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What is a shared voicemail box?
A shared voicemail box is a mailbox that belongs to a team or function instead of an individual person. Patients and other callers can leave one message for the whole group, such as the front desk or billing, and anyone on the team can check it.
When to use one
Departments: Create a box for a team that handles one kind of call, such as "Front Desk," "Billing," or "New Patients."
After hours: Give callers somewhere to leave a message when the office is closed.
Overflow: Send callers here when nobody answers a ring group, for example when the front desk is busy checking in patients.
Create a shared voicemail box
In the Voice portal sidebar menu under Telephony, click Shared Voicemails
Click the + Add Shared Voicemail button in the top-right corner
Enter a Name, such as "Front Desk," "Billing," or "After-Hours." Pick a name your team will recognize, because it appears in ring group settings and on deskphone buttons
Review the Extension. The next available number is filled in for you, so you can keep it or change it. The extension lets people dial the box directly, and it's how team members reach the box with *98
(Optional) Enter a PIN of 4–10 digits for phone access. If you leave it blank, the first team member who dials in from a phone on your account sets it
Click Add Shared Voicemail
The new box appears in the list. Click its name to open the settings page.
Shared voicemail box settings
Click a box's name in the list to open its settings page.
Setting | What it does |
Name | Click the pencil icon next to the box name at the top of the page to rename it. |
Extension | The number used to dial the box directly. It's optional, but team members need it to reach the box with *98. |
PIN | The 4–10 digit code for checking messages by phone. If it's blank, the first team member to dial in from an account phone sets it. |
Voicemail Message | The greeting callers hear. See Set the voicemail greeting below. |
The address that gets a notification for each new voicemail. A shared team inbox or the office manager's email works well. | |
Include AI Summary | Adds a short AI-written summary to the email so you can quickly see what the caller needs, such as a reschedule or a billing question. On by default. |
Include Full Transcript | Adds the full text of the message to the email, which is useful for documenting patient requests. On by default. |
Attach Voicemail Audio | Attaches the recording to the email as an MP3. On by default. |
Delete After Email | Deletes the message from the box once the email is sent. It can only be turned on when Attach Voicemail Audio is on, so you always keep a copy of the recording. Off by default. |
Tip: The email options only apply when an email address is entered.
Set the voicemail greeting
The greeting is what callers hear before they leave a message. Each box has one greeting, which you choose under Voicemail Message on the box's settings page.
Option | When to use it |
System default | A generic announcement. This is used until you choose something else. |
Custom recording | Record your greeting in the browser or upload an audio file. Use this for a greeting specific to this box. |
Audio clip | Pick a recording that's already saved in Audio Clips. Use this to reuse the same professionally recorded or shared greeting across several boxes. |
Record a greeting in your browser
Click on a shared voicemail box to open its settings. Under Voicemail Message, select Custom recording
Click Record, then Start recording. The first time you do this, your browser asks for permission to use your microphone
Speak your greeting. A timer shows how long you've been recording. The limit is 90 seconds.
To finish, click Stop
Play the recording back. Click Use recording to save it, or Discard to try again
Upload a greeting
Click on a shared voicemail box to open its settings. Under Voicemail Message, select Custom recording
Click Upload, then drag an audio file into the box or click to browse for one
The greeting becomes active as soon as the upload finishes
File requirements: WAV, MP3, M4A, OGG, or WebM. The file can be up to 5 MB and up to 90 seconds long. Audio is automatically converted to phone quality.
Change or remove a greeting
Replace it: Record or upload a new greeting. It replaces the old one immediately.
Go back to the default: Select System default. Callers will hear the generic announcement starting with their next call.
Tips for a good greeting
Keep it to 15–30 seconds.
Say the team and practice name so callers know they reached the right place, for example: "You've reached the front desk at Bright Smiles Dental."
Tell callers when to expect a call back, and offer another way to get help if it's urgent.
Record in a quiet room. Background noise gets louder over the phone.
How to use shared voicemail boxes
Send unanswered ring group calls to a shared voicemail box
In the left menu, go to Ring Groups and open the ring group by clicking on it
Set Timeout Behavior to Voicemail
Select the shared voicemail box
Example: Send unanswered calls from the "Front Desk" ring group to the "Front Desk" voicemail box, so patients can still leave a message during a busy check-in rush.
Add a shared voicemail button to deskphones
You can give deskphones a one-touch button for a shared voicemail box.
In the phone's button template, add a Shared voicemail button
Choose which box the button connects to, such as Billing or Front Desk
Assign the template to the deskphones that should have the button, for example the front desk phones or operatory phones
Pressing the button dials the box. On supported phone models, the button also lights up when there are new messages, so staff can spot a waiting voicemail at a glance.
Clear messages or delete a box
Hover over a box in the Shared Voicemails list to show these options:
Clear messages (eraser icon): Deletes every message in the box but keeps the box and its settings.
Delete box (trash can icon): Deletes the box, its settings, and all of its messages.
⚠️ Both actions are permanent and can't be undone. Before deleting a box, check whether any ring groups or deskphone buttons use it.
Checking Voicemail by Phone
Anyone can check a personal mailbox or a shared voicemail box from any phone on your account by dialing a short code.
Dial | Use it to |
*99 | Check your own voicemail from your own phone. This is the fastest option. |
*98 | Check any mailbox by its extension. Use this for shared voicemail boxes, or when you're on someone else's phone. |
Checking messages
Dial *99, or dial *98 and enter the mailbox extension
Enter the PIN, then press #
The system tells you how many new and saved messages there are, then starts playing them
You get three tries to enter the correct PIN. After the third wrong PIN, the call ends
Setting the PIN the first time
If a mailbox doesn't have a PIN yet, the system asks you to create one, but only when you're calling from a phone it trusts:
Personal mailbox: Only a phone assigned to the mailbox owner can set the PIN.
Shared voicemail box: Any phone on the same account can set the PIN.
To set it:
Dial *99, or dial *98 for a shared box
Press 1 to set a PIN
Enter a new 4–10 digit PIN, then press #
Enter it again to confirm, then press #
If you call from a phone that isn't trusted and the mailbox has no PIN, you'll hear: "This mailbox is not configured for phone access, please contact your administrator." Ask an admin to set the PIN in the portal.
Keys while listening to messages
Key | Action |
1 or 5 | Replay the message |
4 | Go to the previous message |
6 | Go to the next message |
7 | Delete the message |
9 | Save the message (mark it as heard and keep it) |
***** | Skip the date, time, and caller details read before each message, or stop the current recording |
0 | Open mailbox options |
# | Exit the mailbox |
Mailbox options (press 0)
Key | Action |
1 | Record the mailbox greeting |
5 | Change the PIN |
# | Exit the mailbox |
Change the PIN by phone
While in the mailbox, press 0
Press 5. The system calls this "change password"
Enter a new 4–10 digit PIN, then press #
Enter it again to confirm
For administrators
You can set a PIN for any personal mailbox or shared box in the portal, either when you create it or later on its settings page.
If you leave the PIN blank, the first person to call from a trusted phone sets it.
For shared boxes, any phone on the account can set the first PIN. Make sure whoever sets it shares it with the team securely, not in the voicemail greeting or a public channel.