You can change a recording on your iPhone primarily within the Voice Memos app, allowing you to replace segments, trim, or delete parts of your audio. The most direct way to change a recording by inserting new audio is by using the replace recording feature.
Replacing a Section of a Recording
To replace a specific portion of an existing recording with new audio, follow these steps in the Voice Memos app:
- Open Voice Memos: Go to the Voice Memos app on your iPhone. This app is typically located in the Utilities folder.
- Select Recording: Tap on the recording you wish to modify from your list of saved memos.
- Access Edit Options: Tap the ellipsis icon (⋯), then select Edit Recording.
- Position Playhead for Replacement: Tap the replace icon (a circle with a small recording symbol) or look for the waveform. Drag the waveform to accurately position the playhead where you want to start recording the new audio. This indicates the exact point where the original audio will be overwritten.
- Start Replacing: Tap the Record button (red circle) to begin recording your new audio. As you record, the original audio from that point forward will be replaced by your new recording.
- Stop Recording: Tap the Record button again to stop.
- Save Changes: Tap Done to save your edited recording.
This feature is particularly useful for correcting errors, adding new information, or updating specific parts of a longer recording without having to re-record the entire memo.
General Editing Options for Recordings
Beyond replacing segments, the Voice Memos app offers other fundamental editing tools to "change" your recordings:
- Trimming/Cropping: This allows you to shorten a recording by removing unwanted audio from the beginning or end.
- Select the recording and tap Edit Recording.
- Tap the trim icon (a square with two arrows pointing inwards).
- Drag the yellow trim handles on the waveform to select the portion you want to keep. The section outside the handles will be removed.
- Tap Trim or Delete (depending on the interface for the discarded part), then Save or Done.
- Deleting Sections: You can remove specific segments from the middle of a recording.
- While in Edit Recording mode, tap the trim icon.
- Use the yellow trim handles to isolate the section you wish to delete.
- Tap Delete (which usually appears after you've isolated a segment to remove).
- Tap Save or Done to finalize the changes.
These editing capabilities ensure you can refine your audio recordings to capture only the essential information and present it clearly.
Editing Action | Purpose | Steps (Voice Memos) |
---|---|---|
Replace Recording | Overwrite a portion with new audio. | 1. Select memo > 2. Tap ... > 3. Edit Recording > 4. Tap replace icon > 5. Drag waveform to position playhead > 6. Tap Record > 7. Tap Stop > 8. Tap Done. |
Trim/Crop | Remove audio from beginning/end. | 1. Select memo > 2. Tap ... > 3. Edit Recording > 4. Tap trim icon > 5. Drag yellow handles to select desired portion > 6. Tap Trim or Delete (for discarded part) > 7. Tap Done. |
Delete Section | Remove a specific segment from anywhere. | 1. Select memo > 2. Tap ... > 3. Edit Recording > 4. Tap trim icon > 5. Isolate the section to delete using yellow handles > 6. Tap Delete (will remove the highlighted section) > 7. Tap Done. |
By utilizing these features within the Voice Memos app, you have comprehensive control over modifying your iPhone recordings.