Abstract: A portable telephone answering device which fits over the cradle of a telephone handset and receives the handset with a speaker adjacent the handset microphone and a microphone adjacent the handset speaker. An outgoing message can be recorded on one track of a multi-channel loop of tape. When ringing is detected, the telephone plungers are released and the outgoing message played. Next the unit records an incoming message on another track. A metallic splice on the loop serves as a reference. The number of channels on which an incoming message has been recorded are counted and the count incremented only if audio signals are detected indicating a message was left.