Hack72.Listen to Voicemail Using a USB Handset

Hack 72. Listen to Voicemail Using a USB Handset

Are you tired of switching from your USB handset to your PC sound system just to hear your voicemail? With this hack, you don't have to switch from your USB handset to listen to voicemail.

Works with: Windows version of Skype.

Until I came up with this hack, I had to switch my playback audio device within Skype (by selecting Skype Tools Options… Sound Devices) just to hear my voicemail messages. And if I forgot to switch back to my USB handset for audio-out, no sound would come out of the handset during my next call. All very irritating.

The good news is that you can listen to your voicemail messages using a USB handset that has a keypad, if you do the following. First, switch to the Dial tab. Otherwise, when you press the # key on your handset, Skype will most likely start a call if you are in either the Contacts or the Call List tab. Pressing the # key on your handset while in the Dial tab will effectively put the handset into listen and speak mode, but as there's no number or contact to dial from within the Dial tab, no call will be started. Now switch to the Call List tab and select the voicemail message to listen to, and then click the Play button. Once you're done listening to your voicemail message, hang up in the usual way and everything will be back to the way it was. No longer will you have to scramble to switch audio devices in the middle of a call because you're able to speak into your handset, but you can't hear the person at the other end of the call.

On many USB handsets, the # key tells Skype to start a call and effectively puts the handset into listen and speak mode. However, if your handset doesn't use the # key for this function, you may have to experiment to find the correct key to do the same thing.

8.4.1. Hacking the Hack

Now you can listen to your voicemail using your USB handset. So why not also record your voicemail greeting using a USB handset that has a keypad, instead of having to use a microphone or headset?

This hack is a variation of the first part of the hack, and the same comments and warnings for that hack apply here. Recording your voicemail message using your USB handset, without all the fuss and without needing to switch the audio-in device back and forth from within Skype, is simple, if you follow these steps.

First, switch to the Dial tab. Press the # key on your USB handset to put it into listen and speak mode. Now, go to Skype Tools Options… Call Forwarding & Voicemail and click on the Record button (see Figure 8-3). Speak your greeting into your handset to record it. Stop recording by clicking the Stop button. Click the Playback button to replay your message using your handset speaker. If youre satisfied, save your voicemail recording and hang up as you would normally. You've recorded your voicemail greeting, without the fuss of switching audio devices.