How To Prevent IMessage Audio Messages From Expiring

The Messages app on your iPhone lets you send all sorts of content in an iMessage, including easy-to-record audio messages. All you need to do is tap and hold the sound wave icon in the text bar. But these audio messages don't always stick around forever.

After sending or receiving an audio message, you might go back to listen to it again, only to discover that you can't play it anymore. Apple does this to save storage, but we'll show you how to prevent audio messages from expiring so you can listen to them forever.

Expiring Audio Messages

All audio messages received and sent through the Messages app will expire within two minutes.

For the audio messages you receive, the two-minute expiration timer starts after you have listened to them. For the ones you sent, the two-minute timer starts once you send them.

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This feature is actually a safeguard in case you're sharing or receiving confidential information or information you don’t want to be stored in your messages. However, you also have the option to keep them if you prefer.

How to Keep Your Audio Messages

The two-minute time limit is selected by default in your iPhone settings, but you can remove the time limit instead if you prefer:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
3. Scroll down to find Audio Messages. Under it, tap Expire and choose Never.

Close

Now, all the audio messages you send and receive will stay on your iPhone forever.

What’s the Keep Button For?

If your audio messages are set to expire After 2 Minutes, all the audio messages you receive will give you an option to keep them.

If you hit Keep under a message, your audio messages will save in the chat and won’t expire. You will see the word Kept underneath the audio message.

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If you chose to never let your audio messages expire in the settings above, the Keep option will no longer show up. You also won’t see notifications like Kept and Expires in 2m.

Instead, you will only see descriptions like Delivered, Played, and Raise to talk.

No More Disappearing Audio Messages

You no longer need to worry about disappearing audio messages. Setting the expiry to never keeps your audio messages stored safely on your Messages.