How to Record High-Quality Audio on Your Mobile Phone

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A step-by-step guide to record audio and voice memos on your phone
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Being able to record audio at a moment's notice is a handy, yet often overlooked, feature of modern smartphones. iPhones come with a voice recording app installed, as do many Android phones. There are a variety of free recording apps available that may offer more features. You can use these audio recording apps to record your own thoughts, class lectures, meetings, concerts, and more.

Best Ways to Record Sound on an iPhone or Android

  • On an iPhone , open the Voice Memos app, then tap the red record button to start recording.
  • If you have a Samsung phone , open the app called Voice Recorder , then tap the red circle to record audio.
  • On other Android models, you can use Google Recorder (if you have a Google Pixel phone), or try a different recording app from the Play Store.
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

iPhone

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  1. You will find it on your Home screen or in your app library. This app, which comes preinstalled on your iPhone, allows you to record audio. You can use it with or without a connected microphone or headset. [1]
  2. Your iPhone will immediately begin recording audio from the device's microphone.
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  3. To get the best sound for your recording, point the bottom of the iPhone to the source of the audio. This is where the microphone is located. Make sure that your hands are not covering the microphone on the iPhone. Make sure to keep some distance between you and the source for the best levels.
    • If you enable stereo recording in your settings, your iPhone will use multiple microphones to record audio. [2]
  4. 4
    Tap the Stop button when you want to pause recording. Do this when you want to briefly stop the recording but resume it again before saving it. To resume, just tap Resume .
    • You can drag the timeline to adjust where you want to start recording again.
  5. You'll see this at the bottom-right corner of the Voice Memos app. This saves your voice recording as a new file. The file's default name will be either "New Recording" or your current location, followed by a number. [3]
    • To change the name of a recording, tap it once, tap the current name (typically an address), then type a new name.
  6. Your recordings will all be listed in the Voice Memos app when you open it. Tap one to open the playback controls, then tap the play button to listen.
    • You can also tap ••• > Share to share the recording, or ••• > View Transcript to read a transcript.
    • Tap the trashcan icon to delete a recording.
  7. 7
    Edit your recordings. If you want to trim part of the recording off, tap ••• > Edit Recording to open the recording in the editor, then tap ••• > Trim to open the Trim tool. From here, drag the yellow bars on either side of the timeline at the bottom to the desired start and end, then tap Trim to retain only the part within the selection. [4]
  8. 8
    Change your Voice Memos settings for better quality recordings. By default, your iPhone records using only one microphone (the one at the bottom) and saves recorded audio in a compressed format. For a better-quality recording, you can enable stereo recording and switch to lossless recording mode in your Voice Recorder settings. Here's how: [5]
    • Open your iPhone's Settings .
    • Scroll down and tap Apps .
    • Tap Voice Memos .
    • Toggle on "Stereo Recording."
    • Tap Audio Quality .
    • Select Lossless .
      • Note: Recording lossless audio will result in much larger audio files. If you don't need absolutely perfect quality, it's fine to leave this as Compressed .
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Android (Samsung Galaxy)

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  1. 1
    Open the Voice Recorder app. Most Android phones made by Samsung come with an audio recording app called Voice Recorder. If you don't have the app, you can download it from the Google Play Store. [6]
    • The app has a red icon with white soundwaves.
  2. 2
    Adjust recording quality (optional). If you want to adjust the quality of your audio recording for better sound, tap the three-dot â‹® icon at the top of Voice Recorder, select Settings , and choose your preferred quality settings. [7]
    • To select an overall quality level, tap Recording Quality , then choose Low , Mid , or High . The higher the quality, the larger the file.
    • Enable "Record in Stereo" to use both microphones to record.
    • Tap the back button to return to Voice Recorder when you're finished.
  3. 3
    Select a recording mode. Voice Recorder offers two modes– Standard mode, which uses both your phone's microphones to create a recording (if you enabled Stereo quality in the previous step), and Interview , which uses the bottom microphone to record the interviewer, and the top to record the interviewee. [8]
  4. 4
    Tap the red record button to start recording. As you record, you will see the waveform move.
    • If you're in Interview mode, there will be two waveforms.
  5. 5
    Tap the Pause button to take a break. If you want to stop recording but are not ready to stop adding to the same audio file, pressing pause will stop the recording temporarily. You can pick up from where you left off by tapping the record button again.
    • You can also pick up from a different place by dragging the waveform to the desired location.
  6. 6
    Tap the Stop button to finish the recording. You will be prompted to name the recording.
  7. 7
    Save the recording. Enter a name for your recording, and select a category if you'd like. Tap Save to save it.
    • Once you have saved at least one recording, you will see a List option when you open the app. Tap List to display all your recordings, and select a recording to play it.
    • To edit a recording, tap it to open it, then tap the pencil icon at the top.
    • To get a transcription of the recording, tap Transcribe on the file. [9]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Android (Pixel)

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  1. 1
    Open the Recorder app on your Android. If you have a Google Pixel phone, the Google Recorder app–an orange icon with white soundwaves–is preinstalled on your device. If you removed it, you can download it again from the Play Store . [10]
    • If you have a different type of Android, you cannot install Google Recorder. However, you can search the Play Store for "voice recorder" and install any of the free voice recorder apps–they'll all work similarly.
  2. 2
    Adjust audio quality if needed (optional). If you want to make a high-quality recording, such as when you're recording live music or vocals, you can enable stereo recording in your settings. Here's how:
    • Tap your profile picture at the top-right corner of the Recorder app.
    • Tap Recorder settings .
    • Tap Audio channels .
    • Select Stereo to ensure Recorder uses both microphones.
  3. 3
    Tap the Record button to start a new recording. It's the red circle at the bottom of the screen. Your phone will start recording, and the waveform will move as it captures audio. [11]
    • Even if your screen goes to sleep, your phone will continue to record audio until you pause or stop the recording.
    • If you are recording someone speaking, Recorder will also create a transcript.
  4. 4
    Press the Pause button to stop the recording. If you just want to stop the recording temporarily and plan to start recording again, tap Resume to pick up where you left off. [12]
  5. 5
    Name the recording. When you pause the recording, you'll also be able to give the recording a name. Tap Add Title , and enter a name for your audio recording.
  6. 6
    Tap Save to save your recording. This saves your recording to your Google Pixel phone. You can find your saved recordings on Recorder's main screen when you open the app. [13]
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Other Androids

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  1. If you don't have a Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel phone, your phone likely still has an app called Sound Recorder, Voice Recorder, Voice Memos, Voice Notes, or similar. If not, or if you don't like the one you have, you can download a free recording app from the Play Store. Here's how:
    • Open the Google Play Store and search for "voice recorder."
    • Browse through the list of results to find an app that meets your needs. There are tons of audio recording apps available, some for free and some for purchase.
    • Check out the star ratings to get a quick feel for how popular the apps are.
    • Tap an app to view details, such as user reviews and screenshots.
    • Tap the Install button once you've found an app that you want to try. If the app costs money, you'll have to tap the price and pay for it to start the download.
  2. Once you've found or downloaded an app, find it in your app drawer and tap it to open it up.
    • The recording interface will be different for every app, so the rest of this section is just a general guide.
  3. When you launch your new recorder app, you'll generally be taken to the New Recording screen or something similar. The app may open to a list of your existing recordings first.
  4. Most Android devices have a microphone at the bottom. Make sure that your hands are not covering the microphone while you're recording.
  5. You can usually pause your recording without finishing it, allowing you to resume recording.
  6. This will typically save the recording to your device, but this will vary depending on the app you are using.
  7. Most recording apps include basic editing functions, allowing you to trim out unnecessary parts. The Edit button typically appears after you have finished the recording.
  8. Tap the Share button to send the recording to someone else using one of your messaging apps. Most recorders record in WAV or MP3 format, which can be played on virtually any device.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I transfer a large audio recording from my mobile phone to my computer?
    Community Answer
    I use Google Drive to do this. Download the Google Drive app from the App Store and log in with your email. Then (at least on the iPhone recorder app), click on the recording you want to send, then click "Export," then "Copy to Google Drive." Then you log into Google Drive on your computer and there it is!
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    Not Helpful 6 Helpful 16
  • Question
    How can I record a sound with iPhone 6?
    Community Answer
    On your iPhone 6 there are pre-installed apps that cannot be removed; one of those is called Voice Memos. Find the app on your device and open it. You should see the word "record" at the top, a big red button toward the bottom, and a list of recordings beneath that. Just click the red button and it will record any audio picked up by the iPhone's microphone.
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  • Question
    Can I record audio and shoot a video at the same time?
    Community Answer
    Most smartphone cameras automatically include any audio that occurred during filming into the video, so there is no need to do both at the same time.
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      Tips

      • You can enhance the quality of your recordings by using an external mic with your phone. There are a variety of both USB-C and Bluetooth phone mics on the market, and many of them cost less than $10 USD.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/make-a-recording-iph4d2a39a3b/ios
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/make-a-recording-iph4d2a39a3b/ios
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/make-a-recording-iph4d2a39a3b/ios
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/edit-or-delete-a-recording-iphc9bdaee83/18.0/ios/18.0
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/make-a-recording-iph4d2a39a3b/ios
      6. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-use-the-voice-recorder/
      7. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-use-the-voice-recorder/
      8. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-use-the-voice-recorder/
      9. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10000942/
      1. ↑ https://recorder.google.com/about
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/5cn1cqFdQ1Q?si=7qwimdZI_WxGiQLM&t=16
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/5cn1cqFdQ1Q?si=L49gUDLzM0_JeJms&t=27
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/5cn1cqFdQ1Q?si=l7RnuLSirMas75HN&t=60

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Voice Memos , Sound Recorder, or your desired app.
      2. Hold the bottom of the phone near the audio source.
      3. Tap the Record button.
      4. Tap Stop when you're finished.
      5. Name the file if prompted.

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