How do you recover Voice Memos from an iPhone backup on a Mac?
By Kayabyte · Last updated 2 November 2026
To recover Voice Memos from an iPhone backup, first check Recently Deleted in Voice Memos on the phone, then check iCloud. If the recording is in a Finder backup, the only built-in way to use it is restoring the whole backup to the phone, which replaces everything on it. NoteRescue reads recordings in an iPhone backup and copies them out as audio files; we have not yet tested that on a real backup that holds recordings, so run the free scan to see what it finds.
Check these first (free)
- Recently Deleted. In Voice Memos on the iPhone open the Recently Deleted folder and tap Recover.
- iCloud. If Voice Memos is on in iCloud, recordings sync to your Mac. Open Voice Memos on the Mac too.
- Protect the backup. Finder keeps one backup per iPhone; a new backup replaces the old one. Do not back up again until you have checked the old one (Finder, Manage Backups, Archive).
Restoring the whole backup
In Finder select the iPhone and click Restore Backup, choose the backup and enter its password if it is encrypted. Everything on the phone goes back to the backup date. This is a heavy way to recover a recording and can lose newer photos and messages, so back up the current state in a separate place first.
A faster way: NoteRescue
NoteRescue scans iPhone backups (encrypted too) for Voice Memos and compares them with the recordings on your Mac. Recordings are copied as audio files with their title and date.
Steps with NoteRescue
- Open NoteRescue and press Scan. Enter the backup password if asked (the one you chose for “Encrypt local backup”, not your passcode).
- Open the Voice Memos row. If the backup holds recordings, select the missing ones.
- Choose a folder and recover, then click Open in Voice Memos.
Voice Memos is USD 14.99, or USD 39.99 for all apps; one recording is free as a proof, which lets you check that it works. Download NoteRescue
What cannot come back, and what is not tested
- The two real iPhone backups we tested hold no recordings, so Voice Memos in iPhone backups is not verified on real data. Voice Memos from Time Machine is tested on macOS 26.
- Recordings whose audio was only in iCloud are not in a backup; only title and date can be listed.
- Edits, enhancements and transcripts are not recovered.
Questions
Where does an iPhone backup keep Voice Memos? In its Media area, in a Recordings folder. Which exact files appear depends on the iOS version.
Can I use a backup without restoring my phone? Yes with a reader like NoteRescue; see how to read an encrypted iPhone backup on a Mac.
Related guides
- How do you recover deleted Voice Memos on a Mac?
- How do you recover notes from an iPhone backup on a Mac?
Apple, Mac, iPhone, iCloud, Time Machine, Safari and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. NoteRescue is made by Kayabyte and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.
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