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Knowledge document #6

Setting up and using the FRITZ!Box answering machine

You want to set up the FRITZ!Box answering machine and use your own MP3 files for the greetings? ✔ Find out how to do that here.

You can configure up to five integrated answering machines in your FRITZ!Box. The answering machines can be switched on and off separately, and each can be configured individually.

Requirements / Restrictions

  • Each telephone number can only be assigned to one answering machine.
  • Your own greetings may be up to 60 seconds long and must be in one of the following file formats:
    • WAV format: 8000 Hz, 16-bit, mono (recommended because it offers better voice quality)
    • MP3 format: Fixed data rate, 128 kbit/s, 44.1 kHz, stereo

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

1 Setting up an answering machine

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Telephony Devices" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Click the "Configure New Device" button.
  4. Under "Integrated in the FRITZ!Box", select "Answering machine" and click "Next".
  5. Select the operating mode, greeting delay, and recording length, enter a name for the answering machine, and click "Next".
  6. If the answering machine should react to specific numbers, select the desired telephone numbers. Each telephone number can only be assigned to one answering machine.
    • If the answering machine should react to all numbers, enable the option "accept all calls". The answering machine then reacts to all of the telephone numbers you did not assign to any other answering machine. This option is only available for the first answering machine.
    • If the answering machine should only respond to anonymous callers, do not select any telephone numbers and set up a call diversion for anonymous calls.
  7. Click "Next" and then "Apply" to save the settings.

2 Configuring an answering machine

You can choose to use any of the following options and change the settings whenever you want:

Selecting own greeting

Note:You can also use the voice menu to record your own greetings.

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Answering Machine" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Select the answering machine you want to configure.
  4. Click the "Settings" button.
  5. Click the "Change greeting" button in the section "Settings for Recording and Greeting".
  6. Enable the option "Own greeting".
  7. Click the "Browse..." or "Choose File" button and select the desired greeting.
  8. Click "OK" to save the settings.

Enabling the schedule

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Answering Machine" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Select the answering machine you want to configure.
  4. Click the "Settings" button.
  5. Enable the option "Time control" in the section "Operating Mode".
  6. In the weekly overview, specify when the answering machine should be switched on or off by marking the desired times accordingly. If the answering machine is switched on, you can select between the two operating modes "Recording messages" and "Greeting only".
  7. Click "OK" to save the settings.

Sending messages via email

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Answering Machine" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Select the answering machine you want to configure.
  4. Click the "Settings" button.
  5. Click "Additional Settings".
  6. Enable the option "Send messages via email" in the section "Messages".
  7. If you want, enable the option "Delete messages after they are sent from the answering machine".
  8. Enter the email address to which new messages should be sent. If you want to have messages sent to several email addresses, separate the email addresses by commas and do not add spaces between them.

    Important:To have messages sent, you must enter your email account information in the FRITZ!Box user interface under "System > Push Service". If you do not want to use the FRITZ!Box push service, you can disable the push service again after entering your account information.

  9. Click "OK" to save the settings.

Saving messages on a USB storage device

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Answering Machine" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Select the answering machine you want to configure.
  4. Click the "Settings" button.
  5. Click "Additional Settings".
  6. Enable the option "Use USB storage medium to increase recording capacity" in the section "Messages". If you cannot enable this option, disable the USB remote connection:
    1. Click "USB Devices" in the "Home Network" menu.
    2. Click on the "USB Remote Connection" tab. If the tab is not displayed, enable the Advanced View first.
    3. Disable the "USB storage media" option.
    4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.
  7. Click "OK" to save the settings.

Enabling remote playback

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Answering Machine" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Select the answering machine you want to configure.
  4. Click the "Settings" button.
  5. Click "Additional Settings".
  6. Enable the option "Remote playback enabled".
  7. Enter a four-digit PIN. The numbers 0-9 are allowed.

    Important:"0000" cannot be used for the PIN. This PIN disables remote playback.

  8. Click "OK" to save the settings.

3 Saving answering machine messages

If you configured email forwarding for the answering machine, the messages are automatically forwarded to you by email. You can also save the messages later:

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Answering Machine" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Right-click the play icon for the message you want to save and select "Save destination to" or "Save link to" from the context menu. The exact name of the option depends on the browser being used.

4 Using the answering machine (e.g. switching it on and off, playing back messages)

You can easily operate the FRITZ!Box's integrated answering machines using the voice menu. If you registered a FRITZ!Fon with your FRITZ!Box, you can also use the telephone's menu to operate the answering machines.

Operating the answering machine using the voice menu

You can use the voice menu to change all of the answering machine settings.

Operating the answering machine with FRITZ!Fon

  1. Press the "Menu" key on the telephone.
  2. Select "Answering Machine" and then press “OK”.
  3. If you want to listen to new messages, press "OK". You will then hear the messages from all of the answering machines that react to the numbers that your telephone also reacts to.
  4. If you want to change the settings of an answering machine, press the right select key "Options" and then "Settings". Select an answering machine and press "OK". You can change the settings for all of the answering machines that react to numbers that the telephone also reacts to.

5 Operating the answering machine from another line

Listening to new messages

  1. Call a number that you assigned to the answering machine.
  2. Press the star key * during the greeting.
  3. Enter the four-digit PIN and follow the instructions given by the voice menu.

Switching the answering machine on

  1. Call a number that you assigned to the answering machine.
  2. Let it ring until you are asked to enter the PIN.
  3. Enter the four-digit PIN and press the 3 key.
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