Virtual Answering Machine: What It Is and How to Set One Up

A virtual answering machine replaces the physical machine or carrier voicemail box that used to collect your missed calls. The service runs in the cloud, so there is no equipment to buy. When a call arrives, an automated voice answers in your business's name, greets the caller, and finds out what they need.

The difference from old voicemail is what happens during the call. Voicemail only records audio and waits for you to listen. A virtual answering machine can hold a conversation: it can answer common questions using information you provide, take detailed messages, and book appointments on a calendar. Everything the caller says shows up for you afterward as a transcript and summary, so you can review messages without dialing in and listening.

• Answers automatically when you are unavailable or choose not to pick up
• Speaks with callers instead of only recording them
• Can share business details like hours, services, and location
• Takes messages and can book appointments
• Shows you calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in a dashboard

Plain voicemail is the simplest option and often already included with your phone line. Its weakness is that callers get a one-way recording with no help, and a caller who needs an answer right away may hang up without leaving a message. A virtual answering machine adds a conversation: callers get answers on the spot and can complete tasks like scheduling.

A live answering service uses real people to answer your calls. That can matter when callers need judgment or a warm human voice. Pricing varies by provider: one human virtual receptionist provider, Ruby, advertises plans starting at $245 per month, and another, Smith.ai, uses per-call pricing that depends on the needs you select. Those starting prices are not full costs; you still need to check included minutes or calls, overage charges, hours, and contract terms on a current quote.

An automated virtual answering machine sits between the two: available around the clock and consistent in what it says. Whether it costs less for you depends on your call volume and the plan details, so compare actual quotes from the services you are considering. The right choice also depends on how complex your callers' needs are and your budget.

• Voicemail: records messages only, no conversation
• Virtual answering machine: automated conversation, message taking, appointment booking
• Human answering service: real people answer your calls
• Compare included minutes, overage rates, and hours before choosing any service

You do not need a new phone number. You forward calls from your existing business line to the virtual answering machine, and the exact steps depend on your phone carrier or service. Most carriers use either a short star code you dial from the phone itself or a setting in an online account portal.

Forwarding comes in two main types. Unconditional forwarding sends all calls to the answering machine right away. Conditional forwarding only sends calls that go unanswered, get a busy signal, or reach an unreachable phone, so you still answer your own phone when you can. If you answer your own phone when you are available, conditional forwarding is the option that lets you keep doing that and lets the machine handle the calls you miss.

Here are verified examples from major providers. On Verizon mobile, dial *72 plus the 10-digit destination to forward all calls, *71 plus the destination for unanswered calls, and *73 to turn forwarding off; setup must be done from the phone while in Verizon coverage. On T-Mobile, **21*1 followed by the destination and # enables unconditional forwarding, **61*1 enables no-reply forwarding, and ##004# resets forwarding to defaults. On Comcast Business, forwarding is managed through My Account or the Comcast Business App, and the features you can use depend on which services you subscribe to, so identify your exact product first. Vonage Business Communications users select Call Forwarding and enable forwarding to a phone number, then verify with an outside call. One important limit: Google Voice does not support forwarding calls from a Google Voice number to an automated system, so that path will not work.

• Unconditional forwarding: every call goes to the answering machine
• Conditional forwarding: only missed, busy, or unreachable calls forward
• Star codes are dialed from the phone; portals manage forwarding online
• Check your exact product name, since codes differ between a carrier's wireless, landline, and business products
• Google Voice numbers cannot be forwarded to an automated answering system

Setup with a service like AllDayDesk starts with your business information. You choose your business or enter its website, and the service checks the details it finds, such as your services and hours. You then hear a personalized sample of how your answering machine will sound before anything goes live. The sample is a preview only; it does not create a real booking.

Next you choose your phone setup. Since instructions depend on your phone service, you follow the forwarding steps for your specific carrier using the codes or portal described above. Once forwarding is active, calls that meet your forwarding condition reach the answering machine.

After setup, you can see calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in the dashboard. New appointments go on the built-in AllDayDesk dashboard calendar by default, once you have configured your services and availability. If you prefer Google Calendar, you can optionally connect and authorize your Google account in Settings.

• Choose your business or enter its website so details can be checked
• Listen to a personalized sample of your answering machine
• Choose your phone setup and apply your carrier's forwarding steps
• Review calls, transcripts, and bookings in the dashboard
• Connect Google Calendar in Settings if you want it, after authorizing your account

A virtual answering machine handles routine call work well. It can greet callers, share information you have saved about your business, take clear messages, and book new appointments when your services and availability are configured. When it does not know an answer, a price, or an open appointment, it takes a message so you can follow up yourself.

It is also honest about its limits. Changes to existing appointments are passed to you as requests, not confirmed changes, so you stay in control of your schedule. Call transfers to you are possible, but you must configure a transfer destination and rules first, and a transfer is not guaranteed to connect or get an immediate response. The machine does not connect to dispatch software, CRM tools, health records, or industry scheduling systems; the only external calendar connection is the optional Google Calendar link in Settings.

• Answers questions using your saved business information
• Books new appointments once services and availability are set up
• Takes a message whenever an answer, price, or opening is unknown
• Passes appointment change requests to you rather than confirming them
• Transfers only to a destination and rules you have configured

A virtual answering machine makes sense when you miss calls you would rather not miss but do not want to pay for full-time human coverage. Ask yourself a few questions. Do callers hang up on your voicemail instead of leaving messages? Do you get repeat questions about hours, services, or pricing that a machine could answer from saved information? Would automatic appointment booking save you phone tag?

If your calls involve complex judgment, sensitive topics, or callers who strongly prefer a person, a human answering service may fit better. If you only need a place for callers to leave a message and nothing more, your existing voicemail may be enough. For many small business owners who answer their own phone most of the day, conditional forwarding plus an automated machine covers the gap neatly: you take the calls you can, and the machine handles the rest.

• Choose an automated machine for routine questions, messages, and booking
• Choose a human service when calls need judgment or a personal touch
• Stick with voicemail if you only need message recording
• Use conditional forwarding if you answer your own phone during the day