How to Record Audio on iPhone: Easy Step-by-Step Guide

Key takeaways:

• Use the Voice Memos App to record audio directly on an iPhone.
• It’s as simple as hitting the Record button. After you can trim or adjust your audio in the app.
• For higher-quality audio, call recordings, or transcriptions, you’re better off using an external app like Riverside.

Did you know that you can easily turn your iPhone into a high-quality audio recorder? 

Thanks to iPhone’s built-in tool, Voice Memos, you can capture high-quality audio anytime with your mobile device. 

Here we’ll show you how to record audio using your iPhone, and even how to edit it and share it with others.

Let’s go!

Table of contents:

• How to audio record on iPhone with Voice Memos
• How to edit your iPhone audio recording with voice memos
• How to share iPhone audio
• How to delete iPhone audio recordings
• How to record high-quality audio on your iPhone with Riverside
• 5 tips for recording higher quality audio on an iPhone
• Final thoughts
• FAQs on how to record on iPhone

How to audio record on iPhone with Voice Memos

Voice Memos is a native app on iPhones that you can use to record, edit, and share an audio recording. Here’s how to use it.

Step 1: Find and open the Voice Memos app

Find the Voice Memos app on your iPhone. You can do this by swiping down to search for it from the Home Screen. You can also swipe left to access the App Library. 

Voice Memos is found under the “Utilities” category. 

Tap on the app to open it.

Step 2: Hit the record button

It’s the big red button on the screen!

Step 3: Record your audio content 

When you’re recording, an orange dot will appear at the top of your screen to show that your microphone is on. 

You can monitor the recording by watching the waveform on the screen. If it’s peaking too much (filling up the screen), you can adjust your audio levels by moving your iPhone farther away from the sound.

Step 4: Pause or stop your recording

If you want to pause the recording so you can continue:

• Swipe up from the waveform to see more options, then hit the “Pause” button to stop the recording. 
• When you’re ready, you can hit “Resume” to continue.

If you want to stop the recording, hit pause button and then the red “Stop” button at the bottom of your waveform.

Step 5: Save your recording

In Voice Memo, recordings are automatically saved with a default name. It might be date or location-based. If your iPhone doesn't have that data, it might just be called “New Recording.”

To rename your recording, tap on the default name and use your keyboard to enter a new one. Then hit “Return” on your keyboard to save it.

How to edit your iPhone audio recording with voice memos

Step 1: Enhance your recorded audio

You can find all your recordings on the main Voice Memos screen. To play, edit, or delete a recording, hit “Select” to choose it.

Here, you can adjust playback speed, and opt to skip silences and enhance your recording. This automatically reduces background noise, improves voice clarity, and applies other audio processing techniques.

Step 2: Edit your recorded audio

To access Voice Memo’s audio editing tools, select the ellipsis icon to the right of your recording.

Select “Edit Recording.” Here you’ll be able to opt to do the following:

Trim your iPhone recording

Tap on the “scissors,” then drag the yellow handles at the beginning and end of your recording to adjust the section you want to keep.  

Replace a specific portion of your recording with new audio 

On the editing screen, use the timeline to move the playhead (white line) to the part of the audio you want to start replacing. 

Tap the “Replace” button (microphone icon with waveform). This will begin recording new audio over the existing portion.

Add content to the end of your recording 

Drag the playhead to the end of the recording. Then tap the “Resume” button (microphone icon with waveform) to start recording new audio at the end of your recording.

How to share iPhone audio

Once you’ve finalized your Voice Memo recording, you may want to share your track with friends, colleagues, or the world! Here’s how.

Step 1: Select the recording

In your list of recordings, find the one you want to share and open it.

Step 2: Access sharing options

Select the ellipsis icon at the top-right of the recording tile. 

From the dropdown menu, choose “Share.” 

Step 3: Select a sharing option

A sharing sheet will appear, showing various options depending on the apps you have installed. These may include:

• AirDrop: Send the recording wirelessly to nearby Apple devices.
• Messages: Send the recording as a text message.
• Mail: Attach the recording to an email.
• Other Apps: Share via apps like WhatsApp, Slack, or save it to cloud storage like iCloud Drive, Google Drive, etc.

Step 4: Complete the Share

Follow the prompts for the method you chose to send your content. For example, if you’re sending it via email, you’ll enter the recipient's email address and tap “Send.”

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How to delete iPhone audio recordings

In some cases, you may need to record content more than once to obtain the results you desire. Follow these steps to delete an unwanted recording.

Step 1: Select your recording

Navigate to the “All Recordings” menu and select the recording you want to delete.

Step 2: Select the “trash” icon

At the bottom-right of the recording tile, you’ll find the “trash” icon. Simply tap it to remove your recording.

Note: For 30 days, your deleted recording will be stored in the “Recently Deleted” file in your Voice Memos app. 

You can recover it from this folder by selecting your desired track and clicking “Recover” at the bottom-left of the recording tile. 

You can also permanently delete a recording from this folder by clicking “Delete” at the bottom-right of the recording tile.

How to record high-quality audio on your iPhone with Riverside

While Voice Memos offers an easy way to capture audio content on an iPhone, you might not always get the highest-quality results. Voice Memos only captures audio at a basic 44.1 kHz sampling rate. It also applies compression, which can affect sound quality.

If you’re after studio-quality audio, then try a dedicated app like Riverside. 

With Riverside, you can record crystal clear audio in up to 48 kHz. Plus, you can record calls with up to 8 participants. (And, you can't do this natively on iPhone!) We record each participant in a separate track, ensuring you can easily edit your recording.

Riverside even automatically transcribes your audio. And, this is available in more than 100 languages!

If you want to edit your audio, you can do that in Riverside, too. Remove audio just by deleting words in your transcript, remove background noise with a click, and easily remove long silences.

Step 1: Login and create a new studio

Download the Riverside mobile app and log in or create a new account (for free). 

In the main dashboard, select the + icon and then “New studio”. (You can also choose an existing one if you already have one.)

Name your studio. You can then choose the language you’re recording in and whether to record only audio, or audio and video.

Select “Create” at the top-right corner of your screen. 

Step 2: Set up your recording

In your studio dashboard, click “Record” to enter the recording studio.

Accept any microphone or camera permissions.

Enter your name, and enter the lobby to test your equipment. 

Then select “Join” at the top-right of your screen. 

Step 3: Add people to your call (optional)

You’ll now be in the recording studio.

To invite others, click the three-dotted option in the bottom toolbar.

Here, click “Invite people”. Choose whether you want to invite a guest, a behind-the-scenes producer, or an audience viewer.

Click the Share button to share the invite link through an app on your phone. You can also click the Link button to just copy the link and share it how you like.

Step 4: Record your audio

Press the red button on the top left to start recording. Everything records directly to your device, but then automatically saves to the cloud. 

This means you’ll get high-quality audio unaffected by internet connection. But, you’ll also save storage space on your phone because everything saves to the cloud.

When your recording is complete, wait for everything to finish uploading, then click “Leave” on the top right.

Next, click “View recording”.

Step 10: Edit and export your recording

Click on your recording and then select “Create new edit”. 

Here you can trim your recording by clicking “Trim”.

We have automatic time presets for different social media platforms. But, you can drag the edges of your audio to make it shorter. 

For more editing features, head to your desktop and log into your Riverside account there. Your audio will automatically appear in the same studio. In the desktop Editor, you’ll have access to text-based editing, audio enhancement, and more.

5 tips for recording higher quality audio on an iPhone

There are a few things you can do to improve the audio quality of your iPhone recordings, regardless of how you record them. Try these 7 tips.

1. Place your device correctly

The primary microphone on an iPhone is found at the bottom of the device. But the newest iPhones have multiple mics. 

When recording on an iPhone device, ensure your entire phone is unobstructed. Keep the sound source close enough to the mic, but not so close that every breath is audible. 

2. Mute notifications or set your phone to airplane mode

If you need to continue receiving phone notifications while recording, turn on mute to eliminate notification sounds. 

It’s better if you can switch on airplane mode in your phone settings to cut out notifications altogether. 

3. Adjust your sound settings

Your iPhone includes built-in sound settings that can affect the overall quality of your audio recordings. 

Ensure that you have the latest iOS update, then navigate to your Settings. Select “Voice Memos” followed by “Audio Quality.” Select “Lossless” to avoid compression. 

4. Try an external microphone

In some cases, your microphone might stand in the way of the quality you want to produce for your iPhone recordings. 

An external mic can capture higher sound quality, preserve more of the original sound, and cut down on the noise that can come from vibration and handling.

5. Edit your recording

After you’ve finished recording an audio track, use your recording tool or an external audio editing program to adjust sound settings and output. This will help ensure that your final product is the highest quality possible.

Final thoughts

Recording audio on your iPhone is easy with the Voice Memos app. With a few clicks, you can record, edit, and share your recordings.

If you are looking for the highest-quality recording, though, consider using an external audio recording app like Riverside. 

Happy recording!

FAQs on how to record on iPhone

Still unsure how to approach iPhone audio recording? Here are our answers to a few frequently asked questions. 

Where is the record button on my iPhone?

It depends on how you’re recording. Here are a few options:

• Using the Voice Memos app: Locate the app on your Home Screen or using the Search Bar. Once the app is open, you’ll see the large, red circle - this is the record button!
• Using Siri: Ask Siri to record a note or reminder. Note that this isn’t for longer or higher-quality recording. 
• Using the Notes app: Open the Notes app and tap the “Compose” button. On the toolbar above the keyboard, tap the “Microphone” icon.

If you’re using a third-party app (like Riverside), visit the app’s website for detailed instructions.

What is the best way to record audio on iPhone?

There are many options when it comes to recording audio on your iPhone. 

While Voice Memos can be a great starting point for new creators, we recommend choosing a studio-quality recording tool, like the Riverside app. 

It records studio-quality audio. And, if you’re looking to record multiple people on a call, it makes that really easy. You’ll also get lots of hand tools like automatic transcription, plus editing tools to polish your sound. 

How do I record a live conversation on my iPhone?

To record a phone call on iOS, you’ll need a call recording app to capture audio tracks from both sides of your live conversation. 

Call recording apps like Riverside allow you to record conversations quickly and easily while producing excellent-quality results. 

How do I record an audio message on iPhone?

You can do this using the Messages app. Here’s how:

• Tap on an existing conversation or start a new one.
• Look for the “audio waveform” icon. It’ll look like a sound wave or a microphone.
• Press and hold the icon to start recording your message. 
• Release the icon to automatically send the audio message.

How do I record good audio on my iPhone?

You can record high-quality audio on your iPhone, but we recommend a dedicated audio recording app and a mic for the highest sound quality. 

Unlike Voice Memos, the Riverside app records professional quality audio and employs advanced noise reduction. Each participant is recorded locally, which helps eliminate any loss of audio quality due to network issues. 

It’s also easier to connect high-quality external microphones to and control input settings on Riverside. This ensures you’re getting the most true-to-life sound.

Finally, Riverside provides advanced editing features to help ensure a flawless recording. (And they’re super easy to use, we promise!)