having trouble recording voicemails into audacity

I’m trying to record sentimental voicemails off my cell phone and onto my computer using Audacity but am having trouble. I’ve got a 3.5 to 3.5 jack plugged into both my microphone jack on the back of my desktop tower and into my headphone jack on my cell phone. I’ve checked the software playthrough preferences on Audacity edit and have selected audio host Windows direct source, SoundMAX HD Audio, SoundMAX HD Audio:Microphone, and 1(mono) recording channel. When I follow the instructions to call into my voicemail and when it starts playing click record nothing happens. Nothing is recording at all. I’m running Windows XP and Audacity 2.0.6. I’d be most grateful for some help!

If you have a “line-in” socket on your computer , rather than “microphone” socket, that’s preferable,
as the headphone signal from the phone is too strong for the microphone socket and the sound can be very distorted as a result.

Even using the “microphone” socket there should be some sound recorded, not silence.

Maybe connection isn’t correct : Some 3.5mm jacks-plugs on computers and phones have 4 connectors (TRRS) …

Putting a 2 or 3 connector 3.5mm jacks-plug into a four connector (TRRS) socket does not enable a connection.

A [~$5] adapter may be necessary to connect the phone to the computer,
which adapts 3.5mm TRS to 3.5mm TRRS , ( or TS to TRRS ).