Give Teams the personal touch. When receiving calls in Teams, you can now create a personal voicemail message for your colleagues. In this video we show you how.
Setting up a personalised voicemail greeting in Microsoft Teams is a simple but effective way to sound more professional and approachable when you miss a call. Whether you work remotely, manage client communications, or collaborate with a large team, a custom voicemail message helps callers know they’ve reached the right person and tells them what to do next. Microsoft Teams allows you to create a voicemail greeting in two ways:
- Record your own voice message
- Use the built-in text-to-speech feature
You can configure everything directly from the Teams desktop or mobile app in just a few minutes.
Why Set Up a Custom Voicemail Greeting?
A personalised voicemail greeting can:
- Make your communication more professional
- Provide important information to callers
- Improve response expectations
- Help coworkers and clients feel confident leaving messages
Instead of using a generic default greeting, you can customise the experience to match your role, schedule, or availability.
How to Set Up Voicemail in Microsoft Teams
Step 1: Open Teams Settings
On Desktop:
- Open Microsoft Teams
- Click the three-dot menu ( … ) near your profile picture in the top-right corner
- Select Settings
On Mobile:
- Open the Teams app
- Tap your profile picture in the upper-left corner
- Tap the Settings gear icon
Step 2: Go to the Calls Section – In the Settings menu, select the Calls tab. This area contains all your call handling and voicemail options.
Step 3: Open Voicemail Settings – Scroll down until you see the Manage voicemail section. Then click:
- Configure voicemail
This opens the voicemail customisation panel.
Step 4: Choose Your Voicemail Greeting Type – Microsoft Teams gives you two ways to create your greeting:
- Option 1: Record a Personal Greeting – If you want callers to hear your actual voice:
- Click Record a greeting
- Teams will place a short automated call
- Follow the voice prompts
- Use your microphone to record your message
This option adds a more personal and professional touch to your voicemail.
Option 2: Use Text-to-Speech – Prefer not to record your voice? Teams can automatically generate a greeting using AI voice technology:
- Locate the Your custom greeting text box
- Type the message you want callers to hear
- Teams will convert your text into spoken audio automatically
This is a quick and convenient option if you want a clean, professional greeting without recording audio.
Step 5: Save Your Changes – Once you finish customising your greeting:
- Click Save or OK
Your new voicemail message will immediately become active.
Pro Tip: Set Up an Out-of-Office Voicemail Message
Microsoft Teams also lets you create a separate voicemail message specifically for vacations, holidays, or time away from work. Inside the same Configure voicemail menu:
- Find the Your custom out of office greeting section
- Enter your temporary message
- Choose when the greeting should play
For example, you can link it to your Outlook Out of Office status so it activates automatically when you’re unavailable. This is especially useful for:
- Holiday periods
- Business travel
- Extended leave
- Public holidays
Best Practices for a Professional Voicemail Message
A good voicemail message should:
- Clearly state your name
- Mention that you’re unavailable
- Ask the caller to leave a message
- Include when they can expect a response
Keep your greeting:
- Short
- Friendly
- Professional
Final Thoughts
Setting up a custom voicemail greeting in Microsoft Teams only takes a few minutes, but it can significantly improve your professional communication. Whether you choose to record your own voice or use Teams’ text-to-speech feature, a personalised greeting helps callers feel informed and connected when you’re unavailable.
By also configuring out-of-office greetings, you can ensure your voicemail stays accurate and helpful no matter where you are or how busy your schedule becomes.
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