How to Save Voicemails on Android

Save those special Android voicemails for later

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Updated on January 18, 2021

You should know how to save voicemails, whether for practical or sentimental reasons. Here are a few methods of preserving your important voicemails on Android.

Why Save Voicemails on Android?

There are several reasons to preserve voicemails. If you're in some sort of legal proceeding, for example, it's important to retain any interaction you have with another party, which includes voicemail. Sometimes, you need to keep a voicemail as it preserves valuable information, such as a medical appointment or directions. In other cases, it can be an audio postcard from a loved one.

If your phone has a cloud backup service, check to see if it preserves voicemails.

Save Voicemails on Android Using a Visual Voicemail App

Many modern phones come pre-installed with a visual voicemail app, or you can download a third-party app such as Hullomail or Instavoice.

These apps are designed to save and preserve voicemails while giving you easy access to your messages. These apps generally show the number, the name (if you have a contact for that number saved), and, in many cases, a short transcription of the voicemail.

The app doesn't automatically save these voicemails to your phone. It's an interface to access voicemails from your carrier's system. If you switch to another carrier or end your relationship with them, your voicemails will be deleted.

Most visual voicemail apps allow you to download a message directly to your phone.

Tap the message you want to save.
Tap the three dots icon representing the app menu.
Tap Save Message to or Export to File.

Use a Forwarding Service to Send Your Voicemails to Your Email

Some visual voicemail applications also send a recording or a transcription to your email automatically. Another useful option is to sign up for a forwarding service such as Grasshopper or Callhippo that will do the same. Most forwarding services offer both, so if you don't need an audio recording, or find it difficult to hear some messages, the transcription may be a useful option.

Be careful with these services, especially if you receive calls from people who may discuss sensitive information on voicemails, such as doctors or financial advisers. Inform these individuals you use these services so that they know to limit any discussion of private information.

Record Your Android Voicemail to Your Computer

Another trick you can use is to turn your phone into an audio device your computer records from. This is particularly useful for phones that have little memory for apps or older phones.

What you need:

An Android phone with a headphone jack.
A male-to-male headphone cord.
A computer with a headphone-in jack.
Basic audio recording software, such as Windows Voice Recorder or Apple QuickTime Player.

There are many types of audio software, and the majority tend to use the same language and steps.

Connect your phone to your computer using the headphone cord. On the phone, plug one end into the headphone jack and the other into the computer's IN or MIC port.

If you can't find one, you may need to use a USB-to-headphone jack cord.
Open the audio recorder software, and select New Recording.
Open the voicemail on your phone, and begin recording. Then, start the voicemail.
Stop the recording once the voicemail is done, and play it back to ensure you have the relevant information.
Save the audio file, if your app doesn't do it automatically, and to back up your audio files to a separate server in case you lose your computer.