--- title: Keep chosen voicemails and texts | Plan Before You Die url: https://planbeforeyoudie.app/guides/phones/voicemail-and-texts source: Plan Before You Die --- # Keep chosen voicemails and texts Save the messages you want your family to keep while you control your phone. Carrier changes can affect voicemail, and T-Mobile warns that transfers or cancellations delete it. A saved memory should have a separate, usable copy before service changes. - 7 steps - Official sources ### Choose the memories you want preserved Review your own voicemail and text conversations. Select particular messages that matter to you and the people you choose. Consider the privacy of everyone in a conversation before deciding to share it. ### Use your phone's supported sharing controls On iPhone, Apple's [voicemail instructions](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iph003dae603/ios) describe sharing a message from the Phone app. Follow the directions for your layout. For another device or voicemail service, ask its maker or carrier which supported export or sharing method applies. ### Save selected text memories separately Choose the parts of a conversation you want kept, using supported saving or sharing options. Include who wrote them and when. Do not turn a family memory collection into a record of private account codes. ### Check the saved audio and images Open chosen files outside the original conversation or mailbox. Play the audio and check image readability. Tell the recipient where the collection is. A familiar message on your phone is not the same as a usable family copy. ### Ask before a carrier or SIM change Apple warns that a SIM change may delete voice messages. T-Mobile warns about permanent deletion during transfers or cancellations. Ask your carrier about the planned change before starting, and preserve chosen messages first. ### Keep service instructions separate from memories Put the carrier and line preference in the [phone-number plan](https://planbeforeyoudie.app/guides/phones/what-happens-to-a-phone-number). Keep saved memories in their chosen collection. Transferring service is a separate job from preserving the audio, text images and meaning your family wants to keep. ### Tell someone where the copies are Record the location of the selected files without including passwords or passcodes. Check [cloud backups](https://planbeforeyoudie.app/guides/phones/cloud-backups) separately instead of assuming a message is preserved everywhere. Review the collection with your [digital legacy instructions](https://planbeforeyoudie.app/guides/phones/digital-legacy) when you replace a device or change service. ## Good to know ### Can I share an iPhone voicemail? Apple describes a Share control for a voicemail message in the Phone app. Follow the instructions for your version and mailbox. After sharing, open the received file and play it, so you confirm the copy works outside the original phone. ### Does transferring a T-Mobile line keep voicemail? T-Mobile says transfers and cancellations permanently delete voicemails and greetings. Preserve the chosen audio before starting either process. Keep the family's service request and memory-saving task together in your instructions, so somebody does not complete the transfer before checking for saved copies. ### Can a SIM change affect voice messages? Yes. Apple warns that changing a SIM card may delete voice messages. Ask your carrier what applies to your planned change. Save the recordings you want first. ### Should I save every private text conversation? Choose the memories and information you actually want to share. Consider other people's privacy and leave security codes out. This page provides a preparation checklist, not a request to upload your messages or grant someone access to all your correspondence. ### Helping a parent preserve a voice message? Let your parent choose it and use the supported sharing controls on their own phone. Check the received audio together. Then record where the copy is kept, and remind the person handling any carrier change to preserve selected greetings and voicemails first. ## What we checked | Fact | Source | Checked | |---|---|---| | The iPhone Phone app supports sharing a voicemail message. | [Apple](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iph003dae603/ios) | Oct 15, 2026 | | Apple warns that changing a SIM card may delete voice messages. | [Apple](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iph003dae603/ios) | Oct 15, 2026 | | T-Mobile says transfers or cancellations permanently delete voicemails and greetings. | [T-Mobile (current official source)](https://www.t-mobile.com/support/account/cancel-an-account-of-a-deceased-family-member) | Oct 15, 2026 | | Verizon tells families they can save voicemails before disconnecting a line. | [Verizon (current official source)](https://www.verizon.com/support/deceased-account-handling/) | Oct 15, 2026 | Facts approved by the [Plan Before You Die editor](https://planbeforeyoudie.app/editorial-policy). This guide is general information, not legal advice. Something wrong here? Tell us.