I’m home right now . . . I’m just screening my calls. So just start talking and if you’re someone I want to speak to I’ll pick up the phone. Otherwise, well, what can I say?
“Good afternoon. You have reached the office of [your name]. I will be out of the office beginning on [date] and will be returning on [date]. Please leave a brief message with your contact information, and I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as I return on [date]. If this is an emergency or you need to speak with someone before I return, please contact [name of colleague/supervisor], [their job title], at [their phone number].”

With this method, you don’t need a third-party app. Call the person you want to chat with, then tap the “Add Call” button on your phone’s screen. Dial your own phone number—the one you’re calling from. This will take you to your voicemail. Once your voicemail has started recording, tap the “Merge Calls” button on your screen. Now, you’ll record your phone conversation onto a voicemail message. When you’re done with the call, you can tap the share button to export it to your Mac via Airdrop, to the Voice Memos app, or transfer it via email or text message. The file is recorded as an M4A, so depending on what you want to do with it, you may need to convert it to MP3 before uploading it to other apps.
Are you creating a voicemail greeting for your entire company or team? These business voicemail greetings will do the trick.