Q: voice memos not showing up in itunes

This is how I solved this issue.  I tried syncing voice memos that I have used on a different app (not the normal voice memo app that comes with the iphone).  You have to manually outside of itunes.  

1.     Plug phone like you would normally sync

2.     Go to itunes and click on your phone

3.     Click on Apps tab

4.     Go to bottom to the "file sharing list"

5.     Click on the App   

6.     Highlight the files you want to save

7.     Hit "Save As"

8.     Pick the folder where you want it saved

9.     Then you can manually drag them into itunes

Hope this helps.

I have used an old fashioned method, simply place the speaker of the iphone (ipod) to the microphone on the mac and recored into adobe audition or similar software.  The results are brilliant and of good quality.

I just want to record a Voice Memo on my iPhone, and then play it in "Music" on that same iPhone.

Apparently, I cannot. I have tried every suggestion mentioned in this thread. With no success.

In iTunes on my Macbook Pro, it shows that my Voice Memos are on my iPhone. But they are not.

If it were 1999, or if the iPhone had just been released last year, I would cut Apple slack.

This problem is so surprising and embarrasing that I am no longer eager to talk about my iPhone or show it to friends. Sure, the iPhone does many amazing things, but this Voice Memo problem has soured the experience for me. This problem, and Apple's lack of response to it, has been a punch in the gut and has taken the wind out of my enthusiasm for Apple and their products. My iPhone is now just a device that does some things that are useful.

It is still more useful overall than any alternative I have been able to find. But it used to be thrilling and inspiring.

Hey there,

This sounds very promising -- but none of the non-native recording apps I have show up in the list of file-sharing apps. Which one or ones do you have? Which would you say are the best?

@Granthuhn, we've all been there. Apple will fix it, sooner or later, and it is even now not as bad as it was a year ago. Did you get iExplorer? What happened with that? What exact problem are you still having? And what version are you running on which phone?

@Blond James Bond

Non of the non-native recording apps show up in the File-Sharing list. But the neither does the native Voice Memos app.

I downloaded iExplorer and ran it and tried several ways to get the memo (there is just one) I wanted into "Music", but iExplorer is a true file-browser; I could not tell where to put the file and none of my attempts worked.

@Sagal:

Thanks -- this little demo app worked absolutely perfectly!

http://downloads.ecamm.com/PhoneView.zip

@granthuhn. What you do with iExplorer is drag the memo you want out of the recordings folder and into your downloads or desktop folder, then drag it from there into iTunes. Should play normally.

iExplorer was a waste of time.  Yes, it's free and it works beautifully to SHOW you the files on your iOS device, but it doesn't do anything else except prod you to buy other products.

I still have the problem of seeing my voice memos in iTunes, let alone transferring them out of the iPhone.  I've tried just about everything everyone has mentioned in this thread with no success.

EDIT:  iExplorer worked!   For some reason it didn't work before.  Not sure why.  So I uninstalled it and re-installed it.  Maybe a Windows glitch.  Worked fine...found my recordings on my iPhone, clicked-and-dragged it to a folder on my hard drive and bam!  Done.

@Blond James Bond,

I can get the Voice Memos from my iPhone to my Macbook's iTunes. I have not had any problem doing that. I cannot get the Voice Memos back to my iPhone's "Music" app. I can only listen to Voice Memos within the Voice Memo app, but I want to listen to them in "Music" so I can loop them, listen to a series of them, etc.

@granthuhn -- and you can't just create a playlist of them and put them in it? Did you convert them to MP3s? that might help. (?)

@mtnmedic -- not sure what you are doing wrong with iExplorer. Never heard of anyone not being able to move files out of the phone and into the downloads or desktop folder, where you can move them anywhere you want, including iTunes. If that's not possible, I would re-download iExplorer -- if you can't do that, your software isn't working.

@Blond James Blond

Got it to work.  I edited my post above.  For some reason it would only SEE the files but nothing more.  So I ununstalled it and reinstalled it, FWIW and whaddya know...it worked...dragged and dropped my recording from the iPhone to a folder on my hard drive.  Nice. 

FINALLY, this issue is put to rest for me and I can happily record meetings on my iPhone!  Apparently short memos aren't an issue but long recordings are.

@Blond James Bond,

That is the problem. Nothing works. I have tried everything that normally works to transfer/sync music, I tried everything mentioned in this thread, I tried making a new playlist and syncing it (the playlist will not show up if there are Voice Memos in it), I tried converting it from its native format, AAC, to other formats.

Nothing works. It is insane.

@ granthuhn

What happens if you create a playlist with voice memos in it that is not called voice memos, and has other mp3s? Are you converting the the VMs to mp3s?

@Blond James Blond,

(I was mis-reading your name before). No matter what I named the playlist, it would not transfer.

I had converted the Memos to MP3 before, using VLC (the only tool I had installed, now that there is no QT Pro). But, to keep trying, I changed my iTunes preference. I changed the CD Import setting to MP3 (though I prefer, and keep it set at AAC). I converted the file within iTunes then (you have to change the preferences to convert a file).

Now I am able to "sync" the iTunes-converted MP3 Memos to my iPhone. Yay.

This, however, brings me only mild relief as it is awkward, primitive, inconsistent--three things I do not want. Especially in Apple products.

@ Granthuhn,

so glad that worked.

And I couldn't agree with you more -- believe me, I have been through the same intense feelings of outrage and disgust about this, and I have the Apple Care case numbers to prove it. It's insane: here's a thread about an ongoing problem with over 100 posts, and the takeaway is that, if you want the actual APPLE APP to work, you need to install a nonnative app that pries open your iphone so you can extract the file with what amounts to tweezers. Imagine if this insanity were going on with the camera? Or, even worse, purchases from Itunes?  The truth is, this is a great window into Apple's priorities. They will keep rolling out the new products that make them the richest company in the world, products with flashy new features like the Retina Display and double-sided cameras, and they will work overtime to create software that links you hand and foot and eye and brain with the iTunes store (to siphon off more money from your wallet). But when it comes down to it, will they fix one of their own flawed products if it's  not something that's causing a national stink? All you have to do is look at the first date on this thread -- which was about 18 months ago --  to find out the answer.