Voice mail is a telecommunications feature that allows users to store and retrieve voice messages. It enables people to leave recorded audio messages when they are unable to speak directly with someone, such as when the recipient's phone line is busy or turned off, or if there is no answer. The message can be retrieved later by the recipient who can listen to it at their convenience. Voice mail systems have evolved over time and now include features like visual voice mail, which allows users to read transcriptions of messages alongside any attached audio files, as well as text-to-speech conversion for those with hearing impairments or preferences for different forms of communication.