How to Record Audio on iPhone With Voice Memos

Your iPhone is a perfectly good pocket recorder. I use mine for voice notes when an idea hits on a walk, for practising a talk before an event, and for rough podcast intros before I sit down at a studio mic. Small business owners use it for meeting notes, interviews, testimonials and voiceovers for social clips.

The app for the job is Voice Memos, which Apple builds into every iPhone. Apple's iPhone User Guide covers recording, cutting background noise, editing and sharing, and that's what this page follows.

Finding Voice Memos and making your first recording

Apple's help says Voice Memos lives in the Utilities folder, and suggests moving it to your Home Screen so it's easier to find. Then:

1. Open Voice Memos.
2. Tap the Record button to start.
3. Hold the phone at a sensible distance. Apple says you adjust the level by moving the microphone closer to or farther from what you're recording.
4. Tap the Stop button when you're finished.

Your recording saves automatically with the name New Recording, or with your location if Location Services is on. Tap the recording, then tap the name to give it something you'll recognise later, such as Client brief or Podcast intro.

While you're recording, Apple's help says an orange dot appears to show the microphone is in use. It's a handy reminder that you're still recording if you switch screens.

Pausing and resuming a Voice Memos recording

For longer recordings, Apple's help describes the advanced controls. Tap the Pause button to stop for a moment and tap Resume to carry on in the same file. Tap Play to review what you've got, and tap Done to save. You can swipe up from the top of the waveform to see more detail while recording.

Cutting background noise with Voice Isolation

Recording in a busy room? Apple's help says you can choose how much background sound to include through Control Center:

1. Open Voice Memos.
2. Open Control Center.
3. Tap Voice Memos at the top.
4. Choose Voice Isolation to filter out background sounds, or Wide Spectrum to include them.

Voice Isolation is the one I'd pick for interviews and talking notes. Apple notes that Wide Spectrum isn't available on every iPhone model.

Choosing mono, stereo or Spatial Audio in Settings

Apple's help says the recording mode changes how the audio sounds when it's played back. Go to Settings, tap Apps, tap Voice Memos, then tap Recording Mode.

Mode	How it sounds
Mono	The same in both ears
Stereo	Separated between left and right
Spatial Audio	Immersive, as if it's coming from all directions

Spatial Audio isn't available on all iPhone models, Apple says. For a voice note, mono is usually all you need. Stereo can be nice for recording music or a room.

Recording audio on iPhone while using another app

Apple's help says you can keep recording while you use another app, as long as that app doesn't play audio. If the other app starts playing sound, Voice Memos stops recording. On supported models, you'll see the recording in the Dynamic Island so you can get back to it. Apple also says turning on Silent mode mutes the start and stop tones.

Trimming the start or end of a voice recording

Most recordings have a bit of shuffling at the start. Apple's help explains the trim tool:

1. Tap the recording in your list, then tap the More button and the Trim button.
2. Drag the yellow handles around the section you want to keep or remove. Pinch to zoom in on the waveform.
3. Tap Trim to keep the selection, or Delete to remove it.
4. Tap Apply, then Done.
5. Choose Save Recording to overwrite the original, or Save as New Recording to keep both.

If you delete a recording by mistake, Apple says it goes to the Recently Deleted folder, where it's kept for 30 days by default, and you can tap Recover there.

Sending a voice recording from your iPhone

To share a recording, Apple's help says to tap it, tap the More Actions button, tap Share, then tap Options. Rendered creates a single .m4a file with everything mixed in, which is what you want for sending to a client, an editor or a podcast host. Editable is for someone with compatible software who wants to adjust the layers themselves. Then pick Mail, Messages, AirDrop or another option.

Apple also says that with Voice Memos switched on in iCloud settings, your recordings appear on your iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to the same Apple Account, which makes moving them to a computer for editing easy.

Recording good audio on iPhone for your business

• Record in a soft room, such as one with curtains or a sofa, to cut echo.
• Do a ten-second test and listen back with headphones before the real take.
• Ask permission before recording anyone else, and tell them what it's for.
• Use a supported headset or external microphone if you record often. Apple's help says both work with Voice Memos.

If you need to capture your screen and your voice together, for a tutorial for example, my roundup of screen recording software covers tools that do both. And for more phone-based admin, see my guide to sending a fax from an iPhone.

Frequently asked questions

How do I record audio on my iPhone?

Open Voice Memos, which is in the Utilities folder, and tap the Record button. Tap the Stop button when you're done and the recording saves automatically.

Where is Voice Memos on iPhone?

Apple's help says it's in the Utilities folder. You can move it to your Home Screen to find it faster.

How do I reduce background noise on an iPhone recording?

Open Voice Memos, open Control Center, tap Voice Memos at the top and choose Voice Isolation.

Can I record audio on iPhone with the screen off or in another app?

You can use another app while recording, as long as it doesn't play audio. If it does, Voice Memos stops recording.

How do I get a deleted voice memo back?

Open the Recently Deleted folder in Voice Memos and tap Recover. Apple says deleted recordings are kept there for 30 days by default.

What file type does Voice Memos share?

Choosing Rendered when you share creates a single .m4a file with all effects and layers mixed in.