How to send a voice message on iPhone (and keep them)

Audio message vs dictation

The small microphone inside the text box is dictation. It turns your words into typed text. To send a real recording of your voice, use Audio from the plus menu. People mix these up all the time, especially after the iOS 17 update moved the audio button off the main screen.

Send a voice message faster

You can move Audio to the top of the plus menu. Tap the plus, then press and hold Audio and drag it to the first row. Some versions show a More option at the bottom; the order you set stays. You can also swipe up on the plus menu to see all apps and rearrange them.

Listen to voice messages without the speaker

Turn on Raise to Listen in Settings › Apps › Messages. When a voice message arrives, lift the iPhone to your ear and it plays through the earpiece, like a phone call. Lift it again and speak to record a reply. This is handy in public places.

Read voice messages as text

On iOS 17 and later, iPhone shows a transcript under each audio message. If you cannot listen, tap the message to read it. Transcripts work in English and some other languages, and accuracy depends on how clearly the person spoke.

Keep or save a voice message

Received audio messages are deleted two minutes after you play them unless you tap Keep, or unless Expire is set to Never. To save a recording outside Messages, press and hold the audio bubble and tap Save. On recent iOS versions it is saved to the Voice Memos app or to Files. You can then share it by email, AirDrop or another app.

Send a voice message to an Android phone

It works the same way. Tap plus › Audio and record. If RCS is on for both phones, the audio goes as an RCS message with good quality. If not, it goes as MMS, which can reduce quality and may not send if your plan blocks MMS. Learn more in what RCS messaging is.

Voice messages in WhatsApp and other apps

WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram also send voice notes. In WhatsApp, press and hold the microphone at the right of the text box, speak, and let go to send. Slide up to lock and talk hands-free, or slide left to cancel. These apps keep voice notes until you delete the chat, so you do not have to tap Keep.

Voice message will not send?

• Check the microphone permission: Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone. Messages does not appear there, but third-party apps do.
• Check your connection: iMessage audio needs Wi-Fi or cellular data. Turn Airplane mode on and off.
• Check MMS: for green bubble chats, turn on MMS Messaging in Settings › Apps › Messages.
• Restart the iPhone: this fixes a stuck recording button in most cases.
• Test the mic: record in Voice Memos. If it is silent, see phone microphone not working.

Voice message will not play?

Turn up the volume with the side buttons while the message plays, since media volume and ringer volume can differ. Check that Bluetooth headphones or a car are not connected, because audio may be playing there. If the message says it expired, the sender's or your Expire setting deleted it; ask them to send it again. For wider problems, see iMessage not working.

How long can a voice message be?

Apple does not publish a hard limit, and long recordings of several minutes send fine on iMessage. MMS to Android phones without RCS has a much smaller file size limit set by your carrier, so long recordings may fail. For long audio, record in Voice Memos and share the file instead.

Record a voice message on iPhone step by step

1. Open Messages and pick the person or group.
2. Tap the plus button to the left of the text box.
3. Tap Audio. Recording starts right away.
4. Speak normally, holding the iPhone about a hand's width from your mouth.
5. Tap the red stop button when you finish.
6. Tap Play to hear it, the X to delete it, or the blue up arrow to send.

If you change your mind after sending, press and hold the message and tap Undo Send within two minutes. This works only in iMessage chats, not green bubble SMS chats, and the other person must also run a recent iOS version for it to vanish on their side.

Tips for clearer voice messages

• Record in a quiet room or away from wind. iPhone microphones pick up a lot of background noise.
• Do not cover the bottom of the iPhone, where the main microphone sits.
• Remove a thick case or screen protector if recordings sound muffled.
• If AirPods are connected, the recording uses the AirPods microphone, which can sound different.
• Keep messages short. The other person can read the transcript faster than they can listen.

Send a voice message with Siri

Say "Hey Siri, send an audio message to" and the contact's name. Siri asks you to speak, records it and asks if you want to send it. This is useful when you are driving and CarPlay is connected. Siri can also read incoming messages aloud through AirPods if Announce Notifications is on in Settings › Notifications › Announce Notifications.

Delete a voice message

Press and hold the audio bubble and tap Delete, then confirm. You can also delete the whole conversation by swiping left on it in the list. Deleting on your iPhone does not delete it on the other person's phone unless you used Undo Send in time.

Share a voice message from Voice Memos instead

For long notes, lectures or anything you want to keep, open Voice Memos, tap the red record button, then tap the recording and the three dots › Share. You can send it to Messages, Mail, WhatsApp or AirDrop. Voice Memos files do not expire, and you can trim them before sending. Learn more about AirDrop on iPhone.

Voice messages and storage

Each minute of audio is small, but years of kept messages and video attachments add up. If Messages takes a lot of space, set Keep Messages to 1 Year in Settings › Apps › Messages, or review large attachments. Our guide to freeing up iPhone storage shows where else space goes.

Why voice messages disappear

Most people who lose a voice message have Expire set to After 2 Minutes. The timer starts once you play the message. Change Expire to Never so every audio message stays until you delete it yourself. Messages you already lost cannot be recovered from the iPhone, though an older iCloud backup might still hold them; read how to recover deleted texts on iPhone for your options.

Voice messages on iPad and Mac

Your iPad and Mac can send audio messages too, as long as they are signed in to iMessage with the same Apple Account. On Mac, open Messages, click the Audio button next to the text field, speak and click stop. Messages you kept on one device appear on the others when Messages in iCloud is on.

Voice message not sending?

Audio messages need iMessage or RCS. Check that you have data or Wi-Fi and that the bubble is blue or shows RCS. Make sure Messages has microphone access in Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone. If the recording plays back silently, clean the microphone holes at the bottom of the iPhone.