How to Set Up Voicemail to Email in RingCentral (Step-by-Step)

Checking voicemail the old way means dialing in, entering a PIN, and listening to messages one by one, often while you're trying to do three other things. For a busy front desk, a restaurant between rushes, or an owner on the road, that's how messages get missed.

Voicemail to email fixes that. Every new voicemail lands in your inbox, usually with the audio file attached, so you can play it, forward it to the right person, or file it with the rest of your work. Here's how it works in RingCentral and how to set it up in a few minutes.

What Is Voicemail to Email?

Voicemail to email is a notification setting. When someone leaves you a voicemail, RingCentral sends an email to the address you choose. Depending on your settings, that email can include:

• Who called, including the caller's number and the time of the call
• The voicemail audio as an attachment you can play from your computer or phone
• A text transcription of the message, if voicemail transcription is available on your plan

The voicemail still lives in your RingCentral app too, so nothing gets lost if you prefer to listen there.

Why It's Worth Turning On

Faster callbacks

When a message shows up in your inbox, you see it right away, even if you're away from your desk phone. That makes it easier to call a customer back while they're still waiting.

Easy sharing

A voicemail for the wrong person is no longer a problem. Forward the email to the team member who needs it, with the audio attached, instead of retelling the message.

A searchable record

Because voicemails arrive as emails, you can search your inbox by caller number or date and find an old message in seconds.

Better coverage for shared lines

Your main line or a department queue can send voicemail notifications to a shared mailbox, so whoever's working that day sees new messages.

How to Set Up Voicemail to Email in RingCentral

The exact menu names can vary by account type and app version, but the steps usually look like this:

Step 1: Sign in to your RingCentral account

Log in to the RingCentral app or your RingCentral online account with your own extension.

Step 2: Open your notification settings

Go to Settings and look for the section for notifications or messages. This is where RingCentral controls which events send you an email or text alert.

Step 3: Turn on email notifications for voicemail

Find the Voicemail option and turn on email notifications. Enter the email address where you want messages sent. This can be your own address or a shared mailbox.

Step 4: Choose what's included

Select whether to attach the voicemail audio to the email. If transcription is available on your plan, you can also include the transcribed text. Some accounts also let you mark the voicemail as read in RingCentral once the email is sent, which keeps your message light from staying on.

Step 5: Save and test

Save your changes, then call your extension from another phone and leave a short test message. Within a moment, you should see it in your inbox.

If you manage the account for your whole team, an admin can set or check these notification settings for each user and for shared call queues.

Tips to Get More Out of It

• Use a shared inbox for the main line. Send main-number voicemails to a mailbox the front desk can all see, like an office inbox.
• Create an email rule. Have your email program file voicemail notifications into their own folder so they're easy to find.
• Update your greeting. If callers know you respond quickly, say so in your greeting, and keep the greeting short and professional.
• Check spam the first time. If your test message doesn't show up, check your junk folder and mark the sender as safe.
• Think about privacy. Medical practices and dental offices should decide which inboxes get voicemail audio and make sure it lines up with their own privacy policies.

When to Call for Help

If voicemail emails aren't arriving, the audio isn't attaching, or you want different rules for your main line, after-hours calls, and individual extensions, a RingCentral Partner can review your setup and adjust it for you. It's a small change that can make your whole team more responsive.

Never Miss a Message Again

1-800GetConnected is a RingCentral Partner. We help businesses with 5 or more lines set up RingCentral the right way, from voicemail to email and call routing to business hours and mobile apps. Call us at (877) 849-9995, and we'll help your team turn every voicemail into a fast callback.

1-800GetConnected.com is a RingCentral Partner.