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Within the Messages app, you can send and receive audio messages with other iPhone users. Sending and receiving audio messages is a fun way communicate with your voice without being on the phone, and without using the talk-to-text iPhone feature. Here’s how to send and receive audio text messages.
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How To Send a Voice Message on the iPhone in the Messages App
The audio messages you send will disappear after a set amount of time unless the recipient taps Keep. To send an audio text message from your iPhone:

- Open the Messages app and start or continue a conversation thread.
- Press and hold the audio icon on the right side of the text box to record. The icon looks like a collection of lines.
- Speak your message while still holding the icon.
- Lift your finger to end recording.
- To hear your recorded message before you send it, tap the playback arrow.
- To delete the recording, tap the X icon.
- To send the message, tap the send arrow.
Related: How to Use Effects in Messages
How To Listen to an Audio Message You Received on Your iPhone
Once you've opened a message that contains an audio recording, follow the steps below to access the voice message on your iPhone.
- Tap the play button on the recording.
- You can tap Keep to save a recording you've sent or received.
- If you do not opt to keep a message, it will automatically delete after two minutes.
With these steps, you can now easily navigate sending and receiving audio or voice messages in the Messages app on your iPhone.