The first device used for recording telephone conversations was invented in 1898. Early models could only be used at home unlike contemporary voicemail, which can be accessed remotely.

It was on this day, July 1st, in 1950 that the first electronic telephone answering machine was produced by Bell Labs and Western Electric.

Digital answering machines differed from earlier answering machines that used magnetic tape technology. AT&T, an owner of Bell Labs, brought this first digital answering machine to the market. Kazuo Hashimoto sued the company on patent infringement charges, but it was determined that AT&T’s technology was significantly different from Hashimoto’s earlier patent.