How to Record a Voice Memo on an iPhone + Recording Format

PDF download Download Article
Create and send a voice memo on iPhone
PDF download Download Article

You can use the Voice Memo app to record voice messages on your iPhone. If you have an iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max, you can even record a second layer. This can be edited and trimmed all within the app. Share your memos by sending the audio file through apps such as Messages, Mail, and AirDrop. This wikiHow will show you how to record a Voice Memo on an iPhone.

Quick Steps

  1. Open the Voice Memos app.
  2. Tap the red record button to start recording.
  3. Record your audio.
  4. Tap the red record button to stop recording.
  5. Rename your recording.
Section 1 of 6:

Recording a Voice Memo

PDF download Download Article
  1. This looks like a red and white soundwave with a black background. You can usually find this in your Utilities folder.
    • You can also swipe down on your home page to manually search for the Voice Memos app.
  2. Your iPhone will begin recording immediately. You'll be able to see the length of your voice memo on the screen.
    • For best results, place your iPhone close to the sound you want to record.
    • You can use AirPods if you want to record your own voice without holding the phone to your face.
    • If your device has a Dynamic Island at the top, you can use another app while recording. Just minimize Voice Memos, and then switch to the new app. Tap the Dynamic Island to return back to Voice Memos.
    Advertisement
  3. The voice memo will automatically save to your iPhone.
    • If you only want to pause the recording temporarily, tap the pause button. Then, tap Resume to continue.
    • If you have Voice Memos turned on in iCloud settings or iCloud preferences, your recordings will be synced to iCloud. [1]
  4. You can title the voice memo for easier identification later.
    • There is no practical limit to the length of recordings, though eventually, you may run out of space on your iPhone if your recording is long. Recordings are essentially 480 KB per minute, meaning an hour-long recording would take approximately 30 MB. [2]
    5. Advertisement
Section 2 of 6:

Recording a Layered Voice Memo

PDF download Download Article
  1. This looks like a red and white soundwave with a black background.
    • You can record a second layer on top of another layer, such as a vocal layer on top of an instrumental recording.
    • This method is only available on iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max running iOS 18.2 or newer. [3]
  2. This can be an instrumental recording or another vocal recording.
    • If you don't already have the first recording, record it first.
  3. This looks like soundwaves. The waveform will expand with more options.
  4. This will add a second layer.
  5. Tap the red record button to start recording. When you're finished, tap it again to stop recording.
  6. This will save your recording. If prompted, enter a name for the recording, or keep the default name.
    7. Advertisement
Section 3 of 6:

Editing a Voice Memo

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can trim your recordings to remove parts you don't need or split a long recording into multiple parts. [4]
  2. This will be on the right side of the recording.
    • A pop-up menu will open.
  3. This will be underneath Share next to a sound wave icon.
  4. Tap the crop icon above the recording, towards the right side. This looks like a square with two extending points. Use the timeline at the bottom to crop your voice memo.
    • Drag the left arrow towards the right to crop the beginning.
    • Drag the right arrow towards the left to crop the ending.
    • Tap Trim to trim the selection or Delete to delete the selection.
    • Tap Save to save your changes.
  5. Tap the options icon. This looks like three switches.
    • Adjust the playback speed. Drag the circle towards the turtle icon to make it slower or towards the rabbit icon to make it faster.
    • Toggle on Skip Silence to automatically detect and remove silence in your recording.
    • Toggle on Enhance Recording to reduce background noise and echo.
  6. This will save and apply all your changes.
    7. Advertisement
Section 4 of 6:

PDF download Download Article
  1. You'll be able to share the voice memo with others via Messages, Mail, and more. The file will be sent in M4A format, which can be played on most modern devices.
  2. This will be on the right side of the recording.
    • A pop-up menu will open.
  3. This will be underneath Copy .
    • A list of apps will appear and options will appear.
    • If you want to save the recording to your Files app, tap Save to Files on the menu.
  4. Your voice memo will open within the app you choose.
    • You can use AirDrop if you want to send the voice memo to someone nearby.
    • You can also use Messages , Mail , or share via social media.
  5. After tapping your preferred sharing method, you'll need to confirm the
    • When using Messages , tap the recipient you want to send to. Tap the arrow in the text field to send your voice memo.
    • When using Mail , enter the email address of the recipient. Add a subject title, then tap the arrow in the top-right corner to send.
    • You can also send files to another device .
    6. Advertisement
Section 5 of 6:

Sending an Audio Message in Messages

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can send quick audio notes to your contacts using the Messages app. This is a great way to send SMS messages without having to type manually.
  2. You can find pinned messages at the very top.
    • Because audio messages use the iMessage platform, you can only send audio messages to other people who also use an iPhone, iPad, or a Mac. If you want to send an audio message to an Android user, you can record a voice memo and share the recording .
    • If the message bubbles are green, you will not be able to send audio messages.
  3. This looks like a white soundwave with a blue background. You can find this below the text field within the row of quick apps.
    • On older versions of iOS, this is a grey button to the right of the text field
  4. Your iPhone will begin recording immediately. You can see the length of your audio message displayed on the screen.
    • If you need to cancel the recording, slide your finger off the record button, then release.
  5. Your audio message will automatically be sent once you stop recording.
    6. Advertisement
Section 6 of 6:

What format does the iPhone record in?

PDF download Download Article
  1. However, if you have a layered recording on iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max, recordings will be saved in QTA (QuickTime Audio) format.
    • Layered recordings won't appear on devices with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia, or earlier.

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I listen to my memos?
    Community Answer
    Tap on the Voice Memos app to find the list of memos underneath the black recording box. Find the memo you want to listen to and tap on it. If it does not play immediately, tap the triangle-shaped play button to hear your memo.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 11
  • Question
    How long will voice memos record?
    Community Answer
    It depends on how much space you have left on your device. Normally, it will record until a certain amount of space is left.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 7 Helpful 20
  • Question
    How long can voice memos be?
    Community Answer
    As long as you wish, it also depends on how much storage you have as it can take up a lot of megabits/gigabits, etc. Also consider how much you actually want to listen over what you've said again.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 16
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      wikiHow Video: How to Record a Voice Memo on an iPhone

      Watch


      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Record High-Quality Audio on Your Mobile Phone
      How to
      Write a Memo
      4 Easy Ways to Record Voice or Audio on a Windows Computer
      How to
      Hard Reset an iPhone
      Apple ID Sign Out Unavailable? Here's How to Fix It
      How to
      Get Past the Activation Lock on an iPhone or iPad without the Seller
      How to
      Fix "Notifications Silenced" on iPhone Messages
      6 Easy Steps to Reload Your Cash App Card at the Store
      How to
      Bypass Your Screen Time Passcode: Reset, Remove, or Hack Screen Time
      How to
      Use the iPhone Hidden Album to Hide Private Photos
      How to
      Automatically Forward Text Messages to Another Phone
      How to
      Fix the “iPhone Unavailable” Message: Explanation and Fixes
      How to
      Install AltStore on an iPhone or iPad
      4 Ways to Find Your Lost iPhone When It’s Offline or Dead
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/make-a-recording-iph4d2a39a3b/ios
      2. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/39vzhs/how_many_mbmin_for_voice_memos/?st=itub5pcc&sh=b589b20d
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/add-a-second-layer-to-a-recording-iphfefa3252b/ios
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/play-it-back-iphebbd067ce/ios

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the Voice Memos app.
      2. Tap the red "Record" button.
      3. Tap the red square to pause the recording.
      4. Tap Done to finish recording.
      5. Enter a name for the recording and tap Save .

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 6,674,082 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Ann Waldman

        Feb 10, 2017

        "Elderly novice here! But Siri helped me open Voice Memo and record some Italian verb conjugations I have to learn ..." more
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement