Introduction
Apple’s Messages app is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family. One of the more hidden features of the Messages app is the ability to easily send voice messages to other iPhone or iPad users. There is no limit on how long your message can be, but the app does default to automatically delete messages you both send and receive within two minutes of sending or receiving them. However, you can change your settings to keep these messages forever. Examples of all instructions in the steps can be seen in both the YouTube video above and the image collection located beneath the steps.
Steps to Send a Voice Recording in a Text Message on iPhone
First, let’s walk through how to send a voice recording in a text message on your iPhone.
- Launch the Messages app on your iPhone, and then navigate to the conversation you want to send a voice message to. To send everyone in that conversation thread an audio message, you have to first verify that everyone in that conversation is using iMessage. You can do this by looking to see if the bubbles associated with messages you’ve sent in that conversation are blue. If the conversation bubbles you’ve sent into that conversation are green, then at least one person in that conversation isn’t using iMessage and you won’t be able to send an audio message through this method.
- Hold your finger against the Voice Recording icon that appears on the right side of the field where you would enter a text message. You’re iPhone will automatically start recording you, and will continue recording you until remove your finger from the screen.
- Speak your message, and then remove your finger from the screen when you’re done. There is no time limit. The waveform associated with your message will be displayed in the field where you would typically enter a text message. Tap the “Play” button to listen to your audio message. Tap the “Send” button to send your voice message to the people in this conversation, or tap the “X” that appears to the left of the waveform to delete your audio message if you either don’t want to send it or want to re-record it. In this example, I’ll tap “Send” to send my voice message. Now, as I mentioned previously, it’s important to remember that all voice messages you send or receive on your iPhone will, by default, disappear two minutes after you listen to them. You can tap “Keep” beneath messages you send to keep them, but you do not have a quick option to keep voice messages you receive on your iPhone.
Steps to Keep Text Message Voice Recordings
If you want to keep all voice recordings you send and receive forever by default, you’ll need to change your iPhone’s settings by doing the following.
- Open the Settings app, and then tap “Messages” in the Settings menu. The Messages screen is displayed.
- Scroll down to the Audio Messages section, and then tap “Expire.” Tap to place a check mark next to “Never.” Now, none of the audio messages you either send or receive through the iPhone Messages app will be deleted automatically.
