Virtual Secretary for Your Mobile Phone: How It Works
A virtual secretary for your mobile plays your greeting and records a message when you miss a call. See how it works and how to set up call forwarding.
See also: How to Set Up Call Forwarding to Answering Machine | Automatic Answering Machine for Business 2026 | How Much Does an Answering Service Cost?
TL;DR: A virtual secretary for a mobile phone (a phone answering service for your cell) is cloud voicemail that your carrier forwards missed calls to. The caller hears your greeting and leaves a message. Heilo records it, prepares a transcript and summary and, with notifications turned on, texts you the caller's details, the topic and a link to the dashboard. You do not install an app; you only set up forwarding with your carrier.
What Is a Virtual Secretary for Mobile?
A virtual secretary is a cloud service that sits between your mobile phone and the caller. When you cannot answer, your carrier forwards the call to a Heilo number instead of to its own voicemail:
- A client calls your business number (your regular cell phone).
- You cannot answer: you are with a client, driving, in a meeting, or your phone is on silent.
- Your carrier forwards the call to Heilo after the ring time you set.
- Heilo plays your greeting: the caller hears your business name and a request to leave a message.
- The caller leaves a message describing what they need.
- Heilo prepares a transcript and summary of the message. With notifications turned on, you get a text with the caller's details, the topic and a link to the dashboard.
The caller dials your regular number and does not need to do anything differently. Heilo does not talk to the caller, answer questions or book appointments: it plays the greeting and records the message. You, or someone on your team, call back. In Heilo, the role of an automatic answering machine is played by the Heilo Voicemail plan.
How It Works: The Caller's Experience
Example: the caller dials your number, the phone rings for the time set in your forwarding, and then Heilo plays your greeting:
"Hello, you've reached [Business Name]. I'm with a client right now. Please leave your name, phone number and what you need, and I'll call you back [a realistic time, e.g. today by 6 PM]."
The caller leaves a message: "Hello, I need a quote for a kitchen renovation. Please call me back on this number."
With notifications turned on, you get a text with the caller's number, the topic (for example, "Kitchen renovation quote") and a link to the dashboard. In the dashboard you have the recording, the full transcript and the summary. On the "Customer potential" card you can enter your own rating of the inquiry on a 1–10 scale. Check names, addresses and dates in the recording. For ready-made wording, see the voicemail greeting examples.
How to Set Up a Mobile Secretary (Step by Step)
- Create a Heilo account and set up your mailbox number. You record the greeting in your own voice or type a text that Heilo reads out.
- In the dashboard, open the "How to enable:" instructions for your number. They contain the target number, a ready-made forwarding code and the "Ring time before forwarding" field.
- Set up forwarding on your phone, as described below.
- Call your number from another phone, do not answer, leave a short message and check the recording, the text and the notification.
- Do a second test in which you do answer, to confirm that calls you pick up work as before.
Android
In the Phone app, open the call settings and find call forwarding; the name and location of the option depend on the phone maker. Choose forwarding for unanswered calls. You can also type the code from the dashboard. Details are in the Android forwarding guide.
iPhone
The "Call Forwarding" switch in iPhone settings forwards all calls. If you only want to forward unanswered calls, type the code **61*number# on the keypad. Details are in the iPhone forwarding guide.
Carrier Codes
Many mobile networks use the code **61*number# for unanswered calls and **62*number# when the phone is off or out of range, but not all do; US carriers often use their own codes. Check your carrier's instructions, and confirm availability and cost on your plan.
Carrier Voicemail vs Heilo
| Feature | Carrier voicemail | Heilo (Heilo Voicemail) |
|---|---|---|
| Message as text | depends on carrier and phone | transcript and summary |
| Text notification | depends on carrier | caller's details, topic and link (with notifications on) |
| Own greeting | a recording in the mailbox | your own recording or text read by a synthetic voice |
| Different greeting on chosen days and hours | depends on carrier | greeting schedule |
| History in a dashboard | none | recordings, transcripts, summaries |
| Price | depends on your plan | see pricing |
Not every caller will leave a message. A short greeting with your business name, a request to describe the matter and a realistic callback time makes it easier to leave one. Built-in voicemail transcription on phones has limits too: Google's Phone help says transcription is only available in English and Spanish, on Android 8.0 and up, with selected carriers (checked 20 October 2026).
Typical Use Cases
Solo Professional on Appointments
A physiotherapist, consultant or financial advisor who spends several hours a day in client meetings has to keep the phone silent. Heilo records messages from calls you do not answer. Between appointments you read the topic in the text and the transcript in the dashboard.
Small Service Business With Fieldwork
A plumber, HVAC technician or cleaning company owner usually has both hands busy on site. The caller describes the job in a message, and Heilo extracts the details they gave, such as the address and type of service. You call back between jobs knowing what it is about.
Part-Time Business Owner With a Day Job
You run a side business, such as photography, tutoring or handyman work, and cannot take business calls during your day job. Heilo records the messages, and you go through them at lunch or after work.
After-Hours Coverage for Any Business
Forwarding works at any hour, and a greeting schedule plays a different greeting in the evening and at weekends.
When You Need a Separate Business Number
Heilo Line is a +48 business number for each salesperson. Inbound and outbound calls through "Call via Heilo" are recorded automatically. See the call assistant page for the plan.
What Does It Cost?
Heilo Voicemail covers messages left after missed calls: the recording, text, summary and text notification. Billing is monthly, and VAT is added at payment. The fair-use limit is 500 minutes of recordings per number per calendar month; it is informational and does not block calls. Carrier charges for forwarded calls are separate. Prices are on the pricing page.
If you also want to record calls you answer, there are two higher plans. With Heilo Select, you keep your number and add Heilo to chosen calls; your carrier must support conference calling, the call is recorded from the moment Heilo joins, and voicemail is included. Heilo Line is a +48 business number for each salesperson: calls through it, inbound and outbound via "Call via Heilo", are recorded automatically, and Heilo produces a transcript, a summary and tasks, while the call coach shows what went well and what to improve. Once you set up an integration, results reach your CRM through the API, webhooks, Zapier or Make. The plan is described on the call assistant page, and all prices are on the pricing page.
Verified: 20 October 2026
FAQ
Does the caller need to install or do anything differently?
No, they call your number as usual. Forwarding is invisible to the caller. They hear your greeting and can leave a message.
Does it work when my phone is off or out of signal?
Only if you also have forwarding for when the phone is unreachable (code **62*number#). The **61* code works only for unanswered calls. The message is saved in Heilo, and the text arrives when your phone is back on the network.
Can I have different greetings for different times of day?
Yes. The greeting schedule lets you set up to 10 other greetings for chosen weekdays and hours; outside them the caller hears the standard greeting. The schedule does not work by date, so you set a holiday greeting as the standard one before you leave and change it back when you return. More in the guide to handling calls on vacation.
Do I need to install an app?
No. You set up forwarding once, and with notifications turned on you receive texts like any other message. You review recordings, transcripts and summaries in the dashboard in your browser.
What if I want to forward only some calls?
The **61* code forwards only unanswered calls. Calls you answer yourself go through as usual. Heilo only picks up when you do not.
Can I forward business calls to several devices at once?
Carrier forwarding sends the call to one target number, so it will not ring several phones at once. With Heilo Line, one number also rings one phone chosen in the dashboard; each salesperson needs their own number.
Is this a live secretary service?
No. Heilo never talks to the caller. If you need a person to answer, compare a live answering service; the guide to what an answering service costs is a good start.
How fast will I get the text?
The time depends on processing the recording and on delivery through the network. We do not promise a specific time.
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