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How To Sync Voice Memos Between iPhone & iMac Using USB

I'm using iPhone 16 running iOS 18.1 and iMac running macOS 13.6.6. I absolutely can NOT figure out how to sync Voice Memos between iPhone and iMac using a USB cable. I would appreciate some help and advice before I have to open yet another very expensive tech support call to Apple.


For years and years I've had lots of old Voice Memo recordings of my kids from when they were little. I'd now like to get them off the phone and onto my iMac. I choose not to use iCloud; instead, I sync over USB using the Finder's built-in iPhone sync functionality. There are far too many large recordings to AirDrop or email to myself. Besides, I shouldn't have to... that's the point of being able to sync!


Long ago, when sync functionality used to be built into iTunes, you would set an option on the sync settings in iTunes and your iPhone Voice Memos would end up in the iTunes music library on your iMac. When Apple dumped iTunes, they moved the ability to sync Voice Memos into the finder itself. I believe Voice Memos would then sync from you iPhone to the Music app on iMac.


Today, there appears to be no option in the Finder to sync Voice Memos, and Voice Memos are no longer stored in the Music app on the Mac. (Instead they're buried under ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.voicememos/Recordings, and renamed in an incomprehensible format--shame on you, Apple!) However, NOWHERE can I find an option in the Finder sync settings--or anywhere else, for that matter--to sync Voice Memos. When I sync my phone they don't show up in the Music app and they don't show up in the Voice Memos app on the iMac. Ostensibly this is because I need to "turn on" the option to sync Voice Memos from the phone to the iMac. However, as I said, I can't find any such option.


My issue is exactly as described by another person in another thread, but he never got an answer.


I'd really appreciate any help with this!

iMac (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Nov 14, 2024 4:25 PM

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How To Sync Voice Memos Between iPhone & iMac Using USB

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