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Is Voice Memos Safe?

Voice Memos privacy label · by Apple Inc. · checked November 2026

  • Collects location
  • Recently updated
App Privacy label Developer-reported · checked November 1, 2026
Used to track you
0types

None declared

Linked to you
3types
Not linked to you
1type
Short answer

Mostly a question of trust: Voice Memos collects data linked to you but declares no tracking. The sensitive items are location and user content. In total the label lists 4 data types; 58% of voice recorders we checked declare tracking.

At a glance

Voice Memos privacy in one look

Data exposure on the label
Linked to you
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Built only from the developer's App Store label. It describes disclosure, not tested behaviour.

Verdict from the label
Linked to you, no tracking

Voice Memos collects 3 data types tied to your identity but declares no tracking.

Try it

Did Voice Memos ask for something?

Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what Voice Memos' developer declared.

It asked me for access to…
Tap a prompt to compare it with the label.
Matches the label

Voice Memos lists Location on its label, linked to you. Choose While Using and turn off Precise Location if the feature works without it.

Matches the label

Voice Memos lists User Content on its label, linked to you. Choose Limited Access and pick only the photos you want to share.

Not on the label

Contacts is not on Voice Memos' label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not declared on the label

Voice Memos declares no tracking, so a tracking prompt would contradict its label. Decline it, and consider reporting the mismatch to Apple.

Not on the label

Health & Fitness is not on Voice Memos' label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

A permission is what the app can reach on your iPhone; the label is what the developer says leaves it. They answer different questions.

Line by line

What Voice Memos collects, explained

Data typeWhat it coversWhere to limit it
LocationSensitiveLinked to you Where your phone is, either precisely (street level) or approximately (city or area). Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services: choose Never or While Using, and turn off Precise Location if the app does not need it.
User ContentSensitiveLinked to you Messages, photos, videos, audio recordings, documents and support chats you create or upload. Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos: choose Limited Access or None; review Microphone and Files access too.
IdentifiersLinked to you An account ID, screen name, customer number or a device-level ID such as the advertising identifier. Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking: turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track, or tap Ask App Not to Track when prompted.
Usage DataNot linked to you What you tap, open and view inside the app, plus which ads you have seen. There is no single iOS switch. Look for an analytics or personalised-ads toggle in the app's own settings.
Reading the label

What Voice Memos' label means for you

Voice Memos' label has 3 types under “Data Linked to You”, 1 type under “Data Not Linked to You”. A data type can appear in more than one section when it is used for different purposes — for example, identifiers used for both analytics and advertising.

Voice Memos declares no tracking, which means the developer says it does not combine your data with other companies' data for advertising or sell it to data brokers. The data linked to you — location, user content and identifiers — is still tied to your identity, typically through an account, and is covered by the developer's privacy policy and retention rules.

The items that deserve the most attention are location and user content. Location history reveals home, work and routines. Precise location deserves the most scrutiny.

Recorders capture other people's voices as well as yours, and transcription features often upload audio. Check whether transcription happens on device, and review Microphone access in Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone.

Among the 140 voice recorders in our snapshot with a label, 58% declare tracking, 63% collect data linked to you and 22% say they collect nothing. Voice Memos lists 4 data types, more than the average of 2.4 for this group.

Utilities range from calculators to VPNs, so their labels vary more than any other category. A simple tool that collects identifiers and usage data for tracking is a sign of advertising SDKs.

On your iPhone

Settings to check for Voice Memos

  1. 1

    Tracking

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking. If “Allow Apps to Request to Track” is off, apps cannot ask, and they are told to treat you as having declined. You can also turn it off for this app alone.

  2. 2

    Location

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Voice Memos. Choose While Using or Never, and switch off Precise Location if a city-level answer is enough.

  3. 3

    Photos

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos. Limited Access lets you pick exactly which pictures the app can see; Add Photos Only lets it save without reading your library.

  4. 4

    Microphone & camera

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone and Camera. The orange and green dots in the status bar show when either is in use.

  5. 5

    Lock the app

    On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the icon and choose Require Face ID. Anyone who picks up your unlocked phone then needs your face, fingerprint or passcode to open it.

  6. 6

    Notifications

    Settings › Notifications › Voice Memos › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.

Cross-app tracking

Does Voice Memos track you?

No tracking declared

There is no “Data Used to Track You” section on Voice Memos' label.

Does Voice Memos track you? Full answer and how to stop it →

iOS 18 and later

Lock Voice Memos behind Face ID

  1. Find Voice Memos on your Home Screen or in App Library.
  2. Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
  3. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
  4. Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. Voice Memos now asks for authentication every time it opens.

The lock is an iPhone feature, so it works whether or not Voice Memos has a passcode of its own. It does not change what the app sends to its developer.

From the App Store record

About Voice Memos

DeveloperApple Inc.
App Store categoryUtilities
Latest version2.11, released October 2026
First releasedMay 2016
RequiresiOS 10.0 or later
Size17 MB
Age rating4+
Languages33 (AR, CA, HR, CS, DA, NL, EN, FI…)
Bundle IDcom.apple.VoiceMemos

The current version shipped in October 2026, so the app is actively maintained and its label is likely current. Labels are updated by developers when practices change.

Also by Apple Inc.: Calculator, Passwords, iCloud Drive, Safari, Journal, Files.

Read with care

What the label cannot tell you

  • A label is self-reported. Apple publishes the developer's answers and can reject apps that misrepresent them, but it does not independently verify what Voice Memos sends.
  • It does not say where data is stored, how long it is kept, whether it is encrypted, or which companies receive it. The privacy policy covers those points.
  • Optional data counts: if a feature lets you add something (a profile photo, a phone number), the type is listed even if you never use the feature.
  • Data handled only on your iPhone is not 'collected', so a no-collection label is compatible with an app that reads your files locally.
  • Third-party sign-in, payment processors and SDKs are supposed to be included, but a label can lag behind a new version.

The question to ask Voice Memos' developer: Are my recordings uploaded to transcribe them?

How it compares

Voice Memos vs similar voice recorders

Data types listed on each App Store privacy label
Tracks youLinked to youNot linkedCollects nothing

Fewer types is not automatically safer: a cloud backup app has to collect your files to work. Compare like with like.

Checking another app?

Look up any of our apps in seconds, or put two labels side by side.

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All voice recorders → Who tracks you? A–Z → Apps that collect location → Privacy label decoder →

Do it now

Your Voice Memos privacy checklist

Tick what you have done
Tick each step as you do it on your iPhone.

Done. You have applied every control the label points to.

Quick quiz

True or false?

  1. Q1Voice Memos' privacy label says it uses data to track you.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on Voice Memos' label.

  2. Q2Apple tests every app to confirm its privacy label is accurate.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Labels are self-reported by developers. Apple can reject or remove apps that misrepresent practices, but it does not audit each label.

  3. Q3Voice Memos collects Location.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    True: Location appears on its label.

  4. Q4Data “Not Linked to You” is never sent off your iPhone.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It is collected and sent; the developer says it is de-identified rather than tied to your account or device.

  5. Q5Tapping “Ask App Not to Track” can stop an app from working.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Apple's rules require apps to work the same whether or not you allow tracking.

Questions people ask

Voice Memos privacy FAQ

Is Voice Memos safe to use?
Based on its App Store privacy label, voice Memos collects 3 data types tied to your identity but declares no tracking. Whether that is acceptable depends on what you will store in it. The label is developer-reported, not an independent security test.
Does Voice Memos track you?
No. Voice Memos' label has no Data Used to Track You section.
What data does Voice Memos collect?
Location, user content, identifiers and usage data. Of these, location, user content and identifiers are linked to your identity.
Who makes Voice Memos?
Apple Inc., according to the App Store. It was first released in May 2016 and the current version is 2.11.
Can I lock Voice Memos with Face ID?
On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold Voice Memos' icon and choose Require Face ID (or Touch ID / Passcode). This is an iPhone feature and works for most downloaded apps, whether or not the app has its own lock. If you don't see the option, update iOS.
How does Voice Memos compare with other voice recorders?
Across 140 voice recorders with labels in our snapshot, 58% declare tracking and 22% say they collect no data. Voice Memos lists 4 data types against an average of 2.4.
Are my recordings uploaded to transcribe them?
The privacy label cannot answer that. Look for it in Voice Memos' privacy policy or support pages, linked from the App Store listing. Check whether transcription happens on device, and review Microphone access in Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone.
How do I delete my data from Voice Memos?
Apps that let you create an account must also let you start account deletion from inside the app (an App Store rule since June 2022). Deleting the app from your iPhone alone does not delete data already sent to the developer.
Facts on this page come from Voice Memos on the App Store, as reported by the developer. Checked 2026-11-01. How we collect data · Report a correction