Need advice if this is a phone issue, app issue or ISP provider on my 9(Pie)

[jackdashack]

Working a new Samsung s8+. Yes, I know it's not the newest but it's a new phone. It reports almost daily there a voice mail. I know this is not so as I am via bluetooth connected to a Panasonic house set with a base and several phones. Have been for several years no issues. This Panasonic picks up the call way before my ISP service would. Always does, still does. So I am not sure why there's always a voicemail icon on the upper tray. A fluke could explain it now and then. But for everyday? So my question is phone, app, or ISP Provider OR ... could be any of the above? Thank you! jack ":-\\

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! What happens when you tap that voicemail notification? Does it call your voicemail inbox, and then your inbox reports no new or saved messages?

 

[jackdashack]

Thank you for moving to appropriate sub-forum. On this phone, as far as I do it, I click on the voicemail app, to where it then opens. It will not refresh on WiFi it has to be on mobile data, which I'm sure you knew that a long time. Mobile Data on, I then REFRESH and any new messages show up. Of course, there are never any new messages even though there was that voicemail icon on the top tray. Whatever that tray is called. And once Refreshed that icon disappears until the next time it shows up. Thing is, as I mentioned hopefully clearly I'm bad sometimes at that, it never really gets to the service provider. The answering machine picks it up I think in 3 rings and the service providers answer system is set for around 7 rings. It's a puzzle to me. Thanks for taking time here. jack ":-\\ (I am going to double check something in the meantime)

 

[B. Diddy]

When you say "voicemail icon on the top tray," you're talking about the notification icon in the status bar, right? What happens when you swipe down the notification panel and then tap that voicemail notification?

Is this a Visual Voicemail app that is carrier-branded, like from AT&T?

 

[jackdashack]

Yes, on the status bar appear as the little "cassette" ... I have to wait for it to happen again but I believe I've swiped it and it sticks, like a pot sticker! I mentioned I was going to try something. I found by experimentation that via service provider the phone rings about 5 times. Fine, I don't use them anyway. I rely on the Pansonic base set to pick up. I then found that the Panasonic was set to pick up in 4 rings. I wondered it they were too close to the same, or, am I way off. lol But for now I'll have to wait for it to appear. Even if the ring counts were crossed wouldn't answer why a "voice call" icon was up on the status bar. I will get back.

 

[B. Diddy]

Don't swipe it -- just tap it to see what opens.

 

[jackdashack]

I noticed when this happened, the 'cassette' icon at the top there was a tiny X at the bottom of that tiny cassette. I am wondering about the theory that maybe what it's saying is that, not that there is a message, but that it tried to poll for new messages and couldn't. It is always accompanied with the message, "Sorry we can't access you messages at this time." I believe that's because it's on Wifi and not Mobile Data. My last LG android would tell you there was a message but until I switched to mobile data and clicked on REFRESH, then any new messages would show up. I have set this Galaxy on mobile data for awhile to see if that shows up again with the same "Sorry" message. And if this 'thot' is true, then one would have to keep it on Mobile Data all the time just to know if there are any messages? Can't do that. I've tried to find within the app a setting that might allow for stopping the polling for new messages until I ask for it. No luck there. Maybe you have a thought on this. I will get back. (or if this is the way this app works, that is squawing and putting up an icon with an X I will know to ignore it, it's just telling me it can't finish it's job) smh :-\

 

[B. Diddy]

Also make sure your Phone app has voicemail set up correctly. Open the Phone app, tap Menu>Settings>Voicemail, and look for a Voicemail Setup option. Do you see anything there for Voicemail Number? If the Phone app isn't set up correctly to access your voicemail, then that might be why it's not able to access your messages.

 

[mustang7757]

How old your sim card ?

 

[jackdashack]

I mustang you that it's brand new. lol Bad joke! lol Thanks for the attention for sure!!

 

[jackdashack]

I may be onto something in what I said my last message above. I have had it on Mobile Data since yesterday and the icon has never showed. I don't think it's gone this long without showing before. I will test it longer, the rest of the day. As I mentioned apparently this little 'cassette' icon with the little 'x' at the bottom was, or at least I think, indicating that it was polling for any new messages but was thwarted by the mobile data not being on. Is that a thing for you on your phones? As mentioned even my last LG Premier Pro LTE had to have Moblie Data on to retrieve messages. Always was that way from out of the box and I think I read it somewhere at the setup of the LG that MData had to be on. So sounding like a broke record, that icon (with the 'x') might be indicating no MData is present to finish the job. I'll check back with final result later today. It may have been doing it's job all along. I thought, being new on the Galaxy, that it was another tech issue. You guys have been great but let's see if this "no icon showing" thing continues the day.

 

[B. Diddy]

Are you actually turning off mobile data, or are you just connecting to wi-fi preferentially over mobile data?

Do you have a VPN set up for your wi-fi network?

 

[jackdashack]

I have almost totally been on Wifi around home for the data saving. Mdata off. And, something I took notice to recently after years of having a phone at home; my data signal is weak enough, that the Wifi stands out as much faster, especially in downloads, and I'm sure in surfing and so on on the phone. So that's another reason I stay on Wifi. Now here's where you can help me I suspect. Is it tech-kosher to have both Wifi and Mdata on? And if the Wifi is stronger will it then use Wifi over MData? And then if the voicemail polls for new messages the MData is there to complete that polling? I hope I was clearer than mud. I sometimes get muddled in words.

 

[B. Diddy]

A phone should use wi-fi over mobile data as long as it's connected to the wi-fi network, regardless of how strong the network is compared to the cell signal. I've seen situations where the wi-fi network is having connectivity issues but still has a strong signal -- in those situations, my phone can't access the web because it's relying on the wi-fi network and won't switch to mobile data as a backup.

 

[Laura Knotek]

A phone should use wi-fi over mobile data as long as it's connected to the wi-fi network, regardless of how strong the network is compared to the cell signal. I've seen situations where the wi-fi network is having connectivity issues but still has a strong signal -- in those situations, my phone can't access the web because it's relying on the wi-fi network and won't switch to mobile data as a backup.

I've noticed that as well. When that happens it's not my own network, so I can't do anything with the router but need to turn off WiFi on my phone.

 

[J Dubbs]

I have almost totally been on Wifi around home for the data saving. Mdata off. And, something I took notice to recently after years of having a phone at home; my data signal is weak enough, that the Wifi stands out as much faster, especially in downloads, and I'm sure in surfing and so on on the phone. So that's another reason I stay on Wifi. Now here's where you can help me I suspect. Is it tech-kosher to have both Wifi and Mdata on? And if the Wifi is stronger will it then use Wifi over MData? And then if the voicemail polls for new messages the MData is there to complete that polling? I hope I was clearer than mud. I sometimes get muddled in words.

I don't think you would ever need to turn off your mobile data under normal conditions when at home on wi-fi, your phone will automatically connect to and prioritize your home network like mentioned above, and use it over your mobile data. You won't really save any mobile data by turning it off, but you can run into problems like you're having.

 

[jackdashack]

I hope all of you get to read this. I said I'd come back. It's been several days but I wanted to make sure of the outcome. I'm afraid I have a bit of egg on my face. Omelette please. lol If I had known how to explain this issue away like I will now I wouldn't have taken all of your expertise time.

OUTCOME: I haven't seen that icon for 2 days. I've been keeping the phone on mobile data. Do you know where I'm going? I think I mentioned this above. The icon wasn't showing up to tell me there was a ghost message. It was to inform me that it couldn't poll the mobile messages because mobile data wasn't on. Remember from above I discovered there was a small tiny X on the bottom of the 'cassette' icon. Once the MData was on there's been no icon showing. Trial and error. It's a new phone and so I'm still wondering what this here and that there means.

I do want to thank you all. I've tried to give all the LIKES on the heart thing that I can. If there's another way to thank you all let me know.

Jack

 

[B. Diddy]

Glad you were able to figure it out!

 

[J Dubbs]

Most of us actually enjoy helping people with their phones, they can be very confusing devices, and we all have to start somewhere I'm glad we could help