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Best iPhone Voice Memo App: iPhone Voice Memos v. Evernote v. DropVox

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Many iPhone users record voice memos to create quick shopping lists, voice memo reminders, communications with co-workers or friends or to record mileage for work or business.

To win the title of best iPhone voice memo app we needed one that would not only create good quality voice memos. We needed one that does so without distracting us while driving, since we often record mileage logs or important memos while on the road. We also needed one that automatically backed up the voice memo to the cloud and included the date and time info without any typing.

iPhone Voice Memo App

iphone voice memo app

At first, the iPhone’s built-in Voice Memos app served us well. Record the voice memo and then sync the iPhone with iTunes, playing the voice memos back on a computer. A Voice Memos playlist shows up in iTunes on a computer. iTunes plays the memos.

The app gives a big distraction-free record button and includes date/time info. But the voice memos need backed up manually. We wish iCloud would save the file and let users access them on a Mac, or the iCloud site. Since it doesn’t we kept looking. We wanted something that kept us from losing memos if the phone got lost or damaged.

Evernote Voice Memos

 evernote built-in voice memo

We love Evernote and use it for a many things. Why not add voice memos to the mix? Because it takes too many clicks to create one.

The app records voice memos in a note. Click on the plus sign to create a new note and then tap the record button to start recording a memo. The app automatically uploads the memo to the unfiled notes section of Evernote with GPS info attached along with a date and time. For mileage records, this data helps a lot. We just don’t like all the clicks. The buttons are also too small.

cloud record for evernote

The Evernote community adds a lot of functionality, so we hoped someone had a great app that recorded and saved notes automatically to Evernote. We found Cloud Record. The app works with Evernote and has a big record button, but it requires a few clicks before the note gets uploaded. To create one voice memo and upload it to DropBox, Evernote or Box requires 8 taps (including opening the app). That’s too many, and distracts users too much while driving or doing other tasks.

DropVox for DropBox

dropvox voice memo app with backup to dropbox

With DropVox users can connect a DropBox account, choose the upload folder for voice memos and then record away. The app saves them in DropBox as soon as the recording ends, and it only takes three taps including opening the app. Turn on the auto record feature that starts a recording every time the user opens the app and it only requires two taps.

When the user needs to create the mileage report or listen to memos, open the DropBox app on the iPhone or other devices or look in the DropBox folder on a computer.

The app has a nice big record button makes it easy to tap to record memos, even while driving. The app keeps eyes on the road instead of on a phone. The date and time of the recording show up in the WAV file title and file information.

Other voice recording apps do a better job of recording audio or offer more features. Only DropVox has all of our must have features including:

  • One big button to record
  • Distraction free recording thanks to a big record button and only two or three taps
  • Automatically upload for back up or listening on other devices or a computer
  • Includes date and time info in the file
9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Ben Kopf

    03/31/2013 at 9:07 am

    You guys missed SoundEver (in the Evernote Trunk store) – we specifically created it for hands free voice recording into Evernote specifically for driving. It is a full featured recoder you can just wave at (or shake or tap big buttons) to start and stop recording, so it works well with phones in car docks. Promotes distraction free driving.

  2. Extreme Sports Videos

    04/06/2013 at 7:39 am

    I like this

  3. Barry Rigby

    09/22/2013 at 10:42 am

    Kevin is right about DropVox. I am a sole practitioner lawyer in Florida. In the ordinary course of my practice, I regularly drive between six counties, and sometimes travel much farther. DropVox changed my life. While driving, I can safely dictate motions, letters, and instructions to my assistant, and the audio files show up on her computer in the designated folder within seconds. I have told at least twenty of my lawyer friends that if they have an iPhone and DropBox, DropVox will change their lives too.

  4. Radio Wright

    09/25/2013 at 8:04 pm

    I just want to save quick voice notes to my phone then I’ll take those notes out later when I have time.

    Having to go to another program (The DropBox App) to listen to the notes is ridiculous & not user friendly. What if I don’t have internet service and I’m at the store, I just recorded several things I need on the drive over and I can’t access my notes or it won;t even save them?

    VOT voice to-dos was perfect but since the ios7 update stopped working. I just downloaded Quickvoice (free) and it works perfect for my needs but if they fix VOT, it’s better.

  5. Dick

    09/29/2013 at 12:14 am

    I’m going nuts trying to find a voice memos app that allows me to save the voice memos in folders right on the phone, and have them backed up to my desktop when I sync. I used to use Recorder Pro by Bear-Software but it doesn’t work properly anymore. It was great when it worked. Why do so many of the voice memo apps just keep your voice memos in one huge long unorganized list? That’s stupid. I need 10 or 15 folders.

    • craig

      06/04/2014 at 11:10 pm

      HI Dick, have you tried FusionVOX? it’s just been released and it’s free! Does exactly that by sorting, searching and categorising them – plus colouring for easy find. Give it a try

  6. Dijo Joseph

    11/01/2013 at 1:27 am

    Sparkling Apps developed the easiest translator yet: Voice to Voice. Just start the app and start speaking, it will recognize the language and speak out the corresponding translation. It was approved by Apple this week and is available now, for FREE during launch period.
    https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/voice-to-voice-realtime-interpreter/id692721794?ls=1&mt=8

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtgRJY-WtXs

    • Radio Wright

      11/01/2013 at 3:38 pm

      Yo Dijo – Kinda spammy don’t you think?

  7. Michael D. Austin

    06/06/2016 at 12:16 pm

    Hello, Kevin – would you still stand by these choices? It’s hard to find good information about voice apps for iOS which automatically upload to cloud storage after they’re recorded.

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