How to Record Better Audio on iPhone: Settings, Mic Position and Room

Short answer: switch Voice Memos to Lossless, point the bottom of the iPhone at the speaker from about 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) away, turn on Airplane Mode or a Focus, and record in a small room with soft furnishings. Those four changes cost nothing and fix most bad recordings.

An iPhone records good audio when it's set up well. Most problems come from distance, the room and interruptions, not the microphone. Here's what to change, in order of how much difference it makes.

1. Change two Voice Memos settings

Open the Settings app and find Voice Memos (on recent versions of iOS it sits under Apps). Two settings matter:

• Audio Quality: Lossless. The default compressed format is fine for quick notes, but Lossless keeps more detail, which helps when you edit, clean up or transcribe later. The files are much bigger: one test measured about three times the size per minute.
• Recording mode: mono or stereo. Mono is fine for one voice. Stereo gives a sense of space for music or a room with several people. In Voice Memos, stereo needs an iPhone with stereo microphones and iOS 18 or later.

Menu names move between iOS versions, so if you don't see these exactly, search Settings for "Voice Memos".

2. Know where the microphone is

The main microphone for voice recording is on the bottom edge of the iPhone, next to the charging port. Point that edge towards the person speaking. Don't cover it with your hand or a thick case, and if the holes are clogged with lint, clean them gently with a dry, soft brush. Don't poke anything into them.

3. Get closer than feels natural

Distance is the biggest single factor. The closer the microphone is to the mouth, the louder the voice is compared with the room, the traffic and the air conditioning.

• One speaker: about 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) away.
• Slightly to the side: angle the phone a little off the mouth so "p" and "b" sounds don't pop.
• Two people: put the phone on a soft surface between them, closer to the quieter speaker.
• Lectures: sit near the front, or ask to place the phone near the speaker rather than recording from the back row.

4. Stop interruptions before they happen

• Airplane Mode or a Focus. Notifications, calls and vibrations can interrupt a recording or add buzzes. Airplane Mode is the simplest fix when you don't need the internet.
• Put the phone down. Handling noise from fingers and rings is surprisingly loud. Rest the phone on something soft, like a folded cloth, not straight on a hard table that carries knocks and taps.
• Battery and storage. A long Lossless recording takes space. Check both before an hour-long interview.

5. Choose the room

Small rooms with soft things (curtains, rugs, a sofa, a bed) sound better than kitchens, bathrooms and empty offices. Hard surfaces reflect your voice back into the microphone, which is what makes a recording sound echoey. We go into this in how to remove echo from a voice recording on iPhone. Turn off fans and air conditioning if you can; steady background noise is easier to clean up later than you'd think, but no noise is better still.

6. Record a ten-second test

Before anything important, record ten seconds, then listen on headphones. Phone speakers hide hum, echo and handling noise. Change one thing at a time and test again.

Interviews, lectures and podcasts: a checklist

1. Ask before you record. Rules differ between countries and states, and asking is good practice everywhere.
2. Lossless on, Airplane Mode on, battery and storage checked.
3. Phone on a soft surface, bottom edge towards the speaker, as close as is comfortable.
4. Ten-second test, checked on headphones.
5. Say the date and the names at the start. It helps when you sort recordings later, and speaker labels come out more useful.
6. Back up the file as soon as you finish.

When an external microphone is worth it

For most voice notes and interviews, an iPhone held close is enough. A clip-on (lavalier) microphone, wired or wireless, earns its place when you can't get the phone near the speaker: on camera, walking, in a noisy street, or on stage. A handheld or desk microphone is worth it if you record a podcast every week.

After you record

Good recording makes everything afterwards easier. If the room still crept in, you can reduce echo and noise; our guide to cleaning up audio on iPhone covers the options. If you need the words, our guide to transcribing and labelling speakers explains what affects accuracy. Clean, close recordings transcribe noticeably better.

We make two apps for these steps: OffgridVox removes echo and noise, and OffgridScribe transcribes and labels speakers. Both run entirely on the iPhone, so the recording is never uploaded, and both are one-time purchases.

Common mistakes

• Recording from across the room and hoping software will fix it.
• Holding the phone in your hand for a long interview.
• Leaving notifications on.
• Checking the test on the phone's speaker instead of headphones.
• Not backing up before you start editing.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use Lossless or Compressed in Voice Memos?

Use Lossless if you plan to edit, clean up or publish the recording, and you have the storage. Compressed is fine for quick notes. Lossless files are much larger: one test measured roughly three times the size per minute.

Should I record in stereo or mono?

Mono is fine for a single voice. Stereo helps when you want a sense of space, such as music or a room with several people. In Voice Memos, stereo recording needs an iPhone with stereo microphones and iOS 18 or later.

Where is the microphone on an iPhone?

The main microphone used for voice recording is on the bottom edge, next to the charging port. iPhones have other microphones near the cameras and earpiece, but pointing the bottom edge towards the speaker is the reliable choice.

Do I need an external microphone?

Not for most voice notes, lectures or interviews if you get the phone close. An external clip-on (lavalier) microphone helps when you can't get the iPhone close to the speaker, such as on camera or in a noisy place.

Is it legal to record a conversation?

It depends on where you are. Some places allow recording if one person in the conversation agrees; others require everyone's consent. The simple rule: say you're recording and ask first.

More from Offgrid Studio

How to Remove Echo From a Voice Recording on iPhone
How to Clean Up Audio on iPhone: Vocals, Noise and Podcasts
Transcribe, Summarize and Label Speakers on iPhone