How to Send Voice Messages on iPhone

Instead of typing a long text, you can record and send a voice message directly in iMessage — it's faster for complex thoughts or when you're on the go.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Open a Message Conversation
2.Record a Voice Message
3.Review Before Sending
4.Keep Messages From Expiring
5.Save a Received Audio Message

Open a Message Conversation

~15s

Open the Messages app and navigate to a conversation with an iPhone user (iMessage, shown with blue bubbles). Audio messages only work within iMessage (blue bubbles). They don't work with regular SMS/green bubble texts.

Record a Voice Message

~24s

Tap the audio waveform icon (or microphone icon) to the right of the text input field. Press and hold it. You'll see a waveform visualization. Speak your message while holding. When you're done: slide up to listen before sending, or release to send immediately.

Quick Tip

If you don't see the audio icon, it may be hidden behind the text field when there's typed text. Clear any typed text and the icon should appear.

Review Before Sending

~15s

Slide your finger upward on the microphone icon (while still holding) to go to preview mode. You'll see a play button — tap it to listen to your recording before sending. Tap the up arrow (send) to send, or the trash icon to delete and re-record.

Keep Messages From Expiring

~15s

By default, audio messages expire (delete) 2 minutes after you listen to them. To change this: go to SettingsMessages → scroll to "Audio Messages" → "Expire" → change to "Never." Now audio messages stay in conversations indefinitely like regular texts.

Save a Received Audio Message

~23s

When you receive an audio message, tap the play button to listen. Before the 2-minute expiration clock runs out, tap "Keep" below the message. The audio message stays in the conversation permanently. If you miss the window, it disappears from view — but the sender still has it on their end.

Quick Tip

You can tap and hold an audio message to save it to your Voice Memos app for permanent storage.

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Voice messages in iMessage let you quickly record and send a short audio clip instead of typing a text. This is convenient when you're driving (using Siri or hands-free), when you have something complex to explain that would take too long to type, when you want to add tone and emotion that text doesn't convey, or when your hands are occupied.

The built-in audio message feature in iMessage works between iPhone users. It's different from voice texting (where Siri transcribes your speech to text) — a voice message sends the actual audio so the recipient hears your voice.

Audio messages in iMessage are set to expire automatically after 2 minutes by default — they disappear from the conversation after listening. You can change this in Settings if you want them to keep indefinitely. Recipients can also tap "Keep" when they hear a message to save it permanently before the expiration.

The recording is done entirely within the Messages app — no separate app needed. A press-and-hold on the microphone icon records; releasing sends. If you want to listen before sending, swipe up instead of just releasing.

WhatsApp also has voice messages that work between any phone type (not just iPhone-to-iPhone). If you're messaging someone on Android, WhatsApp voice messages are the equivalent feature for cross-platform voice messaging.

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