How to reduce background noise in voice memos on iPhone

The default app for voice memos on all iPhones takes an essential approach. There are no advanced audio recording features like the ones we witness in some third party apps. That changed with the launch of iOS 14, in which Apple introduced the advanced recording feature along with a plethora of other features.

This feature reduces the background noise that often plagues voice memos, resulting in a sub-par audio file. It ruins not only the vocal notes when you hear the noise, but everything you or someone else has said. Apple wants to change everything through the use of a wand, literally.

Let’s take a look at how voice memos work and where you can find this new advanced recording feature along with other important changes.

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1. Create voice memos

There are two ways to record a voice memo on your iPhone running iOS 14. One is to open the app and tap the big red record button at the bottom of the screen to immediately start recording your voice / sound. The other way is to launch the Control Center and tap the Voice Memo icon to launch it.

When you’re done, tap the red button again to stop recording. You should now see the recording, by default, based on your location. Now you can play, edit or delete the recording. Tap the name of the recording to edit it.

Note: If you press and hold the Voice Memos icon in Control Center, you will be shown options to start a new recording or access the latest one.

2. Edit your voice memos

Tap the three-pronged menu icon next to the reminder you want to edit to select the Edit Recording button.

You can move the waveform by dragging the blue handle from right to left until you reach the point you want to change. Tap the cut button to cut or delete the selected part from the voice memo.

There are two yellow hands at either end of the reminder. Drag them from left to right or vice versa and tap Trim to trim the voice memo. If you want to delete a part of the reminder, for example from the center, drag and place both yellow handles to select the part you want to delete and tap the Delete button. Don’t forget to save the edited voice memo.

The Replace option does exactly what it says. Move the blue handle to the part you think needs to be replaced. Tap the Replace button and it will start recording again, but this time it will overwrite the voice memo from that part onwards.

Move the blue handle to the end and the Replace button is replaced by the Resume button. Tapping it will resume recording from where it last ended.

3. Reduction of background noise from voice memos

Here is the new feature. Have you noticed background noises such as noise, fan noise or ambient sounds? Go back to edit mode and tap the wand button on the left side.

Play the voice memo again and you will notice less background noise and less disturbance. It’s not one hundred percent perfect but it works pretty well and does the job. I think Apple will continue to work on it in the future and improve it with each update.

4. Organize and share voice memos

Go back to the main screen of the Voice Memos app and tap the three-dot menu icon again. You will find options to share that memo, duplicate it and add it to favorites. The latter will move the memo to a smart folder.

You can now create folders in the Voice Memos app. Go back to the main screen and tap the folder with the plus icon in the lower right corner of the screen to do so.

Tap the Edit button and select a voice memo to move it to the newly created folder.

Conclusion

The recently improved Voice Memos app is particularly nice, easy to use, and includes some cool new features that were previously missing. I’m glad Apple started paying attention to this widely used app. Now, I will no longer have to depend on third-party apps to take voice notes. It has many functions now.