How to Send a Voice Message: Every Method

Quick answer: the fastest way on each platform

• iPhone: Open Messages, tap and hold the mic icon next to the text field, speak, then release to send.
• Android: Open Google Messages, press and hold the mic icon, speak, then release.
• WhatsApp: Hold the mic icon, slide up to lock if you want your hands free, then release.
• Email: Attach the audio file to a new email, or paste in a share link instead.
• Text / SMS: Use your phone's built-in voice message button, the same gesture as Messages above.
• No app, works anywhere: Record at sendmyvoice.com/send-online-voice-message, get a link, and send it however you like.

Pick the method

The right method depends on what the recipient has installed and whether they're on the same type of phone as you. Here's how the main options compare:

On iPhone

1. 1
   Open Messages: Start or open a conversation with the person you want to reach.
2. 2
   Tap and hold the mic icon: It sits to the right of the text field, in place of the send arrow.
3. 3
   Speak your message: Keep holding, or slide up to lock hands-free (the exact gesture can vary by iOS version).
4. 4
   Release to send: Preview it first if you'd like, then it sends a few seconds after you stop, unless you tap send or delete.

Best when: both people are on iPhone with iMessage active (blue bubbles).

On Android

1. 1
   Open Google Messages: Or your phone's default texting app.
2. 2
   Press and hold the mic icon: Next to the text field. Some phones let you slide up to lock instead of holding.
3. 3
   Speak, then release: Release to stop recording, preview it, then tap send.
4. 4
   Or record in Recorder and share: Open the Recorder app, tap Share on your recording, then pick the app to send it through.

Best when: texting another Android user, or you want to attach a real audio file to any app.

On WhatsApp

1. 1
   Open a chat: With the contact you want to send audio to.
2. 2
   Press and hold the mic icon: It's at the bottom-right of the text field.
3. 3
   Slide up to lock (optional): Keeps recording hands-free so you don't have to hold the icon the whole time.
4. 4
   Release, or tap send, to deliver it: The message sends immediately once you let go of the mic or tap the send arrow.

Best when: both people already have WhatsApp installed. It works identically on iPhone and Android, so there's no cross-platform guesswork.

By email

1. 1
   Record your message: Use your phone's voice recorder, Voice Memos, or SendMyVoice in a browser.
2. 2
   Attach the file, or paste a link: Attaching works for short clips; a share link avoids attachment size limits some inboxes enforce.
3. 3
   Send: The recipient opens the file or taps the link, no app required on their end.

Best when: you don't have the recipient's phone number, or the message needs to land in a work inbox.

By text / SMS

1. 1
   Open Messages: Your phone's default texting app, iPhone or Android.
2. 2
   Record the audio: Hold the mic icon to record in the thread, or attach a file you recorded earlier.
3. 3
   Send: Over RCS or iMessage it usually sends as a small in-thread clip; over plain SMS/MMS it goes as a file attachment, subject to carrier limits.

Best when: keeping the message inside a normal text thread matters more than guaranteed delivery across every carrier.

Send a voice memo you already recorded

1. 1
   Open the recording: In Voice Memos (iPhone), Recorder (Android), or wherever you saved the file.
2. 2
   Tap Share: Usually a share arrow or a three-dot menu next to the recording.
3. 3
   Choose where to send it: Messages, WhatsApp, email, or upload it to SendMyVoice to turn it into a shareable link.

Best when: you recorded something earlier and want to send that exact file, possibly to more than one person.

Without calling or without their number

1. 1
   Record online: At sendmyvoice.com/send-online-voice-message, no account needed.
2. 2
   Get a link and QR code: It's generated the moment you finish recording.
3. 3
   Send the link anywhere: Email, a social media DM, a website contact form, anywhere you can paste text, no phone number required.

Best when: you don't have the person's number, or you're reaching them on a platform that doesn't support voice messages at all.

Send a voice message as a link, no app or signup

SendMyVoice's free share tool is the universal fallback for every method above. Record in your browser or upload an existing file, and you get back a link plus a QR code. You can add an optional expiry and password so only the right person can listen. The recipient doesn't need an app, an account, or even the same type of phone: they just tap play in any browser.

• Record or upload: Use your microphone directly in the browser, or upload an audio file you already have.
• Link plus QR code: Share the link by text or email, or let someone scan the QR code in person.
• Optional expiry and password: Set the recording to auto-delete after a set number of days, and lock it with a password if it's sensitive.
• Free Chrome extension: Prefer recording from a desktop? The free Chrome/Edge extension records and shares the same way, no tab required.

Get the extension at /extension-audio-voice-recorder.

Common problems

Frequently asked questions