Where are voice memos stored on Mac
On Mac, Voice Memos are stored in ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.voicememos/Recordings as .m4a files named by internal UUID, not by title. iPhone memos live inside the app's sandbox and sync to iCloud by default. To get clean, named files, export from the app - and to turn a memo into text, drop it into Nerpa's free transcription tool: no signup, up to 35 minutes.
The exact path on Mac
Voice Memos keeps its recordings in:
~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.voicememos/Recordings
- In Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G (Go to Folder).
- Paste the path above and press Enter.
- You'll see .m4a files - each one is a memo, playable by double-click.
The Library folder is hidden by default; the Cmd+Shift+G shortcut reveals it without changing settings. Copying files directly out of this folder works - but for clean, named exports, use the app's export instead (below).
The UUID filename mystery
Open the folder and you'll see names like C95D5F18-2A4B-4E7F.mp4 - not your memo titles. The display name ("Interview with Sarah") lives in the app's internal database; the file on disk keeps its internal identifier. Three ways to cope:
- Sort by Date Modified - recordings match their capture times.
- Listen before renaming - double-click any file plays it in QuickTime.
- Export, then rename - the exported copy is a normal file you can name anything.
iPhone memos and iCloud
On iPhone, memos live inside the Voice Memos sandbox - no Finder access to the files. What matters there is sync:
- iCloud sync is on by default. Memos appear on your Mac (via iCloud Voice Memos) and all Apple devices.
- Optimize Storage can keep only recent originals on the phone - older audio lives in iCloud, on-device copies become compressed.
- Device-only storage: Settings → your name → iCloud → turn Voice Memos off.
If a memo exists only in iCloud and you delete it there, it's gone everywhere - sync cuts both ways. And if a memo is too sensitive for any synced copy, export it and follow the encrypted voice recorder setup - local file plus disk encryption.
How to export memos properly
- Mac: right-click the memo in Voice Memos → Export → choose folder. The exported .m4a is a clean file you can rename freely.
- iPhone: tap the memo → share sheet → Save to Files, AirDrop, Mail, or any app.
- Bulk: on Mac, select several memos → right-click → Export, or drag them to a folder.
Recorders that skip the mystery: plain folders
The hidden-folder-plus-UUID dance is exactly why people switch to recorders that store files transparently. Nerpa saves every recording into a folder you control - nerpa_storage - named by date and title, standard .m4a, ready for Obsidian, agents, or backup. And transcription is built in: unlimited, on-device, with speaker labels. Details on how local file storage works.
Recordings you can actually find
Nerpa keeps raw audio in a named, dated, plain-folder structure on your Mac - and transcribes on-device with speaker labels. Unlimited and free.
Latest stable release. Requires macOS 12+
Frequently asked questions
Can I change where Voice Memos are stored?
No built-in option - the storage folder is fixed by macOS. To keep memos elsewhere, export them (right-click → Export), or record with an app that lets you choose the storage folder, like Nerpa, which saves raw audio into a folder you control.
Are Voice Memos backed up?
On iPhone, iCloud sync doubles as backup while it's enabled. On Mac, the storage folder is part of your user Library - Time Machine backs it up if you use it. For safety beyond that, export important memos and back up the files like any other data.
What format are Voice Memos?
.m4a (AAC audio). Every transcription tool and player accepts it; nothing needs converting.
Can I transcribe a voice memo to text?
Yes - drop the exported file into the free transcription tool (no signup, up to 35 minutes), or use the Nerpa Mac app for unlimited on-device transcription with speaker labels. Full walkthrough: how to transcribe a voice memo to text.