How to Send a Voice Message on iPhone: Record, Send, Keep, and Fix Audio Messages

How to record and send an audio message in Messages

The built-in Messages app is the fastest way to send audio to another iPhone or iPad user. It works over iMessage (blue bubbles) and, on recent iOS versions, over RCS with Android users too, though the audio message experience is smoothest between Apple devices. Where the record button lives has changed across iOS releases, so hedge your expectations by version below.

1. 1

   Open a conversation

   Launch Messages and open (or start) a conversation with the person you want to send audio to.

2. 2

   Find the audio button

   On iOS 17 and later, tap the plus (+) button to the left of the text field, then tap the audio waveform icon in the menu that appears. On older iOS versions, the waveform or microphone icon sits directly next to the text field, no plus menu needed.

3. 3

   Record your message

   Press and hold the icon to record, or on some versions a single tap arms it and a second tap starts recording. Talk normally, holding the phone as you would for a call, or lock it in place to keep both hands free.

4. 4

   Preview and send

   Release to stop, then tap play to review it. If it sounds right, tap the up arrow to send. If not, tap the trash icon and try again.

If you're used to an older layout and can't find the waveform icon anymore, check under the plus (+) menu first: Apple reorganized the compose bar in iOS 17, and audio recording moved there alongside Camera and Photos on many devices. Which layout you see depends on your iOS version, so try both locations before assuming something is broken.

Raise to Listen and hands-free playback

iPhone has a feature called Raise to Listen that lets you play and reply to audio messages without touching the screen, useful when your hands are full. Turn it on in Settings > Messages > Raise to Listen. With it enabled, simply lift the phone to your ear when a new voice message arrives and it starts playing automatically; keep it there and start talking to record a reply.

How to enable voice messages on iPhone

If the audio button is missing entirely, or tapping it does nothing, one of a few settings is probably off. These are worth checking once, and then you shouldn't need to touch them again.

1. Turn on iMessage

   Go to Settings > Messages and make sure the iMessage toggle at the top is on. Audio message bubbles rely on iMessage; without it, Messages falls back to plain SMS/MMS.

2. Grant microphone access

   Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and turn on access for Messages. If access was ever denied, the toggle needs to be switched back on manually; it won't prompt again automatically.

3. Check the Audio Messages expiry setting

   Still in Settings > Messages, scroll to Audio Messages > Expire. This doesn't control whether you can record, but it decides whether your sent and received messages disappear afterward. Set it to whatever you prefer here.

With those three in place, the audio button in Messages should work without any further setup. If it still doesn't, skip ahead to the troubleshooting section below.

Do audio messages disappear? How to keep them

Yes, by default. Audio messages sent and received through Messages are removed automatically 2 minutes after being played, to save storage. This surprises a lot of people the first time a message they meant to save just vanishes from the thread.

One thing worth knowing: this expiry only applies to audio messages recorded inside Messages. A Voice Memo you record separately and share as a file, covered next, never expires on its own, since it's a regular file attachment rather than a disappearing message bubble.

Can you send a voice message during a call?

Generally, no. On most iOS versions, iPhone reserves the microphone for the active call, so the audio message record button in Messages stays disabled while a call is in progress. Trying to record one usually does nothing, or the button won't respond at all. This can vary slightly by iOS version and device, so if your specific iPhone behaves differently, treat that as the exception rather than the rule.

How to send a voice memo from your iPhone

The Voice Memos app is better suited for longer recordings, interviews, lectures, song ideas, or a message you want to keep permanently rather than have it expire. Unlike Messages audio clips, a Voice Memo is a real file you can share anywhere.

1. 1

   Record in Voice Memos

   Open the Voice Memos app (pre-installed on every iPhone) and tap the red record button. Tap it again to stop.

2. 2

   Find your recording

   Your new memo appears at the top of the list, labeled with the date and location by default. Tap it to select it.

3. 3

   Tap Share

   Tap the three-dot menu (or the share icon, depending on iOS version) and choose Share.

4. 4

   Pick how to send it

   Choose Messages, Mail, AirDrop, WhatsApp, or any other app installed on your phone. The audio file attaches directly.

Voice Memos saves recordings as .m4a files (AAC audio), which play natively on iPhone, Android, and most computers. File size depends on length rather than a fixed cap: expect roughly 1MB per minute at the default quality, so a short message is trivial to send, while a long recording may hit size limits on email or MMS and be better shared via AirDrop, cloud storage, or a link. Because it shares as an actual file rather than a disappearing Messages bubble, it works over email, cloud storage, or any messaging app, including ones on Android, as long as the recipient's app can play .m4a files (most can).

Can I send a voice message on WhatsApp from an iPhone?

Yes, WhatsApp on iPhone works the same as on Android. Open a chat, press and hold the microphone icon in the bottom-right corner of the text field, speak, and release to send. Swipe the microphone icon toward the lock icon while recording to keep it hands-free without holding the button down. WhatsApp is often the best cross-platform choice if both people already have the app installed, since it works identically whether the recipient has an iPhone or an Android phone. For a full walkthrough of WhatsApp's recording options, including locking, once-listen messages, and playback speed, see our guide to sending voice messages on WhatsApp.

Send a voice message to someone without iMessage

This is where things get frustrating. iMessage audio messages are an Apple-only feature. When you send one to someone with an Android phone, or anyone not using iMessage, it either fails to send as an audio clip, arrives as a low-quality compressed file over SMS, or doesn't send at all, depending on carrier and RCS support. If you've ever had a voice message silently fail to a green-bubble contact, this is why. The same problem shows up whenever there's no app both of you already share, not just with Android.

You have three reliable options:

• Record online and send a link: SendMyVoice's free share tool lets you record straight from your iPhone's browser at /send-online-voice-message and get back a link. Paste that link into any text message or email. The recipient just taps it and the audio plays in their browser, no app, account, or install needed on either end.
• Use WhatsApp: If your contact has WhatsApp, it sends real audio files that play natively on any phone, no compatibility issues.
• Export a Voice Memo: Record in Voice Memos and share the file via email, Google Drive, or any messaging app both of you use.

The link approach is worth knowing about even if you're not dealing with Android specifically. It's also the easiest way to send a voice message to someone on an old phone, a work computer, or any device where installing an app isn't practical. See our full guides on sending a voice message on Android and sending a voice message by email for more detail.

Comparing your options on iPhone

Here's how the main methods stack up, especially if cross-platform delivery matters to you:

If everyone you talk to has an iPhone, Messages audio messages are the simplest choice, already installed and two taps away. The moment Android enters the picture, WhatsApp (if both people have it) or a browser-based link (if they don't) will save you the failed-delivery headache.

Troubleshooting: why can't I send a voice message on my iPhone?

If the audio button is missing, greyed out, recording won't start, or the message shows as undelivered, check these in order:

Tips for better voice messages on iPhone

Frequently asked questions