# Enable or Disable Voicemail Access PIN

A voicemail access PIN (Personal Identification Number) is a numeric code that must be entered before the messages in a mailbox can be heard. Requiring it keeps a mailbox from being opened by anyone who reaches it. You turn this protection on or off separately for individual extension mailboxes and for shared group mailboxes, all from the PBX (Private Branch Exchange, the phone system that routes your calls) web portal.

:::caution
Disabling the PIN removes the only barrier on the mailbox: anyone who reaches it can listen to, save, or delete messages. For security, keep the voicemail access PIN enabled unless you have a specific reason not to.
:::

## Extension voicemail

Use this when the mailbox belongs to a single user's extension.

1. Sign in to the PBX web portal and open **Extension and Trunk > Extensions**, then edit the extension you want to change.
2. Open the **Voicemail** tab.
3. Set **Voicemail PIN Authentication** using the drop-down list:
   - Choose **Enabled** to require a PIN when the mailbox is accessed.
   - Choose **Disabled** to allow access without a PIN.
4. Click **Save**, then **Apply**.

:::note
The change is staged when you click **Save** and does not take effect until you click **Apply**. If callers still get the old behavior, confirm you clicked **Apply**.
:::

## Group voicemail

Use this when the mailbox is shared by a team of users rather than tied to one extension.

1. Sign in to the PBX web portal and open **Call Features > Voicemail > Group Voicemail**, then edit the group voicemail you want to change.
2. Set **Voicemail PIN Authentication** using the drop-down list:
   - Choose **Enabled** to require a PIN when the mailbox is accessed.
   - Choose **Disabled** to allow access without a PIN.
3. Click **Save**, then **Apply**.