Overview
If you see “Transcription not available” in your email, it means YouMail was unable to transcribe your voicemail within a reasonable timeframe. This article explains the common reasons for transcription failures and tips to help ensure your voicemails are successfully transcribed.
Common reasons transcription is unavailable
Read-It plan limitations: If you have a YouMail Plus or Professional subscription with multiple activated lines and a Read-It (human-edited transcription) add-on, only your main number will use human-edited transcriptions. All other lines default to machine transcriptions, which may fail if messages are complex.
Unclear voicemail: Poor call quality, static, muffled audio, or silence in the message can prevent accurate transcription. Ask callers to speak clearly and enunciate; enabling a greeting prompt can help guide them.
High transcription volume: If YouMail receives too many transcription requests simultaneously, processing may be delayed. Messages are typically transcribed within 1–2 minutes, but if a transcription cannot be completed within 10 minutes, the email is sent without the transcription.
Ensure transcriptions are not set to forward immediately; the setting must be updated to at least 5 minutes or more
Tip: Keep voicemails short and ensure callers speak clearly to improve transcription accuracy.
Pro tip: For important voicemails, check the YouMail app or web inbox, where the message audio is always available even if the transcription fails.