iPhone users in South Africa can finally say goodbye to those frustrating spam calls and hello to a more streamlined voicemail experience, thanks to the arrival of Live Voicemail with iOS 18. Truecaller doesn’t work that great on iPhones and registering on the DMA (Direct marketing association of South Africa) national opt-out database has proven to be, well just useless. So my excitement went through the roof when Apple finally decided to make Live Voicemail available in South Africa. Guess what? It actually works pretty darn well!
Call Screening, Reinvented
Live Voicemail takes call screening to the next level. Instead of letting calls go straight to your standard network voicemail, your iPhone intercepts them and provides a live transcription of what the caller is saying. You can then decide whether to answer, decline, or simply let the call go to voicemail.
How it Works
When a call comes in, you’ll see a Live Voicemail option on your screen. Tap it, and your iPhone will start transcribing the caller’s message in real time. You can read along as they speak and decide whether to pick up the call or not. The caller won’t know you’re listening until you answer.
Its Private
Apple has emphasized that all transcription happens on-device, using the iPhone’s Neural Engine. This means your voicemails aren’t being sent to Apple’s servers for processing, which is a big win for protecting your privacy.
Managing Your Messages
You can access past voicemails and transcriptions in the Phone app’s Voicemail tab. You can also record a custom greeting for callers who reach your voicemail. This is really important, as most people just drop the call and don’t leave voicemails anymore. So, if you record a catchy greeting that lets people know you may answer if it’s important, they just might leave a message.
If your iPhone is off or has no signal, calls will go to your networks regular voicemail. Otherwise, they’ll be handled by Live Voicemail. Standard call rates apply when Live Voicemail answers a call on your behalf, and it won’t pick up calls while roaming.
Support & Compatibility
Initially launched in North America with iOS 17, Live Voicemail is now available in several countries, including South Africa, with iOS 18. Supported languages include English, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Japanese.
Live Voicemail is compatible with iPhone XS and XR, right unto the latest models, including the second-generation iPhone SE. This only applies to Live voicemail, other iOS 18 features such as the much hyped Apple Intelligence, are limited to newer devices like the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 series.
Apple Intelligence Beta is currently available in South Africa if you switch your device and Siri language settings to US English. A localized South African English version is expected to launch in December, bringing even more tailored AI capabilities to local users. I will be reviewing my experience with Apple Intelligence over the coming days, so stay tuned!
