 14:36
  • To use a file, make a copy of it and rename it to have a .amr extension. – Edward Brey Mar 5 '15 at 14:38
5

I use an app called "iExplorer" (formerly iPhone Explorer). It basically lets you reach into the phone to download, modify, replace, or add a file in any (or almost any) directory within the file structure.

http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/

|improve this answer
  • 4
    Your phone has to be jailbroken for iExplorer to access voicemail files. Apparently the paid version (Phone to Mac or Phone to PC) will copy voicemail off a 'regular' iPhone: macroplant.com/phonetomac – Josh Newman Apr 17 '12 at 20:50
4

You can't do it in iTunes, and you have to be jailbroken to do it. Here's a good tutorial.

  1. Jailbreak phone
  2. Install OpenSSH from Cydia
  3. Install CyberDuck (or another SSH program) to your computer
  4. SSH into your iPhone from the computer (here's how)
  5. Navigate to /private/var/mobile/Library/Voicemail/
  6. Copy the desired .amr files
|improve this answer
3

Or use Google voice and you can get them through the browser or emailed to you.

|improve this answer
  • 2
    These are existing voicemail messages. – Raj More Oct 24 '10 at 18:42
3

I use Phone View for this purpose and it works flawlessly. You do not have to jailbreak your phone for it to work.

|improve this answer
0

I have a Google Voice number that I just forward important voicemails to.

To do this in a typical voicemail system, you'd press 6 for more options, then 2 to forward it.

You can keep them in your Google account pretty much as long as you want, or you can simply download them at will.

I hope this is helpful.

|improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .