Setting new answering message - Cell Phones

Answering system settings Number of rings before the unit answers calls You can change the number of times the phone rings "Ring count" before the unit answers calls. You can select 2 to 7 rings, or "Toll saver". The default setting is "4". "Toll saver": The unit's answering system answers at the end of the 2nd ring when new messages have been recorded, or at the end of the 4th ring when there are no new messages. If you call your phone from outside to listen to new messages , you will know that there are no new messages when the phone rings for the 3rd time. You can then hang up without being charged for the call. 1 {MENU} i {#}{2}{1}{1} 2 {V}/{^}: Select the desired setting. i {Save} i {OFF}

You can access the answering system remotely by dialing your home telephone number from any touch-tone telephone. To remotely access the answering system
Dial your telephone number from any touch-tone telephone. When the answering system answers, enter the two-digit remote access code (19, unless you have changed it). The answering system automatically announces the number of messages (new or old) if there are any. If there are new messages, the answering system automatically begins to play new messages only. -OR If there are no new messages, the answering system automatically begins to play all old messages. You can also enter the remote commands: Play all messages
1 Press to listen to all messages. If there are new messages, the system plays back only the new messages (oldest first). If there are no new messages, the system plays back all old messages (oldest first). Play new messages
2 Press to listen to new messages only. Delete a message 3 Press during message playback to delete the current message. Delete all old messages
3 Press to delete all old messages. Replay current message or previous message
4 To repeat the message currently playing, press 4 after the answering system plays the day and time the current message was received. To listen to the previous message, press 4 while the answering system is playing the day and time the current message was received. Stop
5 Press to stop playback and recording. Play help menu * 5 Press to listen to a list of remote commands. Skip to next message
6 Press during playback to skip the current message and advance to the next message. Record a announcement
7 Press to record a new announcement. Begin speaking after the long beep. Turn system on or off 0 Press to turn the answering system on or off. Exit
8 or hang up Press to end remote access (the call is terminated). 1. 2. 3. 4.5
0 Answering system Remote access Hang up to end the call and save all messages.
NOTES: If you do not enter a valid remote access code, the system answers the call automatically. If the date and time is not set when a message is recorded, the system announces, "Time and date not set" before the answering system announces the number of messages. If there are no messages in the answering system, the system announces, "You have no message." If there are no new messages in the answering system, when you press 2 to play back new messages, the system announces, "You have no new message." If you pause for more than four seconds during remote access, you hear a help menu listing all features and commands. If there is no command for another 20 seconds, the call ends automatically. If the memory is full, the answering system answers after 10 rings and announces, "Memory is full. Enter the remote access code." Enter your remote access code to access the messages and announcements. When the answering system is turned off, the telephone answers after 10 rings and announces, "Please enter your remote access code."

From the sound of it it I think its either: your mailbox is full or the feature has been turn off accidentally.

Vtech's support recommend the following (I've removed things like 'make sure its plugged in' and 'is your answering system is turned on' etc..)

1 Some answering systems have an announce only option, which plays your greeting but won't record messages. Make sure your system is set to record messages.

2 Your answering system's message capacity may be full. You must erase old messages to make room for new ones.

3 If you have voicemail service in addition to your answering system, your caller's message may be going into voicemail before your answering system picks up the call. Program your voicemail to pick up at least 2 rings after your answering system is set to answer the call.

Answering system settings
Number of rings before the unit answers a call.You can change the number of times the phone rings "Ring count"before the unit answers calls. You can select 2 to 7 rings, or "Toll saver".The default setting is "4 rings"."Toll saver": The unit's answering system answers at the end of the 2nd ring when new messages have been recorded, or at the end of the 5th ring when there are no new messages. If you call your phone from outside to listen to new messages (page 34), you know that there are no new messages when the phone rings for the 3rd time. You can then hang up without being charged for the call.

Ring count You can change the number of times the phone rings before the unit answers calls. The default setting is "4 rings". "Toll saver": The unit answers on the 2nd ring when new messages have been recorded, and on the 4th ring when there are no new messages. If you call your phone from outside to listen to new messages, you will know that there are no new messages when the phone rings for the 3rd time. You can then hang up without being charged for the call.
1 {MENU} 2 {V}/{^}: "Answering device" i {OK} 3 {V}/{^}: "Settings" i {OK} 4 {V}/{^}: "Ring count" i {OK} 5 {V}/{^}: Select the desired setting. 6 {OK} i {OFF}
MANUAL http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/KXTG1032.pdf
HOPE IT HELPS GILES102

Follow the instructions beginning on page 55 of this manual.

Settings:
In Settings dialog you can set the following options for Best Answering Machine:

* Greetings - allows setting up the greetings played on pick-up;
* Active in profiles - defines in which profiles the application will pick-up the phone and record messages;
* Storage - allows selecting on which disk the records will be saved;
* Pick up after - sets the time after which the call will be answered;
* Record time - maximum amount of time the message is being recorded;
* Format - message file format (amr,wav);
* Icon - configures the visibility of the icon displaying application activity and presence of new messages; depending on this parameter, can be shown in standby screen only (Phone application) or in any application;
* Play volume - play volume for the greeting;
* Records lifetime - automatically removes old messages;

Messages:
In this view you can listen to new and old messages, delete unnecessary messages, send the recorded messages and call the person directly from this view.

During the call:

When Answering Machine is processing an incoming call, you will see a dialog showing the application's progress with the ability to stop it:

* Answer - when this command is chosen during a call, it stops greeting playback or message record and you can continue talking to the caller;
* Hang up - stops greeting playback or message recording and terminates the call; hope this will be helpful...

While you are away from your home or
office, you can use a touch-tone phone,
or a pulse (rotary) phone with a pocket
tone dialer (available through your local
RadioShack store) to enter your PIN and
do any of the following:
• set the phone to answer or not
answer calls
• listen to your messages
• record a new outgoing message
• erase messages
• monitor the room where the phone
is located
Notes:
• You cannot remotely operate the
phone using its handset or another
telephone on the same line as the
phone.
• You can also listen to the message
recorded on Line 2 by making a call
to Line 1’s number (or vice versa).
USING THE TOLL-SAVER
If RING TIME is set to TS (toll-saver),
(see “Setting the Number of Rings” on
Page 15), the phone answers after three
rings if you have new messages (ones
you have not listened to). If there are no
new messages, the phone answers after
five rings. This gives you time to hang
up before the phone answers so you
can avoid unnecessary long-distance
charges.
Note: Toll-saver works only on the line
you called. If Line 1 has no new messages,
but Line 2 has one, the telephone
answers after five rings when you
call Line 1.
USING REMOTE
COMMANDS
Follow these steps to operate the phone
from a remote location.
Note: If you wait more than 15 seconds
between keypresses, the phone sounds
a long beep and hangs up.
1. Dial your phone number and wait for
the phone to answer.
2. If the phone is not set to answer
calls, it answers after about 10 rings
and sounds a series of beeps.
3. When the outgoing message begins
(or the phone sounds a series of
beeps), press #, then enter your PIN
within 2 seconds.
If the PIN is correct, the phone announces
the day and time, then it announces
the number of new and old messages.
The phone plays all new messages,
then beeps about every two seconds to
let you know it is ready to accept remote
commands.
Notes:
• If the phone does not respond, try
entering your PIN again. If you enter
an incorrect PIN three times, the
phone beeps and hangs up.
Remote Operation 27
• When the phone is operating from a remote location, it stops all answering functions
and rC appears on the display on the base. The phone resumes answering
functions when it is no longer in remote operation, if you have not turned it off.
• The remote playback of incoming messages is limited to 4 minutes. If you have
more messages after 4 minutes have passed, you must press # 2 again to listen
to the rest of the messages.
• When using remote operation, you can only delete the current message during
playback. You cannot delete all the messages stored at one time.
The following table shows the remote commands you can use.
Note: Remote operation stops when someone picks up the handset and presses either
LINE 1 or LINE 2 (whichever is flashing), or any phone on the same phone line.
Remote Commands
Press #
then (within
2 seconds:
Function
1 Repeat current message during playback.
2 Play messages.
3 Skip current message during playback.
4 Delete current message during playback.
5 Stop playback, recording, and room monitoring.
6 Set the phone to answer or not answer calls.
7 Record or stop recording a new outgoing message.
8 Play the outgoing message.
9 Switch to the other line (Line 1 or Line 2).
0 Monitor the room where the phone is located for 15 seconds

When the power went out it may have set the machine to its default setting, "answer function off". Press the "On/Off" button to check for sure. A battery really wouldn't help in this matter because it's only there for backup; when the power goes out the batter will save your settings, outgoing and incoming messages. Perhaps when the power went out you lost your outgoing message, and now, when people call, they don't realize that that they are supposed to leave a message. One more thing you can check is the switch on the side of the phone which tells the machine to answer after 2 or 4 rings.

You did record a message on the answerer, didn't you? Mine displayed that until I recorded the outgoing message for the answerer. You do not need any service from your phone provider. The answerer in the base unit simply records the caller's message when you don't answer after a set number of rings. The manual tells you how to name the handset, which is a nice feature if you don't wish to use "unit 1, unit 2, etc".