Error when trying to retrieve voicemails on iPhone

You must have a cellular network connection and cellular data turned on for visual voicemail to work. That error code is a carrier error, so if you have cellular data turned on contact your carrier for support.

You need to contact your carrier. Voicemail is a carrier service, even the part on your iPhone.

Hi all,

I think I have progress. I went so far as to email the CEO of Verizon, and I was connected with a "senior level support" team, and thereafter a "senior level technician/engineer". For the first time in months, I felt this person had some real knowledge, and was able to supposedly go much deeper with the issue than anyone previous. Long story short, he did what he called "rebuilding my voicemail system". He said he was able to look on the back side of the system, and sure enough, he found what appeared to be two separate voicemail systems. When he rebuilt the system, AND after I updated to IOS 18.0.1 the infamous "Error 1034" is NO MORE! Now he's not sure if it was due to rebuilding my VM system, OR it was Apple, or a combination thereof. May never know. Now, it's early in the game, been testing it for only about 2 days now, but all is working AND no more 1034 error AND I can change my greeting on the iphone screen. What I find still a bit puzzling is, even though I'm getting my voicemails back on my Iphone consistently, they don't arrive when I dial *86. But he said that they are trying to "merge" the two, and do away with the *86, since that's more for people back when when they had a landline, and needed to call into VM, or those still with flip phones, etc. So he thinks that whole *86 back end system, will be vanishing soon. I'll report back if it stops working, but if need be, go WAY to the top with your carrier, and get to the CEO and write a letter. It worked for me. Now if they would have just sent me there 5 months ago, would have saved hours and hours and a lot of anguish. Again, not convinced it won't relapse, but never had it working like I do now!

Given that this issue is being reported across numerous forums by thousands of iPhone users involved with practically every carrier, it has become obvious that this is an iOS bug that Apple will hopefully fix in the not-too-distant future. Neither Apple nor the carrier have been helpful in resolving this issue. However, I did see another user post where explained that they'd performed multiple network setting resets on their iPhone and it had resolved their issue. I am reporting that this also worked for me to resolve the issue. It required three network setting resets but it finally allowed me to record a custom greeting and voicemail is now working properly.

iPhone 16 Pro, iOS 18.1

That is a voicemail error. And voicemail is a carrier provided feature. So, you need to contact your carrier for help with it.

msstatedawg wrote:

It's also obvious that the common denominator is Apple and that they've introduced a bug.

And the hard evidence you have for that statement is?

We don’t deal in conspiracies in this user-to-user forum. And if you actually READ any of the threads about this issue that you cited, just about every one was fixed by contacting the carrier.

Here is some troubleshooting YOU can do:

FIRST: Visual Voicemail REQUIRES a cellular data network connection; it doesn’t work over Wi-Fi alone, because the carrier does not know and cannot access your Wi-Fi router’s IP address.

NEXT: If you use VPN, delete the VPN profile.

THEN: Restart your phone.

If all of these fail the problem is with your carrier’s service provisioning.

Finally, if you don’t want to contact the carrier to fix the problem with your account you can still retrieve voicemail by calling your carrier’s voicemail server, which will always work. Just call your own number from your phone, or hold the “1” digit on the keypad for 2 seconds.

1034 is a carrier error, it says the voicemail app on the iPhone could not sync with the carrier’s voicemail server.

The single most common cause of this is having Cellular (aka Mobile) Data turned off on your phone. Voicemail requires cellular data to sync; it cannot use Wi-Fi.

I can report success. I changed tariff on my iPhone 11 iOS18.01 in the UK recently and lost my list of Voicemail messages and got the 1034 message instead . Several conversations with O2 lasting about 90 minutes, an overnight pause and the list has returned and the message has disappeared. It seems perseverance got me there but I have no understanding of the technicalities involved!

I finally resolved this, after many failed tech support hours with the carrier and Apple. Started with Att advanced support, who concluded this had nothing to do with them (which I believe now, despite contrary claims). Then several hours with Apple support, where we tried multiple phone, cellular, and other setting changes and reboots. No effect. They did recommend reset network setting, which I had tried previously, and then again with them, with no change. The next day I decided to try resetting network settings for the 3rd and 4th times, and the last time tried hard reset as soon as possible when it was resetting (volume up/down power) continuously while resetting. Not sure that did anything, but seemed like it rebooted differently, and voicemail worked. Could just be coincidence. In any event, this is 100% an IOS issue irrespective of what anyone says. Maybe related to the last update in my case. But unequivocal changes during this last Network setting reset. Anecdotal or not.

Voicemail is managed on a server at your carrier. Your iPhone only syncs to that server, it doesn’t do any voicemail management on its own. So if there is a communications breakdown between the server and your iPhone it won’t work. In addition, there is no master voicemail server in the sky; each mobile service provider has their own, so if you change providers you need to set up voicemail all over again, with a new password and new outgoing message.

While each carrier has their own, they most likely bought it from the same provider (or are renting space on the provider’s server), so regardless of the provider any error messages will be the same.

msstatedawg wrote:

lobsterghost1 wrote:

That is a voicemail error. And voicemail is a carrier provided feature. So, you need to contact your carrier for help with it.

It's obvious you've not yet had the opportunity to read the countless posts from iPhone users across practically every carrier having this issue.

It's also obvious that the common denominator is Apple and that they've introduced a bug.

It's actually more obvious you have drawn conclusions which are NOT based on facts. If apple introduced a bug as you suggest with NO proof whatsoever, why isn't the bug present on every iPhone out there? And the answer is there isn't one. Bugs aren't particularly selective, meaning they didn't decide to hop on your phone and miss most of the rest of the worlds phones.

You also say countless posts as proof your theory, is fact. You do realize there are millions upon millions upon millions of iPhones out in the wild. If you are basing your baseless conclusion on posts here, they are truly a teeny tiny percentage of the many many millions of users who are out there, seemingly not having voicemail retrieval issues, so they aren't here complaining.

Finally, your common denominator thought doesn't hold any water either. Of course users who are having an issue with Voicemail, who own an iPhone are going to post about it looking for help on guess what? A forum devoted to all things iPhone. You're not going to see people who own Androids or any other manufacturers phone post it on this forum. Yet I'm quite sure you can visit any other manufacturers forum and find posts there from people who are having Voicemail issues. There is a co-worker in my office who owns a Google Pixel and he has had Voicemail issues. Only he didn't blame Google for that as he's informed enough to understand Voicemail is a carrier provided feature.

The fact is and ALWAYS will be that Voicemail is a carrier provided feature. Apple has NOTHING to do with Voicemail messages and when someone gets one, they aren't even really stored on their iPhone. They aren't stored on Apple's Servers. They are stored on the Carriers servers.

Hi. No question this resolved after the last Network setting reset (4th over 2 days) as I posted. I continuously hit volume up/down Power as soon as phone entered the RESET. I also was still hitting it when phone started to turn on after the RESET. When it booted up could instantly see something had changed, voicemail dynamic and working perfectly. I know my carrier did nothing new (besides it being Sunday). Certainly nothing new with IOS. Have to believe it’s an IOS glitch, in my case probably related to IOS 17 update earlier in the week. But I’m back in business. If it works for you please post. Also, I would advise having latest IOS installed (18+ now).

lobsterghost1 wrote:

That is a voicemail error. And voicemail is a carrier provided feature. So, you need to contact your carrier for help with it.

It's obvious you've not yet had the opportunity to read the countless posts from iPhone users across practically every carrier having this issue.

It's also obvious that the common denominator is Apple and that they've introduced a bug.