Voice Memo App on iPhone: How to Make Full Use of It
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Voice Memos is one of the most underrated apps on your iPhone. It ships on every device, requires no setup, and lets you capture audio in seconds. Most people use it for the basics, a quick idea, a reminder to yourself, a lecture you want to revisit. But the app has grown substantially in recent years, and the full version of Voice Memos on iOS 18 includes a proper audio editor, automatic transcription, iCloud sync, and playback controls that most people never discover.
This guide covers everything: how to record, delete, save, share, edit, and trim your memos, how to organise them with folders and favourites, how the native transcription works, and how to get your recordings off your device.
How to record a voice memo
Let’s start by recording a voice memo.
Step 1: Open the ‘Voice Memos’ app. The latest iPhones will place it in a “Utilities” folder by default.
Step 2: Tap ‘Record’ to start recording.
Step 3: Tap the ‘waveform’ to bring up the full menu. Then tap ‘Pause’ to pause your recording.
Step 4: Press ‘Done’ to stop the recording.
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How to delete a voice memo
Once you stop the recording, you will see it as a “New Recording.” To delete it, click the ‘Trash can’ in the bottom right corner of the memo.
Recover the deleted memo
Step 1: Tap the ‘<’ at the top left of the screen. Then tap ‘Recently Deleted.’
Step 2: Tap the recording you want to recover. Then tap ‘Recover.’ Tap ‘Recover Recording.’
How to save your voice memo
Save voice memo in the app
Step 1: Tap on ‘More’ at the top right of your recording.
Step 2: Scroll down and tap ‘Save to Files.’ Then tap ‘On My iPhone’ and tap ‘Save.’
Save voice memo to iCloud
After you tap ‘Save to Files’, tap ‘iCloud Drive.’ Then tap ‘Save.’
How to edit your voice memo
Apple’s Voice Memo is also a powerful audio editor. Let’s look at different ways you can edit your recording.
Crop voice memo
Step 1: Tap ‘More’ on your recording. Then tap ‘Edit Recording’ and tap ‘Crop.’
Step 2: Move the ‘slider’ to crop out the parts of the audio you don’t want.
Step 3: Tap ‘Trim’ then tap ‘Save.’ Tap ‘Done.’
Replace sections
Sometimes you may have made a mistake while recording your memo. If you don’t want to record the whole thing again, you can just replace one part.
Step 1: Click ‘More’ then click ‘Edit Recording’.
Step 2: Drag the ‘waveform’ over to the part you want to re-record.
Step 3: Tap ‘REPLACE’ and the app will start recording starting where the blue line is placed. Quickly press ‘Pause’ when you have said your piece.
Change speed
Step 1: Tap ‘Options’.
Step 2: Move the slider closer to the tortoise to slow down the audio. Move it closer to the hare to make it faster.
Automatically skip silence
Tap ‘Options’ then tick ‘Skip Silence.’
Enhance audio
Tap ‘Options’ then tick ‘Enhance Recording.’
Rename voice memo
Step 1: Click the title of the recording.
Step 2: Type the name you want to give to the new recording. Then tap ‘Return.’
How to share a voice memo
There are also a variety of ways you can share your recording:
Copy voice memo
Tap ‘More’ then tap ‘Copy.’
Duplicate voice memo
Tap ‘More’ then tap ‘Duplicate.’ It will then create a copy directly below the original.
Share voice memo
Tap ‘More’ then tap ‘Share’. You can share with any of your contacts and many other apps.
How to transcribe voice memos to text
Apple does not include built-in voice memo transcription as of this writing. The good news is that you can use a free third-party app such as Notta. If you haven’t already downloaded Notta, go ahead and get it from the App Store before getting started. Let’s how we can accomplish this quickly and easily:
Step 1: Open the Notta app and log in to the account.
Step 2: Open the ‘Voice Memos’ app and find the recording you want to transcribe. Tap ‘More’ at the top right of your recording. Then tap ‘Share’.
Step 3: Tap ‘Notta’ then you will see a message that the voice memo is transcribing.
Step 4: Tap ‘OK’ then tap on the name of your recording to view your transcript.
How to Organise Your Voice Memos
If you use Voice Memos regularly, the default list view fills up quickly. The app includes two features that most people miss.
Folders let you create named categories for your recordings. Tap the back arrow from the main recording list to reach the Folders view, then tap the folder icon to create a new one. You can move any recording into a folder by tapping More and selecting Move to Folder. Folders for different projects, subjects, or time periods make it much easier to find specific recordings later.
Favourites mark a recording for quick access. Tap More on any recording and tap Favourite. A dedicated Favourites folder appears in the main folder view, so you can surface your most important recordings without scrolling through everything else.
The search bar at the top of the main list also searches across all your recordings, including by transcript content if you've transcribed them. Searching for a word that appeared in a recording will surface that specific file.
How to Sync Voice Memos with iCloud?
Enable iCloud sync under iPhone Settings > your Apple ID > iCloud > and toggle Voice Memos on. Once active, every recording you make on your iPhone will sync automatically to iCloud and appear on your iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch as well.
Recordings sync both ways. A note recorded on your Mac in GarageBand or Voice Memos will appear on your iPhone, and vice versa. This is useful if you like to record on your phone but edit on a larger screen. On Mac, Voice Memos offers the same waveform editor with the added convenience of a keyboard and trackpad for precise editing.
Bear in mind that iCloud syncing uses your iCloud storage allocation. If you have a lot of long recordings, they will count toward your iCloud storage limit.
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FAQs
Why can't I find the Voice Memo app on my iPhone?
You might have deleted the app by accident. You can find it on the App Store and search for 'Voice Memos.'
How long can a voice memo record?
There is no hard time limit built into the Voice Memos app itself. It will keep recording for as long as your iPhone has available storage and battery life. A one-hour recording in the standard compressed format takes up roughly 30 to 60 MB depending on the audio complexity, so even a 64 GB iPhone has room for dozens of hours of recordings.
Can I use the voice memo app to record my phone calls on iPhone?
The voice memo will stop recording if a phone call starts while you are recording. You can resume it after the call has ended. You will have to use an alternate method to record a phone call on your iPhone. You can also use a 2nd iPhone recording with voice memo while the other phone makes the call on speaker.
Does the Android device have a voice memo app?
The default voice memo app on an Android device is 'Sound Recorder.' It does not have as many features as the iOS version, but it is a good alternative. You can use it for recording a lecture or meeting, a song from the radio, or your thoughts.
Is Voice Memo a free app?
Voice Memo is a free app that comes with all iOS devices. It allows you to record audio and sound, save it to your device, or share it with others. You can download it for free from the App Store if it is not currently on your phone. If you are looking for third-party recording apps, you can find more information here.
Final thoughts
The Voice Memo app on Apple devices provides a convenient and versatile tool for capturing and managing audio recordings. It offers flexibility, accessibility, and integration within the Apple ecosystem, making it a valuable app for personal, educational, and professional use.
You now better understand the Voice Memo app and its benefits. It is easy to get your thoughts down in the simplest form possible. Combined with Notta, it's a potent tool to convert your voice into editable text in the palm of your hand.
