BT 1571: Your Guide to BT's Answering Service

BT 1571 is BT's network-based answering service for your landline. If you don't answer, callers can leave a message and you listen back by dialling 1571.

If you're searching for BT 1571, you usually need one of four things fast: listen to messages, change the greeting, stop it picking up too soon, or switch it on or off. That's where most guides get vague. The useful bit is knowing what BT 1571 can do well, where it clashes with your handset or local answering machine, and where it stops being enough for a working business line.

What Is BT 1571

BT 1571 is an exchange-hosted answering service, which means the voicemail sits on BT's network rather than on a physical machine in your home or office. On BT Business lines, BT Answer 1571 is included as a free network-based answering service, typically answers after 7 rings, stores up to 20 messages, and keeps them for up to 60 days if unlistened or 30 days once accessed according to BT Business's BT Answer 1571 help page.

That network setup matters. If your handset breaks, gets unplugged, or your local answering machine is off, BT 1571 can still take a message because it isn't relying on a box at your premises.

You'll usually know you've got a new message because the line gives you an interrupted or stutter dial tone instead of the normal steady tone. That's the simplest sign that BT 1571 has something waiting.

Practical rule: If you hear a broken dial tone on your BT landline, check 1571 before changing handset settings. The message is often already sitting on the network.

For many households and micro-businesses, that's enough. If you want a broader explanation of how the wider 1571 system works across landlines, this guide to the 1571 voicemail number fills in the general background.

How to Use the BT 1571 Service

A customer rings while you are with another client, leaves a message, and expects a call back the same day. BT 1571 handles that basic job well. The key is knowing how to check messages quickly and keep the mailbox clear enough that urgent calls do not get buried.

How to listen to messages

From your BT landline, dial 1571 and follow the spoken menu. The service plays new messages first, then any saved ones.

The basic flow is simple:

1. Dial 1571 from your BT line 2. Listen to the prompts as your messages play 3. Choose an action for each message

The standard actions are straightforward: 1 replays a message, 2 saves it, and 3 deletes it. In day-to-day use, that is all most small businesses need to remember.

How to save or delete messages

Use BT 1571 as a short-term message queue, not a filing cabinet.

A practical way to manage it is:

• Replay details if you need to catch a phone number, address, booking time, or order reference again
• Save messages only if someone still needs to act on them
• Delete messages once the call has been returned or the issue is closed

That habit matters more than people expect. If the mailbox fills up with old supplier updates, spam calls, and completed jobs, the next genuine customer enquiry takes longer to find. For a busy owner or office manager, that delay turns a simple voicemail service into extra admin.

If you want a broader refresher on good voicemail habits, this guide on how to set up voicemail covers the basics clearly.

Keep only live messages. Once voicemail becomes your to-do list, it slows the business down.

How to access BT 1571 remotely

Remote access is useful, but it only helps if it has been set up and tested before you need it.

A common route is to call your own BT number, wait for the greeting, then press \* to try to enter mailbox access. Some lines also require a PIN. Exact options can vary by line type and service setup, so the sensible approach is to test remote access from a mobile while you are still on site.

Use this checklist:

• Call your own BT number
• Wait for the greeting to start
• Press \* to attempt remote access
• Enter your PIN if prompted
• If access fails, check your line settings with BT before relying on it

This is the trade-off with BT 1571. It is fine for catching missed calls. It is less reliable as a process for a growing business that needs someone to answer consistently, route urgent enquiries properly, and make sure no valuable caller ends up sitting in a mailbox waiting.

How to Customise Your BT 1571 Settings

A caller rings at 5:20 pm, gets your standard mailbox, leaves a rushed message, and hangs up without saying what they needed. That is usually enough for a home line. For a business line, it creates extra follow-up work and gives the caller no confidence they reached the right place.

The two settings worth checking first are your greeting and the ring timing. One affects caller confidence. The other decides whether BT 1571 answers before your own equipment or staff can.

How to record or change your greeting

Start by dialling 1571 from the BT line you want to change. Then follow the spoken menu for mailbox settings or personal greeting, record your message, and save it.

BT can change menu wording over time, so listen to the prompts rather than relying on an old button sequence scribbled on a note in the office. The practical goal is simple. Replace the default message with a greeting that tells callers they have reached the right business and what to do next.

Keep it short and specific:

1. Say your business name 2. Ask for the caller's name and number 3. Tell them what happens next 4. Mention your callback window if you can keep it

A clear example is:

“You've reached [business name]. We can't take your call right now, so please leave your name, number, and the reason for your call, and we'll call you back as soon as we can.”

If you want to tighten the wording before you record it, this voicemail greeting generator for business messages is a useful shortcut.

How to stop BT 1571 picking up too early

Ring timing is where small businesses usually run into trouble. If BT 1571 answers first, your handset, cordless base, or office answerphone never gets a chance to pick up.

On some BT 1571 services, the answer delay is fixed. On others, it can be changed depending on the service tier on the line. If your line allows ring-count changes, set the network voicemail to kick in later than any device you want answering first. If your local answerphone should stay out of the way, turn its answer function off or set it to pick up after BT 1571.

Use this as a practical check:

• Want your office answerphone to answer first? Set that device to pick up earlier than BT 1571, if your BT service gives you ring-time options.
• Want BT 1571 to handle missed calls? Increase the answer delay on local devices or disable their answering mode.
• Had problems after a line change or upgrade? Recheck the ring timing, because voicemail behaviour can change with the line setup.

This matters more than it sounds. Ring order controls where the customer journey starts. If the call lands in a basic mailbox, you still have to listen, interpret the message, and return it later. An always-on answering service does that work live, which is usually the point where a growing business outgrows simple voicemail.

BT 1571 Service Tiers Explained

BT uses the 1571 name across more than one service level, and that's where customers get confused. If your line behaves differently from what you expected, you may be on a different tier.

According to Wikipedia's overview of the 1-5-7-1 service family, the two main tiers are Answer 1571 and Call Minder.

That comparison matters for two reasons. First, storage and timing affect how practical the service is on a busy line. Second, some people assume all BT 1571 variants behave the same way when they don't.

A simple check is to look at how much flexibility you have around ring count and message handling. If you can't change what you need, you may be on the basic tier rather than the more flexible one.

For a business context, the bigger question isn't just which voicemail tier you're on. It's whether voicemail is still the right tool at all. This comparison of an AI receptionist vs answering service is useful if you're weighing that up.

Is BT 1571 Enough for a Small Business

For a sole trader or very small office, BT 1571 is a decent safety net. It catches the call, stores the message, and gives you a chance to call back later.

The problem is that it only starts working after you've already missed the live conversation. For a business, that's often the expensive part. The caller wanted an answer now, not a callback queue.

Where BT 1571 works well

BT 1571 still has clear strengths:

• Basic cover: It stops a missed call from becoming a total dead end.
• No device to maintain: Because it's network-based, there's no separate answering machine to power or replace.
• Simple retrieval: Staff can dial in and work through messages quickly.

That's enough when call volume is low and the caller is willing to wait.

Where it starts costing you

The trade-off is speed. A missed call turns into admin. Someone has to listen, note the details, decide priority, and ring back. If you're on site, driving, with a customer, or already on another call, that delay can mean the enquiry goes cold.

There's also a cost trap on some setups. BT 1571 may be included as “free” with Digital Voice, but dialling 1571 to retrieve messages can still cost 35p per call, as noted in this BT Community discussion about 1571 charges on Digital Voice.

A voicemail system solves “what happens after we miss the call”. It doesn't solve “how do we answer when the customer calls”.

That matters more as a business grows. A basic answering machine has the same weakness. It records the missed opportunity nicely, but it still records a missed opportunity.

For growing teams, a live answering layer is usually the next step. You can start simple. AI is now good enough to complement humans, not replace them. It can answer routine calls, greet callers in different languages, capture booking details, qualify straightforward enquiries, and hand over the calls that really need a person. That's often a better fit for customer service than stacking up voicemails and hoping someone catches up later.

BT 1571 Frequently Asked Questions

Is BT 1571 free

It depends on your line and package. BT 1571 was historically free, some BT customers started being charged from January 2014, and in 2024 it is often free with Digital Voice packages, while some legacy plans may still carry a monthly charge or retrieval fee, according to MoneySavingExpert's report on BT 1571 charging changes.

The practical answer is simple. Check two things on your package:

• Subscription cost: whether the service itself is included
• Retrieval cost: whether listening back by dialling 1571 is charged

How do I know if I have a BT 1571 message

The usual sign is an interrupted or stutter dial tone when you pick up the handset. If you hear that unusual broken tone, dial 1571 and check the mailbox.

Can I change how many rings happen before BT 1571 answers

Yes, on some BT 1571 variants and line types you can. The exact options depend on the service tier and whether you're on a digital line. If BT 1571 is picking up before your own answerphone or phone system, contact BT and confirm the available ring-count settings for your line [VERIFY].

How do I turn BT 1571 on or off

BT has used different activation and cancellation methods over time, and exact dial codes can vary by service and package. Don't rely on generic forum posts for this. Use your BT account options or confirm the current enable and disable codes with BT directly [VERIFY].

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A BT 1571 message only reaches you after you've already missed the call. An AI receptionist answers every call live, 24/7, instead of sending callers to voicemail, and can be set up in hours. If you want to see what that looks like in practice, check the pricing.