Editing Answering machine (section)

=== Recording messages ===
[[File:Autoanswer-mikrokassete.JPG|thumb|An answering machine that uses a [[microcassette]] to record messages]]

On a dual-cassette answerphone, there is an outgoing cassette, which after the specified number of rings plays a pre-recorded message to the caller. Once the message is complete, the outgoing cassette stops and the incoming cassette starts recording the caller's message, and then stops when the caller hangs up.  The incoming cassette remains stopped at the end of the last recorded message, so it is ready to start recording another message, from another call, immediately on demand.  However, the incoming message cassette must be rewound before the stored messages can be played back; typically there is a single button to play messages which when pressed causes the machine to automatically first rewind the incoming message cassette and then start playback.  Some machines will keep track of the position of the end of the last message that has already been played back and only rewind to that point in order to only play back new messages, unless the user explicitly rewinds the tape further and then starts playback.

Single-cassette answering machines contain the outgoing message at the beginning of the tape and incoming messages on the remaining space. They first play the announcement, then fast-forward to the next available space for recording, then record the caller's message. If there are many previous messages, fast-forwarding through them can cause a significant delay. This delay is taken care of by playing back a beep to the caller, when the TAD is ready to record. This beep is often referred to in the greeting message, requesting that the caller leave a message "after the beep".

TADs with digital storage for the recorded messages do not show this delay, of course.