Guide · Voice Memos
How to send a voice memo from your iPhone
Open Voice Memos, tap the recording, tap the three dots, then tap Share. Pick Messages, Mail, AirDrop, WhatsApp or any other app, choose who it goes to, and send. The memo goes as an audio file and stays on your phone.
Updated 20 Oct 2026
How do I send a voice memo by text message?
In Voice Memos, tap the recording, tap the three dots, tap Share, then tap Messages. Type a name, then tap send. iPhone to iPhone, it goes over iMessage and arrives as an audio file the other person can play in the chat.
To an Android phone it goes by RCS or, on older phones and networks, as a picture message (MMS). MMS has a small size cap, so a long memo may not go through. For anything longer than a quick idea, use email, WhatsApp or a link instead.
How do I send a voice memo by email?
Tap Share, then Mail. The memo is attached as an .m4a file. If it is too big for your email provider, Mail offers Mail Drop, which uploads the file to iCloud and sends a download link instead. With Gmail or Outlook, choose their app from the Share list instead.
How do I AirDrop a voice memo to a Mac, iPad or another iPhone?
Tap Share, then AirDrop, then tap the device. Both need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, and the other device has to be close by and set to receive from you (Contacts Only, or Everyone for 10 Minutes). On a Mac the file lands in Downloads.
How do I send a voice memo on WhatsApp?
Tap Share, then WhatsApp, then pick the chat. It arrives as an audio file that plays inside WhatsApp, on iPhone and Android.
How do I send several voice memos at once?
In the Voice Memos list, tap Edit, tick each recording, then tap Share at the bottom. AirDrop, Mail and Save to Files handle several at once. Messages sends them as separate audio files.
How do I send a voice memo from a Mac?
Open Voice Memos on your Mac, click the recording, then click the Share button at the top of the window (or Control-click the recording and choose Share). You can also drag the memo out onto your Desktop and send that file any way you like.
Why will my voice memo not send?
- Too big: long memos make big files. Send by Mail Drop, WhatsApp, or a link from iCloud Drive: Save to Files, then in Files tap Share, switch Send Copy to Collaborate, and send the link.
- No Share button: tap the recording first so it opens, then look for the three dots.
- Memo from another device: if it came from your iCloud, give it a moment to download before you share it.
- They cannot play it: voice memos are .m4a files. Almost every phone and computer plays them; if not, ask them to try VLC, which is free.
Is there an easier way to send voice memos? Send a link
Files get lost in chats, and a producer or co-writer who gets five versions as five attachments will play the wrong one. A link is easier: one tap and it plays.
In songdrafts every take of a song sits on one card. Tap Share, pick the take, and you get one link. It plays in the browser with no account needed, and the person listening can comment at the exact second ("the chorus at 1:12 is the one"). You can add a password or make the link expire, and you can see how many times it was played.
To get your memos in: in Voice Memos, tick them, tap Share, then Save to Files. Open songdrafts and tap Import audio. On a Mac, drag the memos from Voice Memos into a folder on your Desktop, then drag that folder onto the board.
Common questions
Can you send a voice memo as a text message?
Yes. In Voice Memos tap the recording, then the three dots, then Share, then Messages. It arrives as an audio file.
Does sending a voice memo delete it?
No. Sending makes a copy. The memo stays in Voice Memos.
What format are iPhone voice memos?
They are .m4a audio files. They play on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows.
How do I send a voice memo to an Android phone?
WhatsApp or email work best. A text to Android may go as MMS, which has a small size cap, so longer memos may not go through.
Why is my voice memo too large to send?
Long recordings make big files. Use Mail Drop, WhatsApp, or save it to iCloud Drive, then in Files tap Share, switch Send Copy to Collaborate, and send the link.
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?