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How to Listen to Audio Files You Receive via Text Message on Your iPhone

By Levi Sharpe

iOS: You know what’s easy? Sending your friend an audio file via iPhone text message. You know what’s not easy? Listening to that audio file via iPhone text message. Well, there’s a better way.

As a podcast producer, I get sent a lot of audio files via text. This is all well and good, except when you click to listen to that audio file, you must keep the Messages app open on your phone; if your screen goes to sleep (which it is wont to do), it pauses the file. So, good luck putting your phone in your pocket and listening to your friend’s podcast or the sick indie folk punk song they just texted you—before you can listen all of the way through, your phone will likely lock and the track will stop. Then you’ll have to unlock your phone and hit play again. Over. And. Over. Again.

But there’s an easy solution. Just quickly save the audio file to the Notes app and you can listen to it in full whether your phone is awake or not.

Tap the file

Share the file

Add to Notes

Save the file

Open the Note and listen

Enjoy that podcast, folk punk song, or whatever fun stuff your friends might want you to listen to and give feedback on!