Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Guides

How to use Voice Memos and record audio on an iPhone

By

Do you want to know how to use the Voice Memos app or record audio on an iPhone? Perhaps you’re a student who wants to document lectures for future study, a journalist who wants to record an interview, or a musician who wants to lay down some demos without the fuss of using dedicated music software. Regardless of the particular purpose you have in mind, using Voice Memos and recording audio on an iPhone is painlessly easy. It may not get all the attention other iPhone apps receive, but it’s certainly one of Apple’s unsung heroes.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

15 minutes

What You Need

  • iPhone

This article will explain how to use Voice Memos to record audio on your iPhone. It will also run through some of the extra functionality offered by the Voice Memos app, such as the ability to edit and delete your recordings, as well as the ability to share them.

How to use Voice Memos and record audio on an iPhone

Usually, you’ll find Voice Memos in the Utilities folder on your iPhone’s Home screen. Once you open it, you’ll be taken straight to its main interface.

Step 1: At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a circular red button. This is the Record button. Select it to begin recording.

Step 2: When you want to stop recording, select the Record button again. This finishes the recording and adds it to your saved Voice Memos. You’ll see an entry for it on the main Voice Memos screen. It will usually be named after the location in which it was recorded (e.g. “Digital Trends Street” or “Home”). You can change it by selecting the name of the file.

How to optimize recording quality

Obviously, it helps to know beforehand what you want to record and how best to position your iPhone to get the best recording results. Generally, placing the iPhone on a flat surface is better than holding it in your hand, since it avoids the kinds of wobbles and scuffs that can create unwanted noise. Also, it’s worth noting the microphone is at the bottom of your iPhone — so point it toward the source of your recording.

Related

How to use Voice Memos to edit or delete recorded audio

Once you’ve recorded something, Voice Memos lets you do a number of things with your recording.

Step 1: By selecting the More icon (which looks like three horizontally aligned dots) below your recording, you can bring up a menu that presents various options.

Step 2: Once on this menu, select Edit recording to edit what you’ve just recorded.

Step 3: Doing this brings up another screen with an audio wave graph of your recording. Just above this graph, in the top-right corner, is the Trim icon. Select this to trim your recording. You do this by dragging one of the yellow lines at either the beginning or the end of the audio.

Step 4: Drag it to the desired point, press the Play button to hear how it will sound, and then choose the Trim button to complete the trim.

Step 5: Select the Save option in the top-right corner of the screen to save the edit, and then select Done.

Deleting recordings

If you’re looking to free up space or eliminate an embarrassing or unnecessary recording, you can quickly delete voice recordings whenever you like.

Step 1: To do this, go to the main Voice Memos screen, choose the recording in question, and then select the Trash icon underneath it. Even after you’ve deleted them, recordings remain in the Deleted folder for a month before disappearing entirely.

Step 2: Access them by scrolling down to Recently deleted. Selecting this gives you the option of restoring a deleted recording.

How to use Voice Memos to share recorded audio

After you’ve altered your recording to your liking, you can then share it to a platform or send it to personal contacts.

Step 1: Select the More button underneath the recording. Here, you’ll be able to copy and duplicate the recording or save it to Files.

Step 2: To share it, select the Share option.

Step 3: Select the app through which you want to share the recording. Another option to share recordings is to use Messages or AirDrop to send them directly to selected friends on your contact list or other Apple users.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Chandler
Simon Chandler
Mobile Writer
Simon Chandler is a journalist based in London, UK. He covers technology and finance, contributing to such titles as Digital…
How to schedule a text message on your iPhone
Close-up photo of the Messages app on an iPhone.

Do you often send text messages to a friend or family member across the pond? Or do you want to message someone when you know they’re off work and are able to get to you in a reasonable manner? Maybe you want to send a message every day at the same time, to let your significant other know you’re on the way home and to ask if they need you to pick up anything.

If you said yes to any of these scenarios (or other ones you have in your head), you may be looking for a way to schedule text messages on your iPhone. After all, this is a feature that Android users have, and it can often prove incredibly convenient.

Read more
iPhone SE deals: Refurbished 2nd and 3rd Gen iPhones
apple iphone se 2020 news new black camera and touch id 04152020

Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular phones on the planet, and whatever its current model happens to be almost always ranks among the best phones. This makes the iPhone an expensive purchase, which is where the iPhone SE comes in. Apple launched the iPhone SE in order to make an iPhone affordable to more people. The SE utilizes technology that’s a generation or two old and will often take the form factor of a previous iPhone model. Right now the it's a great phone to turn to for even more savings. There are some iPhone SE deals to take a look at out there, and while it’s difficult to find newer iPhone SE models, you can shop refurbished knowing the big retailers are likely backing the purchase with warranties and solid return windows. So whether you’re looking for some great iPhone deals or phone deals in general, below you’ll find the best iPhone SE deals to shop right now.
iPhone SE 2nd Gen deals

The second generation of the iPhone SE was initially launched in 2020, but it still manages to keep up with the needs of many phone users today. It utilizes the body of the Apple iPhone 8, which means it will have a home button and fingerprint ID instead of the Face ID technology in current iPhone models. That’s not much to give up, however, as the second generation iPhone SE still has a great display, a 12-megapixel camera with the ability to shoot 4K video, and wireless charging capability.

Read more
This one Apple Fitness feature completely changed how I exercise
Someone holding an iPhone with the Apple Fitness app open, showing the Custom Plans feature.

I have a confession to make: I'm not good at sticking to a workout routine. I love running, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training, etc. In the moment of those exercises and in the post-workout euphoria, I feel amazing. But when it comes to waking up early in the morning to do these things before work? Well, that's where I really struggle.

This has been a problem for a while now. I go to bed with the goal of waking up early and going to the gym, but as I groggily open my eyes to snooze the alarm on my iPhone 15 Pro Max, I end up falling back asleep. And I've been repeating this over and over and over again.

Read more