Remote retrieval of recorded messages - Uniden TRU8885-3HS Digital Cordless Phone

when your greeting answers, punch in your code, usually a 4 digit code, each manufacturer has their own default code that it comes with.. check the manual or website

See if this works for you.

Remote Operation
When you are away from home, you can operate your answering system with any
touch-tone telephone.Use this function to check for recorded messages, to play or
delete messages, even record a new greeting message.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) During the greeting message, press 0 and enter your PIN code.
3) The answering system announces the current time and the number of messages
stored in memory. Then you hear "To play incoming message, press zero two.
For help, press one zero."
4) You may continue to listen to the voice prompts, or you may select a command
from the following chart:

Command Function
0 then 1 Repeat a Message
0 then 2 Play Incoming Messages
0 then 3 Skip a Message
0 then 4 Delete a Message
0 then 5 Stop Operation
0 then 6 Answering System On
0 then 7 Memo Record/Stop*
0 then 8 Greeting Message Record/Stop*
0 then 9 Answering System Off
1 then 0 Voice Prompts

If you forgot to turn on answering system the directions for that are here:

Turn on the Answering System Remotely
If you have forgotten to turn on your answering system, you can turn it on remotely
from any touch-tone telephone.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) Wait ten rings until the system answers. You hear intermittent beeps.
3) Press 0 and then enter your PIN code. The answering system announces the
number of messages stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming message,
press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) Press 0 then 6 to turn the answering system On. You hear the outgoing message
and a confirmation tone.
5) Hang up the phone; subsequent calls will be answered by the system.

Check if message retrieval works with a landline phone. If that works, then either the tones generated by your cellph are too far off frequency, or the cell network is filtering out or compressing too much of the tones.

First set up a pin # or use the default which is 0000.
Then from a remote location:

• Dial the Number
• Press * Twice before the greeting is completed
• Enter the Pin
• Select * to hear all messages or Mailbox number which you are calling to check
• Use the menu below:

5 - Play New Messages
6 - Record Message
7 - Play All Messages
8 - Play Greeting
9 - Record Greeting
0 - Turn System Off
# - Access help

I phoned in from another phone and retrieved my messages. The problem was not with the answering machine but with the phone and calling card I had been using. Don't use a hotel switch board nor calling card, too many intermediate parties for the 2 digit code to work with.

To connect with your answering system:
1 Dial your telephone number from a touch tone phone. 2 When the system answers, enter your Remote Access Code. The system announces the number of messages and begins message playback. 3 Listen to your messages
Change remote access code Press [*] [#]. Follow prompts to set new code.

i found my solution on the AT&T website.
thanks anyway.

you have to set the answering machine to accept remote access. Then anytime when you call home and the message is playing you can enter the machines' remote access number to retrieve your messages.

Here is a link to a similar model: http://www.swbfreedomphone.com/ib/ibansw/fa970.pdf Here is what it says: TONE REMOTE OPERATION Remote Security Code To access answering functions from an outside line, you will need to enter the three digit security code located on the bottom of your unit. Write this number on the Remote Access Card, which you can keep in your wallet. Remote Turn On If you forget to turn on your unit: 1. Call your unit from a touch-tone phone. 2. Wait 12-14 rings until the machine answers. 3. The FA970 will automatically answer by playing your greeting. You may hang up the phone, and subsequent calls will be answered. Remote Message Playback 1. Call your unit from a touch-tone telephone. 2. After your FA970 answers, it plays the outgoing greeting and beeps once. Dial your three digit security code within 20 seconds after the beep, pressing and holding each digit for 1-2 seconds. Allow a 2 seconds interval between each digit. 3. Your FA970 will sound one beep to indicate the code was entered correctly. (If there are no beeps, enter your code again.) 4. You can press the following buttons on your keypad: Option Press Playback Mailbox 1 Messages (1) Playback Mailbox 2 Messages (2) Record Memo Message (3) Record New Greeting (8) Turn Off Answer Mode (9) If you press ?1? or ?2? (to playback messages), you have the follow options: Option Press Erase Current Message (0) Repeat Current Message (4) Repeat Previous Message (4) repeatedly Stop Message Playback (5) Skip to Next Message (6) To SAVE messages, hang up the telephone. Note: Your FA970 will sound a series of beeps if there are no messages. Remote Record New Greeting If you press 8 (to record new greeting): 1. When you hear a beep, begin recording your new greeting (up to 30 seconds). 2. When you have finished recording your new greeting, press (5). The unit will beep, and the new greeting will playback to you. 3. Hang up the telephone. Remote Record Memo If you press 3 (to record memo message): 1. Within three seconds of pressing ?3?, press ?1? or ?2? to select Mailbox 1 or Mailbox 2. Otherwise, the memo will be recorded in Mailbox 1. 2. When you hear a beep, begin recording your memo (up to 60 seconds). 3. When you have finished recording your memo message, press (5). 4. The corresponding Mailbox message count will be increased by one. To Retrieve Messages when Recording Memory is Full 1. When the message capacity is full, the unit will sound 3 beeps after answering the phone. 2. Within 20 seconds after the 3 beeps, dial your 3 digit security code. 3. Your FA970 will sound one beep to indicate the code was entered correctly.