How to Permanently Delete Voice Memos from iPhone?

I'm doing some cleaning on my iPhone. But now, I have no idea how to permanently delete voice memos from iPhone. Although I have tried multiple times to delete them, they seem to continue to linger in my storage. I fear that these unwanted voice memos are taking up valuable space and potentially compromising my privacy. I have scoured the internet for a solution but have been unable to find a permanent fix.


Do you have any good ideas for deleting voice memos from iPhone?

Posted on Mar 15, 2024 12:31 AM

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Posted on Mar 15, 2024 4:00 AM

First, open the Voice Memos app on your iPhone. Find the memo you want to delete, swipe left on it, and tap the "Delete" button. Alternatively, you can tap on the memo, select the "More Options" button (three dots), and choose "Delete" from the menu.


Deleted voice memos aren't immediately permanently erased; they are moved to the "Recently Deleted" folder, where they stay for 30 days before being automatically removed. To permanently delete them sooner, go to the "Recently Deleted" folder within the Voice Memos app. Tap "Edit" in the top-right corner, select the memos you wish to permanently delete, then tap "Delete" and confirm your choice to erase them immediately.


If you want to clear all your recently deleted voice memos at once, you can do so by going to the "Recently Deleted" folder, tapping "Edit," and then selecting "Delete All" in the bottom-left corner. Confirm your action to permanently remove all voice memos from this folder.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 15, 2024 4:00 AM in response to DaunL

First, open the Voice Memos app on your iPhone. Find the memo you want to delete, swipe left on it, and tap the "Delete" button. Alternatively, you can tap on the memo, select the "More Options" button (three dots), and choose "Delete" from the menu.


Deleted voice memos aren't immediately permanently erased; they are moved to the "Recently Deleted" folder, where they stay for 30 days before being automatically removed. To permanently delete them sooner, go to the "Recently Deleted" folder within the Voice Memos app. Tap "Edit" in the top-right corner, select the memos you wish to permanently delete, then tap "Delete" and confirm your choice to erase them immediately.


If you want to clear all your recently deleted voice memos at once, you can do so by going to the "Recently Deleted" folder, tapping "Edit," and then selecting "Delete All" in the bottom-left corner. Confirm your action to permanently remove all voice memos from this folder.

Apr 6, 2024 9:49 PM in response to DaunL

To permanently delete voice memos from iPhone, you can follow these simple steps:


  1. Open the "Voice Memos" app on your iPhone.
  2. Select the voice memo that you want to permanently delete.
  3. Swipe left on the selected voice memo.
  4. You will see a "Delete" button. Tap on it.
  5. A confirmation message will appear. Tap on "Delete Recording."
  6. Next, open the "Recently Deleted" folder on your iPhone.
  7. Select the voice memo you just deleted.
  8. Tap on "Delete All" at the bottom of the screen.


This will permanently delete voice memo from iPhone, and it cannot be recovered. It is important to note that the deleted data in the "Recently Deleted" folder is automatically cleared after 30 days.

Mar 15, 2024 9:15 PM in response to DaunL

You can permanently delete voice memos from iPhone through a factory reset, which erases all the data and apps on your iPhone.


To do this, back up your iPhone's data to iCloud or iTunes if you want to retain any important information. This step is optional but recommended to prevent data loss.


Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone, and toggle off the switch. You'll need to enter your Apple ID password to confirm.


  • Go to Settings > General > Reset.
  • Select "Erase All Content and Settings."
  • If prompted, enter your passcode and Apple ID password.
  • Confirm your decision to erase all data and settings.


Your iPhone will now begin the reset process, which may take a few minutes. Once completed, your iPhone will restart, and you'll be greeted with the setup screen as if it were a new device. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your iPhone. You can choose to restore from a backup or set it up as a new device.


After the factory reset, verify that all voice memos have been permanently deleted from your iPhone. You can do this by opening the Voice Memos app and ensuring that no recordings are present.



Mar 15, 2024 12:36 AM in response to DaunL

Voice memos can originate in two ways on your iPhone:


  1. Recorded directly on your iPhone: This is the most common scenario. You use the Voice Memos app to record audio and it saves directly to your device storage.
  2. Synced from iTunes (if you use an older version): In older versions of iTunes, you could sync Voice Memos from a computer backup to your iPhone. However, Apple has phased out this functionality in favor of iCloud backups which don't include Voice Memos by default.


Apr 6, 2024 10:05 PM in response to DaunL

About how to permanently delete voice memos from iPhone, If you want to completely ensure that the voice memo is deleted from your iPhone, you can check your iPhone storage to make sure it is not still taking up space. Follow these steps to check your storage:


1.Go to Settings on your iPhone.


2.Tap on "General."


3.Select "iPhone Storage."


4.Review the list of apps and find the "Voice Memos" app.


5.Tap on it to see the amount of space it is taking up.


This should confirm that the voice memo has been permanently deleted from your iPhone and is no longer taking up space on your device.

Mar 15, 2024 12:32 AM in response to DaunL

You may get better and prompt responses if you may kindly provide the iPhone Model that you have and the iOS version if it is known to you and re-post.



With the limited information that you have provided, It is hard to even guess the problems faced by you. 


You may get faster and better responses to your query by --> Writing an effective Apple Support Commun… - Apple ...



Please re-post with detail so that someone else can help.



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How to Permanently Delete Voice Memos from iPhone?

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