Alex Ruben
How To Recover Deleted Voice Memos on iPhone 16e: Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Accidentally deleting something important, especially voice memos, is super annoying. Been there. Luckily, if you’re lucky enough to catch it early, you can probably get those recordings back on your iPhone 16. Here’s how it tends to work — and what to do when it doesn’t.
Step 1: Open the Voice Memos App
First off, find the Voice Memos app on your iPhone. Usually in the app library or on the home screen. Noticing it’s missing? Sometimes it’s tucked away in a folder or hidden, so search for it by swipe-down on the home screen and typing “Voice Memos”.
Step 2: Check the Recently Deleted Folder
Now, here’s the thing that trips people up — on newer iOS versions, the Recently Deleted folder is inside the app itself, but it’s kind of hidden if you’re used to viewing your memos directly. Menu path: Me > Recently Deleted. On some setups, you might need to tap the three-dot menu or swipe to find it. If you don’t see “Recently Deleted,” it’s possible the memos are gone for good, or they’ve been cleared out automatically after 30 days. Some folks swear that if you act fast enough, recoveries still work. But on others, it’s a no-go.
Step 3: Restore Your Voice Memos
Once inside Recently Deleted, you’ll see a list of memos. Tap Edit if available, or just select the voice memos you want. Then look for the Restore button. Tap that, and they’re supposed to come back to your main list. Usually, the app also shows a confirmation or a little progress bar — don’t close the app mid-way or restart your phone, or you might risk losing the restore.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
How come some people say they can restore stuff, but others can’t? Well, here’s a few tidbits that help sometimes:
- If your memos aren’t in Recently Deleted, they might’ve been permanently snapped out of existence. On some iOS versions, the cleanup happens pretty fast, or if you manually delete from that folder, recovery button disappears.
- Always make sure your iPhone is running the latest iOS. Sometimes, bugs or weird glitches make the in-app trash bin non-functional. To check: Settings > General > Software Update.
- Good idea to use iCloud Backup and ensure voice memos are included. If you back up daily, it’s easier to restore from a backup later on, just in case.
- On some setups, recreating such recovery might involve connecting your iPhone to a computer and using iTunes or Finder (if on macOS). The trick: Connect iPhone to your Mac or PC, open Finder or iTunes, and check if recent backups contain the memos. Not foolproof, but worth a shot.
When all else fails, what’s next?
If the lost memos aren’t showing up even in Recently Deleted — and no backups help — the chances are slim. Data recovery tools won’t work miracles here because of Apple’s sandboxing. The best move is to enable automatic backups or iCloud syncing so that this kind of heartbreak isn’t repeated. Because of course, Apple has to make it harder than necessary.
Summary
- Check Recently Deleted in the Voice Memos app
- If it’s there, select and restore ASAP
- Update iOS and back up regularly to avoid future chaos
- Consider connecting to a Mac or PC for deeper recovery options
Fingers crossed this helps. It’s kinda weird, but sometimes you just gotta stay quick on the draw before they vanish for good.