I don't understand why voicemail really needs ti be a separate service involving forwarding and such. Couldn't there be an app that picks up an unanswered call after a timer, plays a greeting, and records the reply? Couldn't that all be on the device?

Or is there some technical limitation that I just don't understand? I haven't found any such app, and all voicemail apps seem to be services that forward calls remotely.

Your phone is dead, you get a call, now what?

So, basically, an answering machine in your pocket!

Yes. Pixels now do it. It's slick.

If the phone is disconnected from the network, the provider's voicemail service handles it.

Edit: here's the support page describing it. It's like old school answering machines, except that you see the live transcript, so you can decide to interrupt if you want to take the call. It's really good.

I never got that either. We could just have an answering machine app, a telefax app or even an corporate interactive voice response menu. I don't think there's any technical reason for these things not existing. It's just audio transmitted over an audio channel.

There are apps that do this, or try to. But I think they need root, and success varies a lot by phone manufacturer and country of origin.

For one example, there's an old Android app called Telman real answering machine. I doubt it works on modern phones. Might work on an older model.

Corpos lock shit down tight, because they think they need to own all of it.

They can't leave a message. No different than any service, although my phone is functionally never dead. In my case it's just not an issue.

Important to consider to be sure!

Exactly my thinking. I'm old enough to remember buying those tiny cassette tapes.

Thanks, I'll check this out!

In the Pixel version of the service, the call goes to the carrier's voicemail service. Inconvenient, but it's better than missing the message altogether.

What would be the advantage? You could get the voicemail when you have service and then listen to it even if you don't. But how often does anyone need to do that?

You should research this neat thing called "Other People"!

Greater digital independence. I currently use Voxist, which is... fine.

I don't really want more corporate spyware on my phone from Google or my carrier or whoever. I'd prefer something FOSS, and private. That means on-device (or self hosted, but I don't even know how that would work.)

You could always let provider voicemail take over. Or, you know, miss a call.

I don't really want more corporate spyware on my phone from Google or my carrier or whoever.

It's not on your phone, nor is it spyware. You call a number to access carrier voicemail. If you're worried about them listening to your calls you may as well just not call anyone.