One way to create voice memos on the iPhone

Hopefully, in the future Apple may add software support for voice recording, but in the meantime, this hint provides a basic way to record notes via voicemail. Dialing your number on your phone calls AT&T's voicemail, but automatically logs in to hear messages. As far as I know, there's no way to record a message in this mode. However, if you call AT&T's voicemail directly, you can enter your phone number and leave a message for yourself. With visual voicemail these messages won't clutter up your voice mailbox and work great as voice notes.

If you dial *#61#, the iPhone will display call forwarding information in the case of a call not answered (you can look here for more codes, or just google GSM code). The first phone number listed should be AT&T's voicemail number. Create a contact with this number, followed by a ',' (hold * for about 2 seconds), followed by your 10-digit cell number. When you call this contact, you'll hear AT&T's automated response, followed by your iPhone dialing your phone number, and then your voicemail greeting. Record your note and hang up. It may take a minute before you receive the message in your visual voicemail.

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BETTER way to create voice memos on the iPhone
Authored by: scott721 on Tue, Aug 7 2007 at 8:00AM PDT

Or, just use "Jott" for creating a voice note, which will then have it transcribed, send it to you via text message and send you an email with the transcription along with a link to listen to the audio file. It's vastly more efficient than the workaround using AT&T's own voicemail. You can read a detailed article about Jott on my blog HERE.

It depends on the purpose of the voice message
Authored by: vrillusions on Tue, Aug 7 2007 at 8:48AM PDT

If you want to have an audio version that you can send just because it's easier to "hear" what you said instead of reading it, that's one thing. On the other hand, the other--and more common in my opinion--reason for a voice message is you want some way to store something ASAP without much distraction. For example while driving. A lot of phones have a voice memo button that you just hold down for 2 seconds, say whatever it is, and done. If I have to type it out to get it converted to audio, it seems redundant since the notes app on the iphone does the job usually for stuff like that. The voicemail hack is a lot more distraction less as typing on the iphone while driving is especially hazardous (a drawback to the tactile-less keyboard)

Disregard reply
Authored by: vrillusions on Tue, Aug 7 2007 at 8:51AM PDT

I guess it would have helped to check jott out first. The way you replied it sounded like jott was a text-to-speech service, not speech-to-text (which makes a lot more sense)

Voicenotes from Backpack
Authored by: rickroberts on Tue, Aug 7 2007 at 1:06PM PDT

37signals.com

Easier and elegant.

EVEN BETTER way to create voice memos
Authored by: augmentedfourth on Wed, Aug 8 2007 at 2:53PM PDT

I use k7.net for voice memos; they provide a personalized phone number and email your voice message to you as an attachment. It's meant as a voicemail/fax-to-email service, but it works fine for personal messages.

I like it better than Jott mostly because it throws you straight to the voice recording (after a short outgoing message if you choose), and you don't have to wade through the automated prompts:
"Who do you want to Jott?"
"Me."
"Jott Yourself..."

That process kind of takes you "out of the moment" of your voice note, so you have to think about the system you're using in addition to just using it. I like being able to just drop off a quick message and have it sent to me automatically. Plus, I hate voice recorders that save directly on the phone because I always forget to check them.

If only the iPhone had voice dialing...

EVEN BETTER way to create voice memos
Authored by: royhinckley on Wed, Aug 22 2007 at 5:06PM PDT

I tried the K7 service and couldn't get it to work. Not sure why. But just a small warning; within a week I received an unsolicited fax. Great; spam faxes. Just what I need cluttering my inbox. I terminated my account.

How to create a "," in a phone number
Authored by: phlops on Tue, Aug 7 2007 at 8:03AM PDT

To create a , in a phone number in the iPhone, you don't hold the * for 2 seconds, but rather you click the +*# button in the lower left corner and then click the "pause" button in the middle of the bottom row of buttons. Tap this and it will insert a single comma.

---
/phil

How to create a "," in a phone number
Authored by: dbingham on Wed, Aug 8 2007 at 6:17AM PDT

Thanks for the tip. However, I find that when using this feature, when the iPhone continues with the sequence it holds the DTMF tones too long so that the automated system on the other end doesn't recognize the number.

Has anyone else experienced this?

-dbingham

One way to create voice memos on the iPhone
Authored by: ryanhunt on Sun, Feb 24 2008 at 9:29AM PST

I use backpack too, but not sure how you are using it to create voice memos from your iPhone. Can you explain this a bit more?

---
Ryan Hunt
http://www.ryanhunt.biz/
http://www.hunthost.com/

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