Guide · Voice Memos
Where are voice memos stored?
Voice memos are stored inside the Voice Memos app on your iPhone. If iCloud is on for Voice Memos, copies sync to your other Apple devices, and on a Mac the files sit in a hidden Library folder. To get a memo as a normal file, share it to Files or drag it out of the Mac app.
Updated 20 Oct 2026
On your iPhone
Your recordings live in the Voice Memos app, not in the Files app. They are kept on the phone, and if you turn on iCloud for Voice Memos (Settings, your name, iCloud, Voice Memos) they also sync to your other devices. Deleted memos go to Recently Deleted for a while, then they are gone.
In iCloud
With iCloud on for Voice Memos, your recordings appear in the Voice Memos app on any Mac, iPad or iPhone signed in to the same Apple ID. They do not show up as files in iCloud Drive. To put a memo there, use Share, then Save to Files, and choose iCloud Drive.
On a Mac
Open the Voice Memos app and your synced recordings are in its list. The actual files are in a hidden folder: ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.VoiceMemos.shared/Recordings. In Finder choose Go, then Go to Folder, and paste that path. It is safer to drag memos out of the app than to move files in that folder.
How to get a memo as a normal file
- iPhone: tap the recording, tap the three dots, tap Share, then Save to Files.
- Mac: drag the recording out of the Voice Memos list onto your Desktop.
- Format: voice memos are .m4a audio files.
How to back them up
- Turn on iCloud for Voice Memos so they exist on more than one device.
- Save the important ones to Files or a folder on your computer.
- Back up the phone with iCloud Backup or a computer backup.
- Do not rely on Recently Deleted. Save what matters before you tidy up.
Sorting them once they are safe
Backed up is not the same as findable. In songdrafts you bring your memos in once, sort them into songs on a board, and stack every take of a song on one card. songdrafts makes its own copy; your originals stay in Voice Memos.
Common questions
Where do voice memos go on iPhone?
Into the Voice Memos app. They are not in the Files app unless you save them there.
Are voice memos stored in iCloud?
If you turn on iCloud for Voice Memos, yes, they sync across your Apple devices. They are not visible as files in iCloud Drive.
Where are voice memos stored on a Mac?
In a hidden Library folder: ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.VoiceMemos.shared/Recordings.
Do voice memos use iPhone storage?
Yes. Long recordings make big files, and they count towards your phone storage until you delete them.
Can I recover a deleted voice memo?
For a while, from Recently Deleted in the Voice Memos app. After that, only from a backup.
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?