What an amazing piece of electronics, texting so much easier, cool content streamed to me, really a small handheld computer, but... text and especially voicemail notifications are really lacking, this phone can do so much is it too much to ask for a screen to pop up and notify you when you have a message? Sandwich makers iphone does that even when the screen is turned off.
There is a tiny notification bar at the top, a tiny 1mm icon displays when there is a message but first you must turn the screen on and the screen will not stay on permanently, adjustable to 10 minute max. There is a blue light that will slowly flash on and off if there is a message and the screen is off but you have to stare at it for a few seconds to see if it will cycle on and there appears to be a hole a voicemail can fall thru, if a voicemail is left while the phone is out of range it will not recognize a missed call or voicemail and the light will not flash, WTF???
It seems to me they are forcing the user to constantly pull down the notification bar to check for notifications, why? So they can retrain you to look at your phone more and sell you more content?
I read that op and just pictured Brendan Fraser in that movie where he lived in a bomb shelter since birth and one day opened the door to the outside and discovered technology. 
Blast from the Past?
Re the text message thing. There should be some kind of "push setting" in the message setting section on the phone.
For more control some apps need root access.
If you need root, get root. It's not hard, just google instructions for your phone and follow steps. 5 mins work. Don't be put off.
beagle, if you have any issues, chances are someone else has and made an app. whenever anything annoys you just google.
A great thing (on my nexus anyway) is ok google. where you just say ok google and say what you want. you dont even have to say it in a structured way or use keywords. you can say it in heaps of different ways (i.e. i want to call jenny or call jenny or ring jenny or email jeff and say blah blah) it all actuall works.
Select to expand quotekiteboy dave said..
For more control some apps need root access.
If you need root, get root. It's not hard, just google instructions for your phone and follow steps. 5 mins work. Don't be put off.
I googled "need root" and was surprised at the result...it actually comes up with phone info
Select to expand quoteParadox said..kiteboy dave said..
For more control some apps need root access.
If you need root, get root. It's not hard, just google instructions for your phone and follow steps. 5 mins work. Don't be put off.
I googled "need root" and was surprised at the result...it actually comes up with phone info
lol 
Grrr, OK I tried three different apps but not one of them does what I need. It seems this is the story of my life in regards to tech things. Several of them would give me a pop up notification that stayed on even when the screen was off but only for missed calls and texts. It's so simple, I need the phone to tell me when I have a voicemail! WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I am away from my phone or can't hear it because I'm partially deaf or the phone is out of range I want the phone to have a pop up banner that tells me I have a GD VOICEMAIL!!!!!!! even when the screen is off, it happened again this morning, phone rang early in other room, I ignored it and finally around 2 PM I noticed there was a voicemail, the icon is 1mm tall and in a group of other icons. iphone does this, what is the problem???????
I seriously want to chuck this thing against a brick wall.
I seriously want to chuck this thing against a brick wall.
Bear with me, this isn't my strong point. When I walk into the room after being away for an hour and my phone is sitting on a table I want to be able to just glance at it and visually see if someone has called me and left a voice mail for me on this phone which has the screen off. The screen is off because it will only stay on for 10 minutes max. The iphone will do this but i cannot get my Samsung S5 to do it.
Can the service provider change this? Actually I was on the phone with them for many hours 
Select to expand quoteBeaglebuddy said..
Bear with me, this isn't my strong point. When I walk into the room after being away for an hour and my phone is sitting on a table I want to be able to just glance at it and visually see if someone has called me and left a voice mail for me on this phone which has the screen off. The screen is off because it will only stay on for 10 minutes max. The iphone will do this but i cannot get my Samsung S5 to do it.
Can the service provider change this? Actually I was on the phone with them for many hours
Wait a minute dude...bro, to operate a smartphone u has to b smart 2.
Let Me explain... pickup the phone and say ok Google...then tell it your issue.
example: okay Google, android notification alert.
Then you read the description and select something that works for you.
Or you could just customize your lock screen.
Select to expand quoteBeaglebuddy said..
after being away for an hour
There's your problem right there.
You must always keep it in your hand & not take you eyes off of it.
The messages are that important.
Chuck it in a bucket of water
Life's too short for all that crap
If you set up light flow right you can make your LED glow a particular colour (say red) and stay on constantly (not flash) if you have a voicemail. Problem solved with least battery waste.
Otherwise try things like this
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.roymam.android.notificationswidget&hl=en
Just keep trying till you get the right app.
Select to expand quotePaul Kelf said..
Chuck it in a bucket of water
Life's too short for all that crap
wont help, the S5 is waterproof to 1.5 metres.
I would so smash this damn thing against a wall but I need it for work. I found an app that announces in a voice "you have a voicemail waiting" every 5 minutes, only problem is it can't be dismissed, you must listen to the voicemail or it will keep announcing. This works pretty well for now. I will try the LED app but only one of them says it will work for voicemail, but will it really? Pathetic that I have to go thru this. FFS why can't this be part of the phone????????????????? All the things this phone can do are amazing but one simple common sense thing everyone needs and it's completely impossible the people who designed this thing should be hung from their balls.
look on the bright side ......... you can just keep working and check for messages after you have done your job .
Select to expand quoteSandS said..
look on the bright side ......... you can just keep working and check for messages after you have done your job .
Even in the water. Double bonus!!
It sounds like these things are only half developed & don't do half what they are supposed to do until modified with apps.
Almost reminds me of some winsurfing kit that doesn't meet expectations but people are happy to modify it so it does & them go back & buy the same crap again & again.
usually just so they can be part of the brand family, must make them feel special or something.
TBH Paul Beagle's giving the wrong impression. The S5 in an insanely developed product and android 4.4 is very mature.
If you want no option about anything, get an iphone.
If you want some choice, get android or windows.
Generally when people get a bee in their bonnet about one tiny little thing, it's them that's out of whack not the product. 
Select to expand quotePaul Kelf said..
It sounds like these things are only half developed & don't do half what they are supposed to do until modified with apps.
Think of them like a PC or laptop or mac.
When you get a PC etc. you get the OS and a few basic programs, i.e. paint, notepad etc. its not until you install some programs like photoshop, MS office etc. that they become useful.
same with the phones, you get a phone dialer, text message app, contacts list etc.
If you want to do something other than standard you install apps.
Select to expand quotekiteboy dave said..
TBH Paul Beagle's giving the wrong impression. The S5 in an insanely developed product and android 4.4 is very mature.
If you want no option about anything, get an iphone.
If you want some choice, get android or windows.
Generally when people get a bee in their bonnet about one tiny little thing, it's them that's out of whack not the product.
It is insanely developed with the exception of this one thing (that I have found so far at least) IPHONE GIVES A VOICEMAIL BANNER NOTIFICATION ON AN OFF SCREEN.
Someone calls, I'm too busy to answer or I don't want to or I don't know who it is so I don't answer, call ends and phone tells me I missed a call with a banner but they leave a voicemail, however I have no clue that they have left a voicemail, no notification. Or I am talking to someone on the phone and someone calls at the same time, I don't answer, they leave a voicemail, not only is there no notification of the voicemail and the missed call but there is no record of the call, no record of the phone number that called me so I can call back WTF!!!!!!!??????
quick google bring up these suggestions, hopefully one of them helps.
access the voicemail application, select the menu icon, and select Settings. From the next screen, please ensure "Use notification settings for voicemail notifications" is checked
To access the “Show notifications” setting in your voicemail application you need to access your cell phones Settings, find and open the Application manager (sometimes located under the “More” tab on many Android smartphones), make sure that all of the apps are showing (you may need to scroll over a few pages if the current apps displayed are under the list of “Downloaded” apps), once you see the list of ALL your apps scroll down and find the Voicemail application, tap to open it and then deselect theShow notifications option. You may get a warning letting you know that if you do this then you may miss important alerts for this app. Press Ok which will remove the checkmark and disable this setting; once it’s disabled press the option again to enable it.Just make sure that “Show notifications” is check marked again as you’ll want to know when you get new voicemail messages.
maybe try reading this
galaxys5guide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Samsung_galaxy_s5_user_manual_SM_G900V_Verizon_Kitkat_English_201404.pdf
Love my S4 (Copy)
but would like a time display when in lock mode !
have not found an app yet..
still looking
So glad i moved to Andriod
Select to expand quotegrumplestiltskin said..
quick google bring up these suggestions, hopefully one of them helps.
access the voicemail application, select the menu icon, and select Settings. From the next screen, please ensure "Use notification settings for voicemail notifications" is checked
To access the “Show notifications” setting in your voicemail application you need to access your cell phones Settings, find and open the Application manager (sometimes located under the “More” tab on many Android smartphones), make sure that all of the apps are showing (you may need to scroll over a few pages if the current apps displayed are under the list of “Downloaded” apps), once you see the list of ALL your apps scroll down and find the Voicemail application, tap to open it and then deselect theShow notifications option. You may get a warning letting you know that if you do this then you may miss important alerts for this app. Press Ok which will remove the checkmark and disable this setting; once it’s disabled press the option again to enable it.Just make sure that “Show notifications” is check marked again as you’ll want to know when you get new voicemail messages.
maybe try reading this
galaxys5guide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Samsung_galaxy_s5_user_manual_SM_G900V_Verizon_Kitkat_English_201404.pdf
All sounds so simple but when I do finally get to the voicemail application under the application manager there are no options, no boxes to check or uncheck. It will not tap open.
Tried that pdf manual as well, "Voicemail notification, there are several ways your phone alerts you to a new message, by sounding the notification ringtone, by displaying (the cassette icon) in the status bar"
