In short: BT Cloud Voice voicemail to email delivers each new voicemail to one or more email addresses as an audio file, so users can play, save or forward messages from their inbox. It is included with the Connect and Collaborate feature packs, but not Basic, and is switched on per user in the BT Cloud Voice Business Portal.
How voicemail to email works
When a caller leaves a message, BT Cloud Voice saves it as an MP3 audio file and emails it to the addresses you choose. You can play it on a laptop or phone, forward it to a colleague, or file it with the customer's records, without dialling in to a mailbox.
You can keep messages in both places, so they also light the message-waiting indicator on your handset and can be heard by dialling 1571, or choose to have them delivered by email only. Email-only delivery keeps everything in one place and stops the mailbox filling up, but BT points out that messages then no longer appear on the phone and cannot be checked through 1571.
Away from your own phone, you can still reach the mailbox by ringing your number and, when voicemail answers, pressing * followed by your PIN.
Which packs include it
| Feature pack | Voicemail | Voicemail to email |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | No | No |
| Connect | Yes | Yes |
| Collaborate | Yes | Yes |
Basic is designed for shared phones where calls are answered or passed on, so it has no mailbox. If a shared line needs a voicemail box, for example after hours, route unanswered calls from the hunt group or Auto Attendant to the mailbox of a Connect or Collaborate user, such as an office manager. See feature packs for the full comparison.
Settings you control
Each user (or their administrator) can choose in the Business Portal:
- When calls go to voicemail: always, when busy, or when there is no answer
- A system greeting or a personal greeting recorded in your own voice
- One or more email addresses to receive messages
- Email-only delivery, if you do not want messages stored on the phone system
- Automatic deletion of the oldest message when the mailbox is full
BT's help guide gives a mailbox limit of 120 messages, deletes saved messages after 30 days and deletes unheard new messages after six months, so anything you need to keep should be kept in email or your records system. The steps for setting this up, recording greetings and changing your PIN are in our voicemail set-up guide.
Why businesses use it
- Faster replies: messages arrive on the device you are already using, including your mobile
- Shared visibility: send a team mailbox to a shared inbox so whoever is free can respond
- Better records: keep important messages with the customer file or case notes
- Hybrid working: staff working from home do not need to be near a desk phone
- Out-of-hours cover: route after-hours calls to a mailbox that emails the person on duty
Voicemail to email works alongside the BT Cloud Voice app and Call Director, which are also part of Connect and Collaborate.
Voicemail and data protection
A voicemail is a recording of a person, often with their name, number and the reason they called, so under UK GDPR it is personal data. Emailing it makes it easier to handle, and easier to mishandle. A few sensible rules:
- Send messages only to business email addresses, never to personal accounts
- Limit who can see shared mailboxes, and remove leavers promptly
- Set a retention period for voicemail emails in line with your data protection policy, and delete what you do not need
- Take extra care in sectors that handle health, legal or financial information, where messages may contain sensitive details
- Make sure your email system is properly secured, with multi-factor authentication
If you also record calls, read our call recording page for the extra steps that apply.
How we help
Forever Communications Limited, a BT Business Partner, sets up mailboxes and email delivery for each user as part of your installation, routes hunt groups and menus to the right mailboxes, and shows users how to manage greetings. Contact us to include voicemail to email in your BT Cloud Voice plan.
Why buy BT Cloud Voice from Forever Communications Limited
Forever Communications Limited is part of Forever Group and a BT Business Partner. We supply, set up and support BT Cloud Voice for UK businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations, from a handful of users to multi-site teams.
- A named partner who plans your numbers, call flows, user feature packs and handsets with you
- Number porting managed for you, timed to avoid downtime
- Connectivity checked first, so call quality is right from day one, with BT business broadband and BTnet available if you need it
- Help with the digital switchover, including alarms, lifts, card terminals and other analogue lines
- Training and ongoing support for the apps, Microsoft Teams integration, moves, adds, changes and faults
BT Cloud Voice is a business service. We do not sell consumer or home phone products.
Want a BT Cloud Voice quote for your business?
Tell Forever Communications what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Does BT Cloud Voice send voicemail to email?
Yes. Voicemail messages can be emailed to one or more addresses as MP3 audio files. The feature is included with the Connect and Collaborate packs.
Does BT Cloud Voice Basic have voicemail?
No. Voicemail, and voicemail to email, start with the Connect pack. Calls to a Basic phone can be forwarded to a Connect or Collaborate user's mailbox instead.
Can BT Cloud Voice voicemails go to more than one email address?
Yes. You can set one or more email addresses to receive each user's voicemail messages.
How long are BT Cloud Voice voicemails kept?
BT's help guide says the mailbox holds up to 120 messages, saved messages are deleted after 30 days and unheard new messages after six months. Messages already emailed to you stay in your inbox under your own email retention rules.
How do I set up voicemail to email on BT Cloud Voice?
Voicemail is switched on per user under Features in the BT Cloud Voice Business Portal, where you also add the email addresses that should receive messages. Greetings and your PIN can be changed by dialling 1571. Our voicemail set-up guide walks through the steps.