Sunday, October 8, 2017

Genealogy Protip: Saving iPhone Voice Messages

October is Family History Month. Yes, an entire month dedicated to raising awareness about the importance - and, dare I say it, fun - of genealogy.

October is also my birthday month.

I was recently clearing out my voice messages when I stumbled on a saved treasure. I found an old voice message from my grandmother singing happy birthday to me in 2010. After her passing several years ago, the voice recording has taken on greater importance and meaning to me.

Perhaps you have a similar recording saved for safekeeping?

I recently learned how to download the recorded message from my iPhone to my computer. Apple has made the process incredibly easy, and it's something that all family historians should know how to do.

Check out these three easy steps:

First: Open your iPhone phone app, click into the voicemail, and select the saved voice message.


Second: Tap the selected message to expand your options. You'll see the icon to share the message (a box with an arrow pointing out of its top). Click this icon.


Third: A new screen will open with options for you to forward the voice message through text messaging or email. Email yourself the file and save it to your computer.


Last: With the file saved to your computer, you can now easily incorporate it into your family history projects - perhaps as an audio file to a family history film.

These easy steps enabled me to pull a family treasure - the sound of my grandmother's voice singing - from the confines of my mobile device and to more broadly share the memory.

Have you been able to incorporate voice messages from family into your family history?

6 comments:

  1. This is a lifesaver! I kept wondering what to do lately my Mom has been leaving me messages and I can’t erase them because of this sentiment! I have a few on the house phone I’ll play into my cell for safekeeping. Great Post!

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    1. I've been sitting on voice messages, too, wondering how I could easily get them off my phone. It only took me seven years! :) Good luck, True!

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