Guide · Voice Memos
How to export voice memos from your iPhone
In Voice Memos, tap the recording, tap the three dots, then Share. Choose Save to Files, AirDrop, Mail or another app. To export many at once, tap Edit, tick the recordings, then Share. Each memo exports as an .m4a audio file.
Updated 20 Oct 2026
Export one voice memo
Open Voice Memos and tap the recording. Tap the three dots, then Share. Pick Save to Files to keep a copy on your phone or in iCloud Drive, AirDrop to send it to a nearby Mac, or Mail to attach it to an email.
Export many at once
In the Voice Memos list tap Edit, tick each recording, then tap Share at the bottom. Save to Files and AirDrop both handle several memos in one go.
Export to a Mac
- AirDrop: share to your Mac. The files land in Downloads.
- iCloud: with Voice Memos on in iCloud on both devices, the memos appear in the Mac app. Drag them out onto your Desktop.
Export to a Windows PC
Windows has no Voice Memos app, so save the memos to Files, then to iCloud Drive, and download them from iCloud.com or the iCloud app for Windows. You can also email them to yourself.
Change the format
Voice memos are .m4a. Most music software opens that, and so do players such as VLC. If a program will not, convert the file with a free converter such as VLC, and check the result plays before you delete the original.
Keep the exported files in order
Exported files called New Recording 12 are still a pile. In songdrafts you bring them in with Import audio on a phone, or drag them onto the board on a computer, sort them into songs, and keep every take of a song on one card. It makes its own copy, so your originals stay where they are.
Common questions
How do I export all my voice memos at once?
Tap Edit in Voice Memos, tick them all, tap Share, then Save to Files or AirDrop.
What format are exported voice memos?
.m4a audio files.
Does exporting delete the memo?
No. It makes a copy. The memo stays in Voice Memos.
Can I export voice memos to a computer without iCloud?
Yes. Use AirDrop to a Mac, or email them to yourself.
Why can I only share one voice memo?
Tap Edit first and select several. In normal view the three dots work on one recording at a time.
Want this done for you? songdrafts is a board for your voice memos: every take stacked on one card, songs that move across stages, merging half songs, and one share link with comments pinned to the second. Works offline, and nothing you upload trains AI. What is songdrafts?