---
title: "Configure inbound phone queue voicemail"
slug: "configure-inbound-phone-queue-voicemail"
updated: 2026-07-23T10:06:34Z
published: 2026-07-23T10:06:34Z
canonical: "help.8x8.com/configure-inbound-phone-queue-voicemail"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.8x8.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure inbound phone queue voicemail

Stagnating calls in an **8x8 Contact Center** queue for too long is not desirable to callers. **8x8 Contact Center** admins can direct calls that have been waiting in a queue longer than a specified time to voicemail, allowing callers to leave a message. By going to the voicemail tab in **8x8 Configuration Manager**, you can also:

- Enable voicemail for a queue.
- Specify a duration after which to direct the waiting calls to voicemail.
- Select a message for voicemail.
- Select a voicemail queue to direct the calls to.

**To configure voicemail for a queue:**

1. From the **Configuration Menu**, open **Queues/Skills**.
2. Find the inbound phone queue you wish to modify, and click ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/e3a59e39-abd3-4423-964c-0a4008dc5673/Images/Documentation/icon_edit_18x18.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-03T23%3A21%3A01Z&se=2026-11-04T00%3A21%3A01Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=ZTwY1JuFIPBbawvy5Wl7sqdF7mPyawiLkwOtJ9PEdnc%3D).
3. Go to the **Voice Mail** tab and select or enable voicemail settings. The following table summarizes the options under **Queues/Skills > Inbound Phone > Voicemail**.

| Voicemail Tab Option | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Enable Voice Mail | Select to enable voicemail for this phone queue. |
| Force Voice Mail after | Choose how much time **8x8 Contact Center** permits a caller to wait before redirecting the call to a **8x8 Contact Center** voicemail queue. |
| Voice Mail Message (played to customer) | Choose the recorded message **8x8 Contact Center** plays when redirecting a caller to a voicemail queue. - Upload Custom: You can replace the current message with an existing WAV file from your picklist. - Play Audio: Click to listen to the audio voice message. |
| Route Voice Mail to queue | Choose a **8x8 Contact Center** voicemail queue. |
4. Click **Save**.

> [!CAUTION]
> ALERT:
> 
> Beginning September 2022, **8x8 Contact Center** will be cleaning up voicemails and emails older than six months from queues.
> 
> - Once emails are deleted from queues, they will not be offered to agents. They can be accessed via the Local CRM.
> - Once voicemails are deleted from queues, they will not be offered to agents. Deleted voicemails cannot be accessed unless voicemail notifications via email have been set up. Learn [how to set up voicemail notifications](/documentation/docs/configure-voicemail-notification).