How to send a voice message on iPhone
By Ultra Team
Published December 15, 2025
Picture this. You just finished the most amazing Pad Thai at that new Thai-fusion spot downtown. Your foodie cousin would totally freak out if they knew about it. So you pull out your phone, open up Messages and – pause. Instead of typing her an essay about how you found the perfect mango sticky rice and creamiest Thai iced tea, why not hit record instead? With Audio messages on iPhone, sharing your reactions is Ultra-convenient and Ultra-personal.
What is a voice message on an iPhone?
On iPhone, voice messages (“audio messages,” as Apple calls them) are recordings you can send instead of typing. Audio messages are already built into your iPhone’s Messages app, and there’s no time limit to how long you can speak. Audio messages let the recipient hear every tone shift, sarcastic inflection and dramatic pause that texts can’t capture. When your hands are full, audio messages are especially handy. Whether you’re cooking, driving or just multitasking, it’s easier and safer to say what you mean rather than type it all out.
How to create a voice message on iPhone
If both you and the recipient of your audio message use an iPhone, this is how you can seamlessly send your reactions, ramblings, and (of course) food reviews:
- Open the Message app
- Start a new conversation or open an existing one
- Tap the + button and select Audio to start the recording
- Tap the stop button when you’re done
From here, you have a few options
- Tap play to listen to your recording
- Tap the + button again to add more
- Tap the X button to delete your recording
- Tap the send button to send
How to Use Dictation
Dictation is another way to send messages with your voice. When you use Dictation, your iPhone will convert your speech into text, which is perfect when your message needs to be in written form.
- Open the Messages app
- Start a new conversation or open an existing one
- Tap and hold the microphone icon on the keyboard
- Speak your message clearly
- Swipe up or tap the send arrow to send your speech-to-text message
How to listen to a voice message
Now that you’ve started the voice trend in all of your group chats, here’s how you can listen to all the recordings you’ll receive.
- Open the Messages app
- Tap the conversation with the message you just received
- Tap the play button to listen to the recording
How to save or keep a voice message
All audio messages on iPhone are automatically deleted after two minutes of being opened. That’s no problem if your partner is asking what kind of milk to get, but if you received a more important message, here’s how you can save it permanently:
- Tap Keep under the message bubble to save the recording
- You can access all saved recordings in the conversation thread
- Optional: Use Voice Memos or the Files app for long-term saving
How to keep voice messages automatically on iPhone
If you’re the kind of texter who likes to keep the receipts, you can configure your iPhone settings to save all audio message recordings automatically. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down to Apps and tap Messages
- Scroll to the section labeled Audio Messages
- Tap Expire
- Change the setting from After 2 Minutes ➜ Never
How to send an iPhone voice message to Android phones
Yes, you can send an audio message to a friend who doesn’t use an iPhone. The Voice Memo app on your iPhone allows you to record audio messages and send them via email or text to non-iPhone users. Besides being green, sending these voice messages looks a little different from what we’ve covered:
- Open the Voice Memo app
- Tap the record button to start recording your voice message
- Tap the stop button when you’re done
- Tap the play button if you’d like to listen to it before sending
- When you’re ready to send it, tap the three dots next to the recording
- Click the share button and choose how you’d like to share it
- You can send it as a text message, via email or store it in the cloud
Make your messages Ultra-memorable
The next time you need to free up your hands or just want to share a moment with a friend or loved one, speak it out loud. Even small updates like, “Just tried the new Thai place. Wow!” feel Ultra-lively when your voice carries the excitement. Your friends will hear all the flair that makes your messages unmistakably yours. You’ll wonder why you ever spent so much time typing in the first place.
