In iOS 14, Apple pared down the Siri interface so that it no longer takes over the whole of your iPhone's screen when you issue a voice command or query. Instead, a small ‌Siri‌ orb pops up at the bottom of the screen without obscuring what you're looking at.

ios14compactsiri
It's not just the interface that's been improved, though. ‌Siri‌ also picked up several new features, one of which is the ability to record and send audio messages to contacts.

When you send an audio message using the audio interface in the Messages app, the record audio option only appears when the intended recipient is an iMessage user. But ‌Siri‌ can also send audio messages to Android phones. The following steps show you how it's done.

  1. Invoke ‌Siri‌ on your ‌iPhone‌ or iPad with the usual "Hey Siri" voice command or through a physical button.
  2. Now say "Send an audio message to [contact's name]." (If ‌Siri‌ is unsure which contact you're referring to, it will ask you to choose one from a selection displayed on the screen.)
  3. After ‌Siri‌ responds with "OK, recording," say whatever it is you want to include in the audio message. ‌Siri‌ will transcribe your speech in real time at the bottom of the screen to show that it can hear you clearly, and there doesn't appear to be a limit to how long you can record for.
  4. To end the audio message, simply stop speaking for a few seconds, and ‌Siri‌ will recognize that you're finished.
  5. When you're done, ‌Siri‌ displays the waveform of the recording on the screen along with options to Send, Cancel, and a play button to play it back to yourself. At this point, ‌Siri‌ is still activated, so if you want you can just ask to play it back, re-record the message, cancel, or send.

siri

If you open the Messages app, you should see the recording show up in a conversation thread, indicating it's been sent.

Note that audio messages are automatically deleted after a couple of minutes unless they're saved, but you can change this default behavior and keep them permanently: In the Settings app, select Messages -> Expire -> Never.

For more details on iOS 14's new compact interface and communication features, be sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 14

Top Rated Comments

Threbus Avatar
48 months ago
I wish that when you describe something that's coming up in an as yet unreleased version of the OS, you wouldn't use the past tense when describing it, as if it's available to everyone. Yes, it's done for people with the betas, but for the rest of us, just say something like, "In the upcoming release, Apple is reducing the size of…" and then go on to describe the feature.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vanilla35 Avatar
48 months ago

I was too until I realized you can’t use anything underneath the Siri UI when it’s up.
Absolutely terrible terrible decision. Why would they make it transparent and out of the way, but then still require you to dismiss or interact with it?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
48 months ago

I'm still really glad that Siri isn't so obtrusive now. All of the tweaks I tried that attempted to fix it while jailbroken never worked well.
I was too until I realized you can’t use anything underneath the Siri UI when it’s up.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
benshive Avatar
48 months ago
I'm still really glad that Siri isn't so obtrusive now. All of the tweaks I tried that attempted to fix it while jailbroken never worked well.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
48 months ago

Of course in typical apple fashion, they went from too much to not enough. Now its too small.
really? i think it's about perfect.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S G Avatar
48 months ago
"4. To end the audio message, simply stop speaking for a few seconds, and Siri will recognize that you're finished."

That's an issue in general with Siri when dictating something that requires thought and pauses are needed...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....