# Allow Callers to Press a Key to Leave Messages

Out of the box, Cloud Voice begins recording the moment a caller reaches a mailbox. That works, but it can catch callers off guard, and it fills the mailbox with silent or accidental recordings from people who hung up before deciding what to say. You can change this so that recording only starts once the caller presses a key, giving them a beat to prepare or to simply hang up without leaving anything behind.

## Turn on press-to-record

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice web portal and open **Call Features > Voicemail > Voicemail Greetings**.
2. Under **Caller Options**, tick **Ask callers to press 5 for leaving a message**.
3. Select **Save**.

:::note
The trigger key for this option is **5**. Callers must press that specific digit to start recording, so make sure any instruction you give them names the number 5.
:::

## What changes for the caller

After the greeting plays, the caller decides whether to continue. Recording does not begin until they press **5**, so there is no pressure to talk before they are ready and no empty messages from callers who change their mind.

:::note
If you use a custom voicemail greeting, [update the greeting](/pbx/administrator-guide/change-voicemail-greetings/) so it tells callers to press 5 when they want to leave a message. The system will not prompt them automatically within a recording you supplied.
:::