Take Back the Beep: how to disable voicemail instructions on Sprint (updated!)

While we wait for all the carriers to get on board with nixing their endless, unhelpful voicemail pre-beep messages, we've already got instructions from Sprint on how to disable it for your own particular voicemail box on that network.

It's pretty easy:

1. Call your voicemail
2. At the menu, press 3 for personal options
3. Press 2 for greeting
4. Press 1 to change the greeting
5. To enable / disable the instructions, press 3

Trust us, we did some serious searching for similar instructions on the other major carriers, but had no luck. If you know of anything, let us know!

Update: Thanks to some helpful comments we've got instructions for AT&T and Verizon for lopping off bits of the message, and, in Verizon's case, speeding up the talking. Check 'em out after the break. Consider yourselves upgraded to orange, guys!


AT&T
There's a "cut through paging" option on AT&T's voicemail, at least for certain customers. It only cuts off that small section of the voicemail instructions (the part about paging somebody), but it's all very unclear and inconsistent. AT&T has been upgraded to orange, and you're free to try these instructions at your own risk:

1. Call your voicemail
2. Go to personal options
3. Go to administrative options
4. Select "cut through paging"
5. Select off

Verizon
Instructions are a little conflicting, but here's what we've gleaned from the tips. As far as we can tell, Verizon methods can vary by region, so let us know what works for you.Here's what kchinth recommends.

1. Personal options
2. Administrative options
3. General options
4. Then you will have these three options:
   • Auto Play On or Off
   • Call Back Number Prompt On or Off
   • Rapid Prompt or Standard Prompt

T-Mobile
Crickets.

[krooooog Posted Aug 19th 2009 9:36AM]

To clarify for Verizon users:

* Auto Play On or Off

Leave this ON. Auto play automatically plays your voicemail when YOU call in to listen. If you turn this off, when you call to check voicemail you will have to "press 1 to play messages". If it is ON and you have a message it will just start playing for you.

* Call Back Number Prompt On or Off

I turn this off. This is the extra message that is played to people leaving you a message that gives them the option to leave their own number...and most VM's already have the caller's number.


* Rapid Prompt or Standard Prompt

I think this just speeds up the greeting so I go with rapid prompt.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 25th 2009 7:45PM]

Here's a thought.

maybe different pre beep prompts for instance say it was California Governor Arnold
Please leave a message after the beep then hang up or press 1 for more options…I’ll be back…beep
Or whoever you like from a list of celebrties. Instead of "THE LADY" (in the wires)
Would that take the pain out of it?


If ATT sticks it to us then I'm off to PALM PRE land with Sprint and the 4G network

Also where's the Apple Pressure on ATT?