At some point you will likely find yourself receiving a voicemail that is too important, or too precious, to delete. Whether it’s to save a message from a loved one who has recently passed, or a recording of something incriminating like a threat, there are a number of reasons why you might want to save your voicemail.
Gone are the days when voicemails were kept on cassette tapes in answering machines. Now, most files exist in a digital space, meaning there are more ways than ever before to save your voice messages. In this blog post we will teach you how to save important voicemail messages from your iPhone or Android Smartphone.
Technically, you can keep a voicemail message in your saved voicemail box, but this isn’t a long-term solution. Voicemail inboxes fill up, meaning you’ll either have to delete messages yourself to make space, or in some cases, your telephone service or apps will auto-delete older messages. Also, if you buy a new phone, switch carriers, shift to a new app, or any number of other changes, you can lose all the important voicemail you wanted to keep. Thankfully, there are a number of convenient ways to keep your favourite or most needed voicemails safe.
How to save Voicemails on iPhone
For iPhone users in America, instead of keeping the audio file saved in your voicemail, you can save and share voice messages to various apps and services using the share function. This is a great method for those looking to keep voicemail for business or schooling purposes. Apple allows you to share your voice messages with coworkers or classmates, or upload them to a computer for yourself and others to access.
To save or share a voicemail on the iPhone:
1. Open the Phone app and select the voicemail button on the bottom of the screen in the far right corner. (Reminder, this will only be available to US iPhone users with access to visual voicemail).
2. Choose the voicemail you would like to save and then tap the share button (this will look like a blue box with an arrow pointing outwards).
3. You now have several options for sharing and saving the file:
Notes - Lets you save audio files to a new note or add to an existing one.
Voice Memo - Saves audio to your phone, which can then be edited or trimmed in the Voice Memo app and automatically backed up to iTunes. *With both of these options you are able to save the message and play it back at your leisure. Both apps will also back up automatically to the iCloud, as long as you have iCloud enabled.
Mail and Message - Will send the file as an MP3 over email or SMS to another person in your contact list.
Airdrop - Lets you send the audio as an MP3 file wirelessly to other devices in range. To save the voicemail to your Macbook, select AirDrop and then select your computer’s name. You need to ensure you are connected to the same network and then have to accept the AirDrop on your computer. From there you can save the message wherever you want.
4. Select the option you wish to use and finalise using the send button.
5. Once you have saved or shared the file, it's also a good idea to backup the audio as well. If you have the sync function on your iPhone turned on, then you can sync with iTunes to automatically backup your voice memos to your iTunes library. In a similar way, you can share the audio files of the voicemail to a cloud storage service like Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft Drive or other similar services.
Sharing and Saving Voicemail on Android
Android users are also able to save their voicemails, however with a variety of manufacturers the method for saving voicemails will differ depending on the model you own. This can also be dependent on the voicemail app and service provider you are with. However, there are some general steps you can follow to save your important voicemails.
Again, for users in the US, your stock phone or voicemail app will often include an option to save copies of your voice messages.
1. Open your smartphone’s voicemail app.
2. Tap (in some cases, tap and hold) the message you want to save.
3. A menu should appear with several options: ‘save’, ‘export’, or ‘archive’.
4. Follow the prompts and select the appropriate option for your app and then choose a storage location when prompted to save the audio file.
5. Again, it’s a good idea to backup the saved voicemail to your cloud storage service of choice and download a copy to physical storage too like an external harddrive or computer for extra safekeeping. On some Android phones you will have the option to backup your voicemails automatically.
A Better Alternative?
If you own a smartphone but don’t have the functionalities mentioned above, then saving your voicemails can be a little bit tricky. One alternative to save your important voicemails is to record them on a computer. You can play back the audio on a speaker with another device recording it, such as a computer or dictaphone, which creates a separate audio file. However, this process can be difficult and cumbersome, not to mention the low audio quality of the recording itself. Another way to save your voicemail would be to formally request the audio file from your service provider (in regions where they are legally obliged to provide you with your personal data). However, a far simpler and more convenient way to save your voicemails on your smartphone is to consider moving your calls and voicemail to a product like Vxt, which makes it easy to download and export voicemail files.
Vxt is a voicemail assistant available on both iOS and Android. One of Vxt’s most popular functions is its voicemail to email feature, where Vxt takes a copy of your voicemail, audio and transcription, and sends it to your email address where you can read it or download the audio file directly. This is a fast, automated way of achieving the same results above, without even having to think about saving your voicemail. Unlike alternatives, Vxt also offers integration through Vxt Web with other useful tools such as Slack, Pipedrive, Salesforce, and more, meaning there are a range of ways to save and access your voicemails. You can also share the transcription or the audio of your voicemail with Vxt’s share function. All of your voicemail are also kept securely on Vxt’s cloud, and easily playable on your phone or computer. Vxt is a convenient and lasting solution that can help you save your important voicemails on your smartphone.
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