Samsung has released a new One UI 8.5 beta, and the new build finally introduces a feature that was leaked several months ago. Direct Voicemail aims to overhaul voicemail in the same way Apple did in iOS 17 with the Live Voicemail feature, and Google did with its updated Call Assist features from the end of 2025. So, how does One UI 8.5’s Direct Voicemail stack up, and is it worth enabling over your carrier’s voicemail service?
What is Direct Voicemail on Samsung Galaxy phones?
Direct Voicemail bypasses your carrier’s voicemail service and instead runs the voicemail on your device. It integrates with Samsung’s Text Call service, using AI to transcribe and summarize incoming calls you didn’t pick up. You can also manually send a call to Direct Voicemail by tapping the “more options” button in either the full-screen call UI or the pop-up at the top of the screen.