Archiving Voice Recordings

Choose what happens to your voice recording after transcription — keep it, archive it privately, or discard it.

After you record a voice memory and the AI transcribes it, Memory Murals gives you a choice about what to do with the original audio file. You can keep it visible, save it privately, or remove it entirely. This guide explains each option and how to access archived recordings later.

Your Three Options After Recording

When you finish a voice recording and the AI has transcribed your words, you'll see three choices:

Include Audio

The audio recording stays visible on the memory. Anyone viewing the memory can tap Play to hear your original voice. Best for memories where the sound of your voice is part of the story.

Text Only - Save Privately

The transcribed text stays on the memory, and the audio file is uploaded to your storage but hidden from the memory view. You can restore it later if you change your mind.

Text Only - Discard

The transcribed text stays, but the audio file is permanently deleted. Choose this if you only wanted the transcription and don't need the recording.

Why archive instead of discard?

Your voice is one of the most precious things you can preserve for your family. Even if you don't want the audio visible right now, saving it privately means it's there if you — or your loved ones — ever want to hear it again. We recommend archiving over discarding whenever possible.

How to Find Archived Recordings

If you chose "Text only - save recording privately," the audio file isn't gone. Here's how to find it:

Accessing Archived Audio

Open the memory

Find the memory on your Timeline and tap it to view.

Tap Edit

Enter the memory editor by tapping the edit button.

Scroll to Archived Recordings

Below the main memory fields, you'll see an Archived recordings section. This shows any audio files that were saved privately for this memory.

Play or Restore

Each archived recording has a Play button to listen to it and a Restore button to make it visible on the memory again.

When to Use Each Option

Include Audio

The memory is about a loved one's voice — a grandparent telling a story, a child's first words
You want the full experience — text and sound together
You're creating a memory that future generations should hear, not just read

Save Privately (Archive)

You used voice recording for convenience but the audio quality wasn't great
The memory is personal and you want the text visible but the raw recording tucked away
You're unsure — archiving keeps your options open

Discard

You only wanted the AI to transcribe your words — the recording itself isn't important
You're conserving storage space
The recording was a quick draft, not something worth preserving

You can always change your mind

If you included audio on a memory and later want to archive it, or if you archived it and want to restore it, just edit the memory. The option is always there as long as the file exists.

Your voice is a gift to future generations. When in doubt, archive the recording — it takes almost no storage and preserves something that can never be recreated.