You return from a meeting, your phone displays “3 new voicemail messages,” but you never took the time to set up your Free voicemail. As a result: a generic greeting message, no secret code, and no idea how to retrieve your messages from another phone. Free voicemail can be set up in just a few minutes, provided you follow the right steps in the correct order.
Activate and personalize Free voicemail from 666
The first thing to do after activating your Free Mobile line is to call 666 from your smartphone. This short number connects you directly to the voicemail server. An audio guide will assist you with each setting.
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During the first call, the system will ask you to record your greeting message. You can choose between a personalized message (your own voice) or keep Free’s standard message. The personalized message reassures your callers: they know they are calling the right number.
The voice menu of 666 also allows you to create a secret code for remote access to your messages. This code, consisting of four digits, will be essential if you lose your phone or wish to check your voicemail from a landline. Write it down in a safe place. Without this code, remote access remains locked.
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To explore each option of the voicemail and find the keyboard shortcuts for the voice menu, you can learn everything on Je Comprends Enfin, which details navigation through the submenus of 666.
Manage Free voicemail messages without calling 666
Calling a number and navigating through voice menus is functional but not always practical. Free offers two more visual alternatives that deserve attention.
Visual voicemail on iPhone and Android
Visual voicemail (VV) displays your messages in a list format, directly within your smartphone’s Phone app. You choose which one to listen to, in the order you want, without enduring the chronological scrolling of 666.
- On iPhone, VV is automatically activated in most cases. If it doesn’t appear, check that the option is checked in Settings, then Phone, then Voicemail.
- On Android, activation depends on the model and manufacturer overlay. Some phones require you to install a dedicated app from the Play Store, such as the Google Phone app.
- In both cases, if VV doesn’t work after a restart, contact Free support to check network activation.
Free Mobile Subscriber Area
Since the end of 2023, Free has started rolling out a new interface in the Subscriber Area. This web interface allows you to manage voicemail without going through 666. You can find your messages there, with the option to listen to or delete them directly from a browser.
The Subscriber Area also provides access to rarely used settings: enabling or disabling SMS notifications for each new message, and adjusting the delay before the voicemail kicks in. By default, the voicemail activates after several rings. Reducing this delay can be useful if you prefer calls to quickly switch to voicemail rather than ringing into silence.
Receive Free voicemail messages by email
Do you spend your days in front of a screen? Free offers to send each voicemail as an audio attachment to your email address. This feature transforms your inbox into a true voicemail that can be accessed from any device.
Activation is done from the Subscriber Area, in the section dedicated to voicemail. You enter your chosen email address, and each new voicemail arrives as an audio file. This option also works on Free Pro plans, with separate settings per line, allowing you to centralize messages in a collaborative tool like Outlook or Gmail.
Have you ever missed a voicemail because you forgot to call 666 at the end of the day? Email copies eliminate this risk. The message arrives in real-time, accessible even without mobile network, as long as you have internet access.
Common Free voicemail issues and call forwarding
Two situations frequently arise among Free subscribers: the voicemail does not activate, or messages are not notified.
The voicemail does not take calls
Conditional call forwarding is the mechanism that directs a call to voicemail when you do not answer, when your line is busy, or when your phone is off. If this forwarding is disabled (either intentionally or after a manipulation), your callers will hear ringing into silence without ever reaching voicemail.
To check the status of forwarding, dial *#61# from your mobile. The network will indicate whether the no-answer forwarding is active and to which number it points. If forwarding is disabled, dial **62* followed by the Free voicemail number to reactivate it.
No notification of new message
Make sure that SMS notifications are enabled in the Subscriber Area. On some Android smartphones, VV notifications may also be blocked by battery settings or “Do Not Disturb” mode. Checking the notification settings of the Phone app resolves most cases.
- Ensure that airplane mode is not intermittently activated (some power-saving modes trigger it at night).
- Restart the phone if notifications do not resume after changing the settings.
- As a last resort, disable and then re-enable voicemail from the Subscriber Area to force a resynchronization.
Subscribers to Free in the DOM (especially Free Réunion) should keep in mind that the voicemail infrastructure is separate from that of the mainland. The access number may differ, and the message retention times are sometimes shorter by default. The number +262 693 46 01 11 replaces 666 if the latter does not work from these territories.
Free voicemail becomes more useful once you go beyond simply calling 666. Between VV, the Subscriber Area, and email copies, each subscriber can adapt the voicemail operation to their habits without having to touch the voice menus more than once.