How long should your phone ring before voicemail?
Most UK networks default to about 15 seconds. On the tools that is often too short. Here's a sensible target, and the codes to set it on EE, O2, Vodafone, Three and the big virtual networks.
Updated 31 July 2026
Aim for 20–25 seconds of ring time before voicemail on a UK trade mobile. That is roughly four to five rings: enough to dig the phone out without leaving callers hanging. Most networks default near 15 seconds and cap at 30 in steps of five. Set it with your network's unanswered delay dial code (or support chat on Three and some MVNOs), after turning Wi-Fi Calling off if the code fails.
Picture a heating engineer on a condensate job in a customer's garden in January: gloves on, phone in an inside pocket. Fifteen seconds is gone before the zip is open. Twenty-five seconds is often the difference between catching the next boiler call and watching it become a missed-call banner.
How do you change ring time on each network?
Open the phone dialler, type the code for your network, replace XX with 20, 25 or 30, and press call. You should get an on-screen confirmation. Then ask someone to ring you and count.
EE
**61*07953222222**XX#
EE's voicemail number is commonly shown as 07953 222222. Replace XX with 20, 25 or 30. Confirm the active divert number with *#61# first if the code fails.
O2
**61*901*11*XX#
901 is O2's voicemail short code. Same XX steps of 5 seconds.
Vodafone
**61*121*11*XX#
Vodafone document this as 5–30 seconds in steps of 5; default is often 15. 121 is voicemail from a Vodafone handset.
Three
Call 333
Three often will not accept the ring-time MMI code on the handset. Dial 333 (or use the app/chat) and ask them to extend unanswered ring time. Worth doing once and forgetting.
giffgaff
**61*443*10*XX#
Runs on O2. If the code fails, message an agent in the giffgaff app and ask them to set the delay.
Tesco Mobile
**61*905*11*XX#
Runs on O2; 905 is the usual voicemail short code.
VOXI
**61*121*11*XX#
Vodafone network underneath; same pattern as Vodafone in most cases.
SMARTY
App or 333-style support
Runs on Three. Expect to use the app or support chat rather than a reliable keypad code.
Tip: dial *#61# anytime to see where unanswered calls currently go and whether a delay is already set. Full divert setup (including pointing unanswered calls at another number) lives in the UK call divert codes guide.
Why won't the ring-time code work?
- Wi-Fi Calling / VoLTE: old MMI codes sometimes fail until Wi-Fi Calling is toggled off. Set the delay on mobile data or signal, then turn Wi-Fi Calling back on.
- Wrong voicemail number in the code: if you copied a code from a forum for the wrong network, it fails. Use *#61# and read what your network shows.
- Divert already pointing elsewhere: changing ring time still uses the unanswered (*61) divert. If you divert to a partner or a service, you are setting how long you ring first, which is usually what you want.
Once the delay is right, fix the greeting so the people who do wait leave something useful. Voicemail scripts for trades.
When you still can't pick up, something else has to
Extra seconds save the near-misses. For the calls that arrive mid-job, Graftline can take the divert: two rings, your business name, job details on WhatsApp. Same *61* pattern as the divert guide, pointed at a number that does not ring out.
£79.99/month after the trial · about £2.60 a day · No commitment · cancel anytime
Ring-time questions
What's the maximum ring time?
On most UK mobiles, 30 seconds is the ceiling, in steps of 5. You cannot set 22 seconds; pick 20 or 25.
The code says connection problem or invalid MMI. Now what?
Turn off Wi-Fi Calling (and try again on mobile signal). Type the asterisks and hash exactly. If it still fails, dial *#61# to see which number unanswered calls currently divert to, and use that number in the code. Some MVNOs need an app agent.
Does a longer ring time stop missed jobs?
It helps the calls you nearly catch: phone in the glovebox, gloves on, ladder to climb down. It does nothing for calls that arrive while you're under a floor for forty minutes. For those, you need a divert or someone who answers. See the call divert codes guide.
Should I set ring time if I already divert to another number?
Yes. The same unanswered delay controls how long your handset rings before the divert fires. Point *61* at your chosen number and set **61*number**seconds# for the delay. Full codes are in the divert guide.