How do I delete recordings from voice recorder?

A voice recorder is a device that records audio for later playback. It allows you to capture conversations, lectures, interviews, notes to yourself, and more. Voice recorders come in digital and analog formats, with digital being the most common nowadays. They store recordings to internal memory or external memory cards.

There are many reasons why someone may want to delete recordings from their voice recorder. The main reasons include:

Free up storage space when memory is full

Remove recordings that are no longer needed
Delete recordings by mistake or that contain sensitive information
Reset the device back to factory default

Voice recorders store potentially large audio files, so freeing up space by deleting unneeded recordings is important. This article will go through the steps to delete individual or multiple recordings, permanently erase recordings, and delete all recordings from various voice recorders.

Locate Recordings

Voice recordings are stored in different locations depending on the device used to record them. Here’s where to find voice recordings on some common devices:

On iPhone and iPad, open the Voice Memos app. All recordings made on that device will be listed here and organized by date. You can also find voice memos in the Files app under On My iPhone/iPad > Voice Memos. Recordings are stored locally on the device storage.

On Android phones, recordings are usually stored in the folder for the sound or voice recorder app used. For example, recordings made with the Google Recorder app can be found in internal storage/Recorder folder. Recordings made on Samsung phones may be in a folder called Recordings or Voice Recorder. Check your phone’s app and folders for the recording files.

On Mac computers, voice memos are located in the Voice Memos app. You can also find them by going to Finder > Username > Music > Voice Memos.

For standalone voice recorders, recordings are stored internally on the device’s memory. Connect the recorder to a computer to transfer and access the files.

Recordings can also be synced across devices when signed in to the same cloud account, like iCloud. Enable syncing in your account settings to view recordings on multiple devices.

Delete Single Recording

You can delete voice recordings one at a time on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Here are the steps:

1. Open the Voice Memos app.

2. Tap the Edit button in the upper right corner of the recordings list.

3. Tap the red minus circle next to the recording you want to delete. The recording will be marked with a checkmark.

4. Tap “Delete” to confirm you want to delete the selected recording.

The recording will be moved to the Recently Deleted folder where it will be kept for 40 days before being permanently deleted. To access deleted recordings:

1. Tap the Edit button in the upper right corner.

2. Tap “Recently Deleted” at the bottom of the menu.

You can permanently delete the recording from here by swiping left and tapping “Delete”.

If using Voice Memos on macOS, you can right click on a recording and choose “Delete” to remove it. It will also be moved to Recently Deleted.

Delete Multiple Recordings

You may want to delete multiple voice recordings from your device at once to clear up storage space or protect your privacy. Most voice recorder apps and smart assistants like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Siri allow you to delete multiple recordings in just a few steps.

On an Android device, open the Google app and go to Settings > Your data in the Assistant > Assistant history. From here, you can view your voice recordings and select multiple files to delete at once. You can also visit https://myactivity.google.com, click on Voice & Audio, and select multiple recordings to delete in bulk.

For Amazon Alexa devices, use the Alexa app and go to Settings > Alexa Privacy > Review Voice History. Tap the checkboxes next to each recording you want to delete and then select “Delete Selected Recordings” at the bottom of the screen to delete multiple files together. You can also visit https://www.amazon.com/alexaprivacysettings to review and bulk delete recordings.

On an iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app and go to Siri & Search > Siri & Dictation History. Tap “Delete Siri & Dictation History” to delete multiple recordings at once. You can also manually view and select individual recordings to delete in bulk here.

Deleting recordings in bulk allows you to efficiently clear multiple voice files from your device while maintaining your privacy. Just use the above steps for your specific device or app to delete numerous recordings at the same time.

Permanently Delete

There is a difference between deleting a recording and permanently deleting it. When you delete a recording, it is removed from your device or app interface but may still exist in the cloud storage or on remote servers. Permanently deleting means completely wiping the recording from all locations so it cannot be recovered.

You may want to permanently delete sensitive or private recordings that you do not want to risk anyone accessing or recovering in the future. For example, banking information, personal conversations, interviews, or any recording that contains personal details you want to erase entirely.

According to Claranet’s Voice Recording User Guide, to permanently delete voice recordings: “Select the specific call or calls you wish to delete by clicking in the corresponding checkboxes. Once selected, click the ‘Delete Permanently’ button at the top of the call list to permanently erase the recording(s).”

Permanently deleting removes the recording completely, whereas standard deletion only removes access or visibility. If you merely want to free up space but may want the option to recover a recording later, deleting is fine. But for privacy reasons, permanent deletion ensures the recording cannot be restored.

Delete All Recordings

The easiest way to delete all voice recordings at once is to use the “Delete all recordings” option in your device’s voice recorder app settings. Here are the steps:

On Android devices:

Open the Voice Recorder app.
Tap the three dots in the top right corner to open the menu.

Select “Settings.”
Tap “Delete all recordings.”
Confirm that you want to delete all recordings.

On iPhones and iPads:

Open the Voice Memos app.
Tap the three lines in the top left corner.

Select “Delete All.”
Confirm that you want to delete all recordings.

This will permanently erase all saved voice recordings from the app and device storage. Be certain that you have backups or don’t need to keep any recordings before deleting them all. The action cannot be undone.

You can also manage and delete recordings individually or in batches within the app if you don’t want to erase everything at once. But for a quick and complete wipe, using the “Delete all recordings” option is the simplest method.

Recover Deleted Recordings

If you accidentally delete a voice recording that you still need, don’t panic. There are usually ways to recover deleted recordings on both Android and iPhone devices. However, the sooner you try to recover the recordings, the better chance you have of retrieving them fully.

On Android phones, you can use data recovery apps like DiskDigger to scan your device and find recordings that were accidentally deleted. DiskDigger has a free version that lets you preview found files before deciding to recover them. Once found, you can restore the deleted recordings back to your device. Just make sure not to save new data to your device that could overwrite the deleted files [1].

For iPhones, you can use iPhone data recovery software like FonePaw iOS Recovery to retrieve accidentally deleted voice memos and call recordings. The software scans your iPhone to find deleted recordings that can then be selectively recovered. For best results, connect your iPhone to your computer and scan it with FonePaw soon after deletion occurs [2].

Acting quickly improves your chances of full recovery. Additionally, avoid saving new data to your device that could overwrite the deleted files. With the right software and prompt action, you have an excellent chance of retrieving accidentally deleted recordings.

Alternative Ways to Free Up Space

If you don’t want to permanently delete voice recordings but need to free up storage space on your iPhone, there are a few options to consider:

Transfer recordings to a computer via iTunes or the Finder app. This will remove them from your iPhone’s storage but allow you to access them on your computer if needed. See this Apple discussion thread for more details.
Back up recordings to iCloud storage or a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox. You can then delete local copies on your iPhone while retaining access in the cloud.
Use a third-party app like Voice Memos & Audio Recorder to record and store audio files instead of the native Voice Memos app. Some of these apps sync to cloud storage automatically.

Transferring voice recordings off your iPhone is usually the best approach if you need to regain storage capacity but still want access to those recordings later on if needed.

Data Privacy Considerations

There are several privacy concerns associated with voice recordings. When you record with an app on your smartphone, such as Apple Voice Memos or Google recorder, the voice recording data is saved to your device and/or associated cloud storage accounts. As this article explains, voice recordings contain biometric data that can potentially identify you.

Voice data is increasingly being collected for commercial purposes as well. As reported in this article, companies are amassing voice recordings to improve speech recognition systems. However, the lack of transparency and consent around how this data is used raises privacy issues. There is also the risk that voice recordings could be obtained by malicious actors.

Before recording sensitive information, consider whether you want to store that data indefinitely. Be aware of the privacy policies of any apps you use for recording. Adjust app permissions so they only collect the minimum data necessary. And as with all personal data, handle voice recordings carefully and delete them when no longer needed.

Conclusion

In summary, there are a few key reasons why you may need to delete recordings from your voice recorder app:

To free up storage space on your device if recordings are taking up a lot of memory

To permanently delete sensitive recordings you no longer need or want
To tidy up your recorder app and remove recordings you have already backed up or transcribed

You can delete recordings individually or select multiple ones to delete at once. There is also an option to delete all recordings. However, deleted recordings are sent to the Trash folder and can be recovered if needed. Only when permanently deleted from the Trash will recordings be fully removed.

Other methods besides deleting to free up space include transferring recordings elsewhere such as to a computer or cloud storage. You can also use a third party app to manage recordings. Just be mindful of any sensitive data and privacy considerations when storing recordings.

Now you know the main ways to locate, select and delete recordings as needed from your Android device’s default Voice Recorder app.