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Send and receive audio messages in Messages on iPhone

You can use the Messages app to record and send audio messages, along with transcripts of what’s said in the message. Audio messages are automatically deleted to save space on your iPhone, but if you want to save them, you can.

Note: Audio message transcription available in select languages. See the iOS and iPadOS Feature Availability website.

A Messages conversation with an audio message and its transcript.

Record and send an audio message

Instead of writing a text message, you can record an audio message that can be played right in the Messages conversation.

  1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone.

  2. Start a new message or open a conversation, tap the Apps button, then tap Audio.

  3. Begin speaking, tap the Stop button to pause or end your recording, then do any of the following to your message:

    • Send it: Tap the Send button.

    • Listen to review it: Tap the Play button.

    • Add to the end of it: Tap the Continue Recording button (with the message duration).

    • Cancel it: Tap the Close button.

  4. Tap Keep to save an incoming or outgoing audio message on your iPhone.

    Otherwise, the recording is deleted from the conversation—on your iPhone only—2 minutes after you send or listen to it. Recipients can play your recording any time after they receive it. To save it, they need to tap Keep within 2 minutes after listening to it.

    If you always want to keep audio messages, go to Settings  > Messages > Expire (below Audio Messages), then tap Never.

Tip: Send follow-up audio messages more quickly by tapping the Record Audio button in the text field above the keyboard.

Audio messages are automatically transcribed in the language chosen in the sender’s Settings. See Change the language and region on iPhone to switch to another language for your outgoing messages.

Listen or reply to a recorded audio message

  1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone.

  2. Open a conversation with an audio message, then tap the Play button to play it.

  3. Do any of the following:

    • Slide right and left on the audio message to fast-forward or rewind.

    • Touch and hold the Play button or the Pause button to adjust the playback speed.

  4. Tap Keep to save an audio message in the Messages conversation.

    To save the message in the Voice Memos app , touch and hold the audio message, then tap Save to Voice Memos.

Tip: You can raise your iPhone up to your ear to play an audio message. Lower your iPhone and raise it to your ear again to reply to it (after you hear a tone), then tap the Send button to send your reply. To turn off this feature (so that you can’t listen to and record audio messages in response to moving iPhone), go to Settings  > Messages, then turn off Raise to Listen.

To make an audio or video call instead of sending a message, you can switch to FaceTime. In a Messages conversation, tap the FaceTime button.

See alsoMake a recording in Voice Memos on iPhoneChange your voicemail greeting and settings on iPhoneMake FaceTime calls on iPhoneDictate text on iPhone
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