Voice Memos alternatives

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

1. [R3] Voice Memos 3/5 · US Recording turns off for dumb reasons: I started recording 40 minutes ago and see that only 13 seconds were recorded. It's like it happens twice: you turn on the camera, it turns off; you turn on video, it turns off. You lock the phone and it turns off! Fix this. · translated
2. [R4] Voice Memos 1/5 · US Deleted voice memo: I had recorded the last conversation I had with my dad before he passed on here. I bought iCloud storage a few months after thinking the voice memo would sync and I wouldn’t ever lose it. During syncing, the voice memo was deleted and after contacting Apple was told they don’t know what happened and I haven’t been able to recover it since.
3. [R7] Voice Memos 1/5 · US Distortion / erasure / instantaneous changes: Ongoing for 2.5 years.
4. [R16] Voice Memos 1/5 · US Serious bug in iOS 26.5: Dear Apple developers, hello. Recently, when using the Voice Memos feature, I found that my iPhone 17 stops recording immediately after I tap 'start recording.' I can't solve this problem, so I've given a poor rating. I hope Apple development staff can address this issue promptly. I fully support Apple's development work and try to report minor issues as quickly as possible, hoping Apple can enhance user experience. Sincerely. · translated
5. [R1] Voice Memos 1/5 · US Why I think you’re Should be delete it: Because you guys aren’t even doing nothing all you’re making us do is do wraps and stuff and then make it on that then you won’t even let us do it on YouTube so at least making a app where you can record yourself making song put it on your voicemails or your camera, then make a video then go on that one app and then make it together and then make another app
6. [R30] Voice Memos 4/5 · US Clear recordings; Great transcriptions; improvements needed: Improvements needed: 1. We need the ability to Pause on the main screen, not just a Stop button. 2. While recording, the phone soon locks and goes dark. There is then no indication that recording is in progress. This is a privacy concern. The phone should display an indicator, like an audio meter. This would also allow you to pause a
7. [R36] Voice Memos 5/5 · US Love this app but one request: It’s a great app if you want to do a duo but you have no friends with the layer tool but you can only do 1 other layer. Pls make it so you can do more than one layers.
8. [R44] Voice Memos 5/5 · US For singers: Voice Memos, maybe you can like improve it a little bit overall five stars but what I mean by proof is like I’m trying to say record myself, but I don’t know the lyrics and I hate putting them all day and so that’s why I want it to be like two things at a time, so will you let me like get on other apps to like read the lyrics to the song and like record
9. [R19] Voice Memos 2/5 · US I use it, when my Pixel isn’t available: It records voice. The next most important feature to me is ease of transferring that to external storage. It’s an Apple product, so: terrible. My next most important feature is transcribing to text, both in real time and for future use, and ease of exporting that to external storage. Again- terrible. But it’s got a microphone and records voice to the pho
10. [R21] Voice Memos 1/5 · US Only temporary usage: There doesn’t seem to be any way to use the memo since they aren’t available to other apps so naming, transcription and moving are required.
11. [R41] Voice Memos 2/5 · GB No “select all”: There’s no way to select all. You cant set naming conventions. I only found out there’s no way to bulk export or delete recently.
12. [R18] Voice Memos 3/5 · GB Buggy: I use this all the time for songwriting, pretty much every day. The most annoying thing though is the first time you use it per day, it lags so much. I press the button to record and it will be frozen for like 30 seconds or a minute, meaning I often miss the idea we were trying to record in real time. PLEASE FIX THIS!
13. [R35] Voice Memos 1/5 · GB Keeps crashing: I loved this app for years in last couple months its been crashing and not recording this is a big problem fix this app glitch
14. [R29] Voice Memos 1/5 · GB Terrible: Just records and does not transcript.
15. [R6] Voice Memos 3/5 · US Aggravating: Sometimes while I’m recording an ad will pop up that cannot be closed. I’m unable to stop or save the recording and am forced to close the app. Extremely annoying.
16. [R10] Voice Memos 1/5 · US Does not retain full timestamp information: After the next day, the timestamp is lost. You can only see the day of the week, not the specific time. · translated
17. [R27] Voice Memos 1/5 · GB memos from my apple watch not syncing: This seems to be a common issue, third party apps can handle it better, why Apple cannot fix this?
18. [R39] Voice Memos 1/5 · GB Very basic and aimed at kids: Does not recoding timings of recording. Will simply say yesterday. This data is now impossible to retrieve on iPhone. Stops recording randomly
19. [R55] Voice Recorder & Audio Editor 5/5 · US This app is pretty dang helpful I’m glad I picked it: I am a musician and I need to save recordings to prepare others. So I can set my phone down and record set. This app is very easy to use even though I am bad with tech. I give five star because it is easy to send and just very handy whether I want to listen send or whatever else I do. Have a nice day.
20. [R64] Voice Recorder & Audio Editor 5/5 · US Back to Basics: Very easy to use, and figure out. Hit record, hit save, and label just like back in the day! I love it. Not too complicated. Fits my needs for taping thirty minute talks, sometimes even longer convention notes. Sound is great. Highly recommend.
21. [R67] Voice Recorder Lite 3/5 · US Other apps are better: The app records well, but it cost money to purchase the pro version which is needed to do most of anything with the app including emailing yourself or someone a shared copy of what you have recorded.
22. [R68] Voice Recorder Lite 1/5 · US BLEW MY EARDRUMS OUT!: I was trying to test the mic on my Bluetooth headset, when suddenly, this app, without warning, popped up an unbelievably loud, full screen ad, blowing my eardrums out and hurting my ears. Deleting immediately.
23. [R70] Voice Recorder Lite 3/5 · US Impossible to download: Although the free version states that you can download to iTunes, the files are nowhere to be found. No way to share without upgrading to paid.
24. [R72] Voice Recorder Lite 5/5 · US I am practicing dialog: The app was very easy to use. I needed it to practice my routine for a performance.
25. [R79] Voice Memos & Sound Recorder 1/5 · US Horrible: Price is Too high. Didn’t use to be a price. Also… You deleted several of my very important meeting logs. Over a years worth.
26. [R80] Voice Memos & Sound Recorder 5/5 · US 04.15.26 important recording: Shows recording of select board meeting. Recording disappeared when stopped and asked to listen to
27. [R82] Voice Memos & Sound Recorder 1/5 · US Rip off: This is a rip off , transcription isn’t working and it’s the main reason why I purchased it
28. [R85] Voice Memos & Sound Recorder 1/5 · US Incessantly Begging for Reviews: Looking for an easy app to use for recording voice memos, this app’s UX is currently designed around the team’s desire to flash the “usefulness” of their app. At launch, the app will display a collage of high user ratings. Then, as you click through the app, pop-ups soliciting for reviews will come up time and again. This is a visually noisy app and you’re better o
29. [R93] Voice Recorder & Notes Pro 1/5 · US Charges me but says I don't have subscription: This app charges me $16.99 a month but every time I go to use it, it says I don't have a subscription. Seems to be no way to fix this and no one to contact.
30. [R94] Voice Recorder & Notes Pro 5/5 · US Beautiful: Honestly this is a great app for people íf you want to do rants. Like me!!! Keep it up.
31. [R95] Voice Recorder & Notes Pro 3/5 · US Kicked Out !: I don’t know why it suddenly kicks me out of the app, it happen several times every day while i listen to my records
32. [R98] Voice Recorder & Notes Pro 1/5 · US Cannot use with a mic: Voice sounds deeper when using a mic
33. [R107] iRecord 1/5 · US Not worth it: It’s 5.99 a week which is wildly expensive. Be sure to cancel the free trial before they charge you!
34. [R110] iRecord 1/5 · US Displeased Don’t Bother!!: It is impossible to cancel the same day. You do not have the option for a trial basis a week or a day they literally slap the yearly charge on your card. If you go to cancel they hold you till the following year to cancel. No number to call and speak to anyone or email for them to call you back. Don’t bother!!!
35. [R113] iRecord 1/5 · US transcription was gibberish: the product never worked the transcription was complete gibberish it’s very disappointing & the screen to cancel does not load
36. [R116] iRecord 1/5 · US Cannot cancel service: Horrible.Sent email to cancel and still being charged a month later.
37. [R76] Voice Recorder Lite 1/5 · US Lame: Can’t export without Pro version
38. [R78] Voice Recorder Lite 1/5 · US You cannot share the recorded file: I would rate it 0, Because I am unable to share a file that urgent to share. I would use the default app for recording if I knew this before.
39. [R51] Voice Recorder & Audio Editor 1/5 · US Beware of your recording automatically disappearing!!: I am extremely disappointed in this product. I first had a 5 day free trial and then was automatically charged for a monthly subscription. I would not have minded that except that a very important 3 hour recording was automatically deleted. I send two emails to customer support and never heard back. I’d give them a zero rating if I could.
40. [R57] Voice Recorder & Audio Editor 1/5 · US Support needed: I upgraded to include transcription. One of my files (EPPP) has 8 folders in it. Each folder had multiple recordings. Three recordings in one of the folders have been transcribed. ALL of the recordings and transcriptions in this file have been deleted. I have other, multiple files with multiple recordings none of which have been deleted. I’m not sure what has happened but am nee
41. [R59] Voice Recorder & Audio Editor 3/5 · US okay, buggy: first of all i purchased this app a while ago and use it from time to time. even though it was purchased i see outside ads and ads that say to get rid of the add i just need to pay $4.99 a month. you get other apps too for that price but i didn’t buy and dont want the other apps, so its $60/year to get rid of the ads for one recording app. also, several times i’ve made a recording
42. [R63] Voice Recorder & Audio Editor 1/5 · US Contains XXX ads: USES TEMU X-RATED ADS. PARENTS BEWARE