The Apple Voice Memos app is handy for capturing your thoughts, lectures, or quick audio notes. However, its simple interface still houses a set of icons and symbols that might not be immediately obvious. This guide will clearly explain the meaning and function of every key icon and symbol on the Apple Voice Memos app.
Table of Contents
Home Screen Icons Meaning
You’ll be greeted with a list of your recordings and a few key icons after opening the Apple Voice Memos app. Let’s break down what each of these home screen icons represents.
- Folders Section (Blue Left Arrow) Icon: Takes you to the Folders screen. You can view any custom folders you’ve created and create new folders.
- Microphone Icon: Search Memos in your inbox using voice typing.
- More Options (Three Blue Horizontal Dots): Open a menu with various actions like share, edit, and more.
- Has Transcription (Quote inside Message bubble) Icon: Signifies that this specific audio note has been automatically transcribed into text.
- Go to the Waveform (Short and Long Vertical Blue Lines) Icon: Shows the waveform of your recording and more options for enhancing your memo.
- Delete (Dustbin) Icon: Delete that recording.
- Time (Numbers): The numbers displayed next to each recording indicate its duration.
- Begin Recording (Red Dot inside white circle) Icon: Start a new audio recording. Once recording begins, the red dot will often transform into a red square, indicating that the recording is in progress, and tapping it again will stop the recording.
- Progress bar (Dotted Line): – denotes progress when playing a voice recording.
Playback Controls Icons Meaning
You will also see different playback control icons when you tap on any of your recordings. Let’s break down those playback icons:
| Control | Description | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Play | ||||||||||
 | Pause | ||||||||||
 | Skip backward 15 seconds | ||||||||||
 | Skip forward 15 seconds | ||||||||||
Recorded Audio Screen Icons
Once you tap on a recording from your main list, you’ll be taken to a dedicated screen where you can play back the audio and access various editing and management tools. Let’s explore the meaning of these icons.
- Expand/Minimise (Grey Bar) Icon: Expand the recording details or minimize it to view more of your recording list.
- Options (Three Blue Horizontal Lines with dots): Controls for adjusting the “Playback speed”, “Skip Silence”, “Enhance Recording”, and “Layer Mix” On supported devices (iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max).
- Menu (Three Blue Vertical dots in circle) Icon: Include options to “Undo” recent edits, “Copy Transcript” (if available), “Trim Recording”, and “Separate Layers” on supported devices like the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max.
- Playhead (Blue Vertical Line with dots at end) Icon: Moves horizontally across the Ruler Icon (described below) as your recording plays. It shows you precisely which point in the audio is currently being played.
- Sound Waves: These waves appear in sections where audio is present. Flat lines or a series of dots in the waveform area visually indicate periods of silence or very low audio levels within the recording.
- Ruler Icon: A visual timeline that displays time markings. This horizontal bar is segmented with time indicators (e.g., 0:00, 0:01), allowing you to see the progression of time throughout your recording.
- Show Transcript: View the automatically generated transcript of your recording (if available).
- Record a Second Layer (Blue Plus Icon): Initiate a new Second Layer (Layered Recording) that will be overlaid or synchronized with your original audio.
- Select Layer (1 and 2 in circle) Icon: choose the specific audio layer you want to work with or record on.
Icons Inside the Options Menu
When you tap the “Options” icon (the three blue horizontal lines with dots), a menu will appear offering various settings to customize your playback and enhance your recording. Here’s a breakdown of the icons and controls you’ll typically find within this menu:
- Slow Speed (Tortoise): Represents a slower playback speed.
- Set Speed Bar (White dot in grey lines bar): Set the playback speed by dragging the white dot towards left for slower and right for faster speed.
- Fast Speed (Rabbit): Represents faster playback speed.
- Toggle Switch: Enable or disable the mentioned feature on the left.
- Layer 1 (“1” in grey circle): Represents the first audio layer.
- Mixing Bar (White dot in grey bar with blue line) Icon: Indicates a mixing control for adjusting the layer you want to be louder. The blue line visually represents the current level or emphasis applied to the selected layer.
- Layer 2 (“2” in grey circle): Represents the second audio layer.
Trim Audio Screen Icons Meaning
- Yellow Vertical Handles (Left and Right): Represent the start and end points of the section you want to keep. You can drag these handles horizontally along the waveform and the timeline above to select the desired portion of your recording.
- Precise Adjustment (Left Arrow): Allow for very fine-grained adjustments to the trim start points.
- Precise Adjustment (Right Arrow): Allow for very fine-grained adjustments to the trim start points.
- Playhead (Blue Vertical Line): Similar to the playback screen, a blue vertical line (the playhead) moves across the waveform.
Dynamic Island Icon
If you have a dynamic island on your iPhone, you might also see a voice memo icon. Let’s examine what it means. We have a separate in-depth article on what all dynamic island icons mean.
Dynamic Island Icon (Active Voice Memo Recording): When you begin a recording and switch to any other app or go to the homescreen, you will see this icon. It typically features a waveform with a live timer.
That’s it, folks! Now you know the Icons and Symbols of the Apple Voice Memos. You can check out more app icons and the symbols’ meanings below:
- Apple GarageBand App Icons and Symbols Meaning Complete Guide
- Apple TV (tvOS) Status and Tab Icons and Symbols Meaning – Guide
- All Apple Mail App Icons and Symbols Meaning – Complete Guide
