Review Messages On Your Handset By Bosoxy on Apr 21, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

We received the GE model# 25833GE3 Digital Answering System with 5.8 GHz Cordless Phone for Christmas 2 years ago. My father went out and purchased us the system when our old phone inexplicably died a couple of days before Christmas (the battery was not the problem).

This review is on the answering machine part of the system.

What I really love about this system is that the answering machine messages can be retrieved from the telephone handset. There is a little button marked “answerer” in red at the bottom right of the handset. I press that button and my answering machine picks up from the other room and I can chose to review, play, stop, skip or delete the messages on the machine by using the appropriate buttons, all marked in red by the corresponding number.

The messages come across the handset clear and loud. The volume controls for the handset do work when using the answerer feature, so the volume can be adjusted while reviewing messages, if needed.

If a call should come in while using this feature on the handset the machine will not pick up, however you can answer the phone simply by pressing the talk button, which will allow you to answer the call while automatically returning the answering machine to its normal ready status.

The base of the phone/answerer has the basic answering machine buttons along with a digital display of how many messages are recorded on the machine. There are also buttons for 3 mailboxes. Each mailbox that has at least one new message will have a blinking button. We only use the one mailbox, however. We used to use the 3 but it just wasn't really necessary and made for a prolonged message for incoming callers with buttons to push, like one of those annoying automated customer service lines - Please Press 1 for blah blah blah… - so we decided to just go with the one. I think that our friends and family were thankful for that decision!

This digital answering machine holds an awful lot of messages, including very long messages up to 14 minutes long! This is actually more than a wee bit too long… but I guess that is what the fast forward button is for! Shhhhh! ;) The most messages that we have had on the machine was 48. It was at this point that the machine was full.

Each message is announced with the time and date of the call. You must set the time and date yourself or the machine will pick one for you… ;)

If you should lose power for a few seconds the machine will hold onto the messages but may reset the time and date. Power outages over a few seconds may result in loss of all messages, including the outgoing message that you record to greet callers. If this should happen while you are away the machine will use its factory settings, including a standard outgoing greeting, and will continue to function as normal once the power is returned. When you return home all that is needed to do is to reset the time and date and record a new outgoing greeting, if you wish to personalize your message.

While I used to think that I would prefer a stand alone answering machine, the headset answerer feature really changes my mind. The convenience works especially well for me as I am disabled, and I have grown so accustomed to it that I do not believe that I would want to have a machine without this type of feature ever again.