In 2023, Apple added the Live Voicemail feature to iPhones with iOS 17. When a user doesn't pick up a call and the other person is leaving a voicemail, this feature provides transcription of the message as they speak it, in real time. To transcribe the call, the feature handles voicemails on-device, eliminating the need for carriers to process voicemails. As such, it also introduced voicemails to people in regions where carriers didn’t offer the voicemail functionality.

Well, Samsung’s Android 16-based One UI 8.0 suggests that the South Korean tech giant is developing a similar feature for Galaxy smartphones.

Folks at Android Authority dug deep into the One UI 8 code and found that it mentions a new feature called ‘on-device voicemail.’ Its description reveals that when a user doesn’t pick up a call, it allows the person to leave a voice message, which will be processed on the device, and then lets you check and listen to it later. It also lets the user pick up the call when the other person is leaving a voicemail.

What’s interesting is that this feature will also allow you to customise how long the ring goes on before the voicemail functionality kicks in, which is something Apple's Live Voicemail doesn't let you do. The code also reveals the regions where Samsung will offer this feature. It includes only four regions — Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka — which could be disappointing for users in other countries.

Unfortunately, Samsung's on-device voicemail code and description don’t say anything about transcribing the voicemail, a feature that Apple’s Live Voicemail offers. However, Samsung could add the functionality in the near future and launch on-device voicemail with it. All-in-all, this is great news for people whose carrier doesn’t offer voicemail functionality or for people who want on-device voicemail processing.