SeaMeet Desktop is here — Record everything, miss nothing. Download free →

How to save a WhatsApp voice message on iPhone, Android or PC

You can save a WhatsApp voice message as a file on any device: share it to Files or Drive on Android, use Forward and Save to Files on iPhone, or download it from WhatsApp Web on a computer. The steps for each are below, followed by how to turn the file into an MP3.

By SeaMeet Team · Published September 28, 2026

Android

Save a WhatsApp voice message on Android

On Android, WhatsApp keeps voice messages as .opus files.

  1. 01

    Tap and hold the voice message

    Open the chat and tap and hold the voice message until it is selected.

  2. 02

    Tap the share icon

    Tap the share icon at the top of the screen.

  3. 03

    Save it to Files or Drive

    Choose Files or Drive as the place to save it. The voice message is saved as an .opus file.

No share icon? These steps come from a single how-to source and can differ between WhatsApp versions. The file is already on your phone, though: WhatsApp stores voice messages in the WhatsApp Voice Notes folder, under Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Media. A file manager app can open it.

iPhone

Save a WhatsApp voice message on iPhone

On iPhone, you save a voice message through Forward and the share icon.

  1. 01

    Tap and hold, then tap Forward

    In the chat, tap and hold the voice message, then tap Forward.

  2. 02

    Tap the share icon

    Tap the share icon at the bottom right of the screen.

  3. 03

    Tap Save to Files

    Tap Save to Files and choose a folder.

Sources disagree on the file type an iPhone saves: most say .opus, one says .m4a. Check how the file name ends before you convert it.

Computer

Save a WhatsApp voice message on a PC or Mac (WhatsApp Web or Desktop)

In WhatsApp Web and the WhatsApp desktop app, a voice message has a Download option. The file ends in .ogg, with the same Opus audio inside.

  1. 01

    Hover over the voice message

    Move the pointer over the voice message in the chat.

  2. 02

    Open the menu and choose Download

    Click the down arrow that appears, then choose Download.

  3. 03

    Choose a folder and save

    Pick where the file should go. It saves as an .ogg file.

MP3

Save a WhatsApp voice message as MP3

Some players, car stereos and upload forms won't open .opus or .ogg files. SeaMeet's converter turns the saved file into an MP3 in your browser, on your own device.

  1. 01

    Open the converter for your file

    Use OPUS to MP3 for a file saved on Android or iPhone, or OGG to MP3 for a file from WhatsApp Web.

  2. 02

    Choose the voice message and a quality

    Choose the file you saved, then pick the quality.

  3. 03

    Select Convert & download

    Your browser writes the MP3 and saves it on your device.

OPUS to MP3 converter OGG to MP3 converter

Voice note to text

Rather read it than listen?

WhatsApp can transcribe voice messages on the phone once voice message transcripts are turned on in Settings → Chats. It is off by default and covers a fixed list of languages that differs between iPhone and Android. For a transcript you keep in your SeaMeet library, upload the saved file and pick the spoken language, or let SeaMeet detect it.

Transcribe the voice note Free to start.

FAQ

Common questions

Where are WhatsApp voice messages stored on Android? +
In the WhatsApp Voice Notes folder, under Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Media on the phone's storage. A file manager app can open it. The files there end in .opus.
What file type is a saved WhatsApp voice message? +
On Android it is .opus. From WhatsApp Web or the desktop app it is .ogg, with the same Opus audio inside. For iPhone most sources say .opus and one says .m4a. None of them is an MP3, which is why some players refuse them.
How do I save a WhatsApp voice message as MP3? +
Save the voice message as a file first, using the steps for your device. Then open the OPUS to MP3 converter (or OGG to MP3 for a WhatsApp Web file), choose the file and select Convert & download. The conversion runs in your browser.
How do I save a WhatsApp voice message on a PC or laptop? +
Open the chat in WhatsApp Web or the desktop app, hover over the voice message, click the down arrow and choose Download. The file is saved as .ogg in the folder you pick.
Can WhatsApp turn a voice message into text? +
Yes, on the phone. Turn on voice message transcripts in Settings → Chats, then tap and hold a voice message and tap Transcribe. It is off by default, and the languages differ between iPhone and Android. Some, such as Indonesian or Persian, are covered on neither.

More guides and tools

How to save a Telegram voice message All file transcription tools All audio converters