Apple Watch voice memos not syncing to iPhone or iCloud? Try these tips to fix

Have you noticed that your Apple Watch voice memos are not syncing to your iPhone or iCloud? Well, you’re not alone. Many Apple users have experienced this issue as well. 

Ideally, when you use the same Apple ID for your Apple devices, including Apple Watch as well as iPhone, iPad, and Mac, all your recorded Voice Memos should sync from your watch to all your Apple devices. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way!

While Apple has not come out with a fix for this issue, we have discovered ways to resolve the matter. Please keep reading to see our solutions.

Suggested reading:

• How to rename Voice Memos on your Apple Watch
• Can I use an GPS+Cellular model Apple Watch without purchasing a cellular plan?
• How to rename Voice Memos on your Apple Watch
• Is your Apple Watch not pairing to a new iPhone? Fix it!

Check iCloud Settings

First and foremost, if you are experiencing this issue, you must check your iCloud settings. 

For your Apple Watch voice memos to sync to your iPhone, you must have iCloud Syncing turned on. If it’s not on, then that’s the reason why you are experiencing this issue. 

• To turn on iCloud Syncing, open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Click on your Apple ID information and then select iCloud. 
• Then scroll down to Voice Memos and make sure it is turned on. If it is off, toggle the switch and make sure it is green. Or if it’s already on, toggle it off and wait for 20+ seconds before you toggle it back on.
• Once you do that, stay on this page for a couple of minutes. That way, it gives your device some time to sync your voice memos. 

Also, make sure you have enough iCloud storage available. If there is not enough storage room, your device cannot sync your voice memos.

You can always clear some space by deleting things you don’t need backed up to iCloud or purchasing additional GBs from Apple. 

If this doesn’t work or you already had iCloud Syncing enabled, follow these additional tips. 

Make sure Background App Refresh is on

Many users noticed their voice memos were not syncing because they had Background App Refresh turned off.

Some users keep this setting off because it drains the iPhone’s battery. But if you want your voice memos to sync, it needs to be turned on.

But good news, you don’t have to have Background App Refresh on for every app, and you can have it on for the Voice Memo app.

• To turn on Background App Refresh, go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Select General and scroll down to Background App Refresh. 
  
• Then scroll all the way down to the Voice Memos app and make sure it is turned on. If it is off, toggle the switch and make sure it is green.
  • If it’s already on, try toggling it off, then wait at least 20 seconds before you toggle it back on.

Restart Apple Watch and iPhone

Whenever you experience any kind of glitch, sometimes restarting your devices can do the trick.

• To restart your Apple Watch hold down the side button and slide the power off button.
• To restart your iPhone, press and hold one of the volume buttons and the side power button until the power off slider appears.

When restarting your Apple Watch or iPhone, you should turn your device off for a minute or two and then turn it back on.

After restarting your devices, try syncing your voice memos again. 

Unpair and re-pair Apple Watch

If you’re still having issues, you should try unpairing your Apple Watch from your iPhone and then pair it again.

• To unpair your Apple Watch, go to the Watch app and select All Watches.
• Tap on the “i” information icon next to your watch.
• Then you click on Unpair Apple Watch. 

After that, you’re going to want to pair it with your iPhone again. While this trick does work, it is also just a temporary fix. Sometimes the issue can reoccur.  

Delete and reinstall the Voice Memo app 

If your iPhone is still not syncing your Apple Watch’s voice memos, then you may have to delete the Voice Memo app and reinstall it.

Many users have reported that deleting the app actually helped resolve the issue. But it comes at a price. This deletes all the current voice memos you have in the app. So you should only do this step as a last resort.

To delete the Voice Memo app, open your iPhone and find the Voice Memo app. Press down on it, and a menu bar appears. Click on Remove App. 

Then a message pops up asking if you want to delete the app or remove it from your home screen. Select Delete App. Once you do that, the app is no longer be on your iPhone. 

• Then to reinstall the app, go to the App Store and search for the Voice Memo app.
• Tap on the cloud button to put the app back on your iPhone.

Once you do that, it redownloads onto your phone and your Apple Watch.

Are you not seeing your voice memos from other devices on your Apple Watch?

One question we get asked a lot is why you don’t see your voice memos from other devices, like your iPhone, in the Voice Memos app on your Apple Watch.

While voice memos you record on your Apple Watch automatically sync to your iPhone and other Apple devices signed in with the same Apple ID, they do not sync from those devices to your Apple Watch. It’s a one-way road!

If you want to play a voice memo recorded on another device on your Apple Watch, send it to yourself as a text message. Then open the Messages app on your Apple Watch and play it there.

How to share a recording from the Voice Memos app with your Apple Watch

In the Voice Memos app, you can share one or more recordings with others (or send it to your Apple Watch using Messages (or Mail.)

Finally, remember to update your watchOS and iOS to the latest version available for your devices–this can fix issues with many of Apple’s apps, including voice memos.

We hope these tips helped you. Have you experienced this bug? What did you do to resolve the issue? Let us know in the comments.