To send an audio message from Apple Watch, open a conversation in the Messages app, tap the Apps (plus) button, and choose the audio option. Record your message, then send it. If you’d rather send text, tap Create Message or the text field and dictate; your watch turns your words into text.
This guide covers audio clips, dictated text, older watchOS settings, editing and unsending, and microphone problems. The steps come from Apple’s Apple Watch User Guide pages Write messages on Apple Watch and Read and respond to messages.
How to Send an Audio Message From Apple Watch
Apple lists audio clips among the things you can send from the Apps button in a conversation.
- Open the Messages app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap a conversation, or tap the new message button and choose a contact.
- Tap the Apps (plus) button.
- Choose the audio option. It is a small waveform icon.
- Speak your message, then tap Send.
Result: The recipient gets a voice clip they can play, instead of text. This method applies to watchOS 8 and later.
How to Dictate a Text Message Instead
- Open Messages and tap the new message button, or open a conversation.
- For a new message, tap Add Contact and pick someone, then tap Create Message. In a conversation, tap the text field.
- Dictate, type, or scribble your message.
- Tap Done, then Send.
Result: Apple Watch converts your speech to text and sends it as a regular message. You can also send a quick tapback or a suggested reply from the conversation, Apple says.
Older watches: the Dictated Messages setting
On watchOS 7 and earlier, dictated messages were sent as text by default, and you chose the format in the iPhone’s Watch app under My Watch > Messages > Dictated Messages:
- Transcript: always sends text (the default).
- Audio: always sends an audio clip.
- Transcript or Audio: asks each time, with Send as audio or Send as text buttons.
Apple’s current watchOS guide doesn’t list this setting, so on a newer watch use the Apps button method above.
Audio Message or Dictated Text: Which to Use?
- Audio clip: good when tone matters or when dictation keeps misunderstanding you. The recipient has to listen to it.
- Dictated text: quick for the recipient to read at a glance. Check the transcription before you tap Send.
How to Edit or Unsend a Message
- Edit: touch and hold the message bubble and tap Edit. Apple says you can edit up to five times within 15 minutes, and the message is marked Edited.
- Unsend: touch and hold the bubble and tap Undo Send within 2 minutes. Apple says this removes it from the recipient’s device.
- Limits: SMS (green bubble) messages can’t be edited. If the recipient uses watchOS 9, iOS 15.7, or earlier, they may still see the original message.
Troubleshooting
- The microphone is grayed out: Try checking that dictation works by asking Siri something, and that Enable Dictation is on in the Watch app under General.
- Audio sounds muffled: Gently clean the watch with a microfiber cloth and remove any case that might cover the microphone. Don’t push anything into the openings.
- No audio option: your watch may be on an older watchOS. Use the Dictated Messages setting described above, or update the watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send an audio message to an Android phone?
Apple’s guide describes audio clips in Messages conversations but doesn’t say how they appear on non-Apple phones. Dictated text works with any phone.
Can I share my location from the same menu?
Yes. Apple says to tap the Apps button in a conversation, tap Location, then Share, and choose an option such as sharing for one hour or until the end of the day.
Related Guides
- How to turn off text message notifications on Apple Watch
- How to pair Bluetooth headphones with Apple Watch
- How to stop taking screenshots on Apple Watch
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
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