# Change Voicemail Access PIN

Before a user can listen to messages in a voicemail box, Cloud Voice asks for an access PIN (Personal Identification Number). This authentication step runs every time someone checks their messages. Each box starts out with a randomly generated PIN, so you will typically want to set one that the mailbox owner can remember. This page covers how to update that PIN for both individual extension voicemail and shared group voicemail.

:::note
A voicemail access PIN accepts digits only (no letters or symbols) and must be at least 3 digits long. A PIN shorter than 3 digits will be rejected.
:::

:::caution
The random default PIN is hard to guess. Replacing it with something short or predictable (for example `123` or a repeated digit) makes the mailbox easy to break into, which can expose recorded messages and, on some setups, allow toll fraud through the voicemail menu. Choose a PIN that is memorable but not obvious.
:::

## Extension voicemail

You can reset an extension's voicemail PIN from the management portal or directly from the mailbox by phone.

### From the portal

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice portal and open **Extension and Trunk > Extension**, then open the extension you want to edit.
2. Select the **Voicemail** tab.
3. Type the new PIN in the **Voicemail Access PIN** field.
4. Click **Save**, then **Apply** to commit the change.

:::note
**Apply** is what pushes the saved change live. If you click **Save** but skip **Apply**, the new PIN will not take effect.
:::

### From the mailbox

1. Dial `*2` to reach your mailbox and enter your current access PIN.
2. Press `4` to start changing the PIN.
3. When prompted, enter the new PIN and finish with the `#` key.

The system saves the PIN and the call disconnects on its own.

:::tip
The phone method requires the current PIN to get in, so it only works when the user still knows their existing PIN. If a user has forgotten their PIN, reset it from the portal instead: the portal sets a new PIN directly without asking for the old one.
:::

## Group voicemail

Shared group mailboxes work the same way and can also be updated from the portal or by phone.

### From the portal

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice portal and open **Call Features > Voicemail > Group Voicemail**, then open the group voicemail you want to edit.
2. Type the new PIN in the **Voicemail Access PIN** field.
3. Click **Save**, then **Apply** to commit the change.

### From the mailbox

1. Dial `*2` followed by the group voicemail number to reach the mailbox, then enter the current access PIN.
2. Press `4` to start changing the PIN.
3. When prompted, enter the new PIN and finish with the `#` key.

The system saves the PIN and the call disconnects on its own.