DictavaultThe exact folder
On macOS, the Voice Memos app keeps all its recordings (the ones made on the Mac and the ones that came from the iPhone through iCloud) in the same place:
The ~ stands for your home folder. The Library folder is hidden by default in Finder, which is why memos seem to "not exist" on disk.
Open it in Finder
- In Finder, open the Go menu, then Go to Folder… (or press
⇧⌘G). - Paste the path above and confirm.
- You'll see the list of
.m4afiles. Tip: drag that folder into Finder's sidebar to get back to it in one click.
How the files are named
Each memo is an audio file in .m4a format, named after its recording date and time, followed by an identifier:
The title you see in the app ("New Recording 12", "Client meeting") isn't in the file name: it lives in a small database next to it, along with the duration and any markers. That's why a folder of memos looks like a list of dates.
Are the iPhone memos there too?
Yes, provided Voice Memos iCloud sync is on, on the iPhone and on the Mac. They then land in that same folder, with their real recording date. If you don't see them, follow the guide Import iPhone voice memos to your Mac: sync takes two minutes to set up.
Dictavault finds that folder by itself
You actually don't need to remember any of this. In Dictavault, the Mac Voice Memos button points straight at this standard folder. One click, and all your memos, the Mac's and the iPhone's, appear in the list, ready to be transcribed.
- Open Dictavault and click Mac Voice Memos. If the folder doesn't exist yet (iCloud sync never enabled), the app tells you and offers to pick a folder by hand.
- Click Start. Each memo is transcribed with whisper large-v3, proofread by a local AI, then filed by topic in an archive with its date.
- Come back in three weeks with new memos: Rescan transcribes only the new ones. What's already done is never done twice, even if you moved the transcripts.
And nothing leaves your machine: not the audio, not the text. That's precisely why Dictavault exists.
Frequently asked questions
The folder is empty but I have memos in the app
The memos may still be coming down from iCloud (the app shows a cloud icon next to the ones not yet on disk). Leave the Mac plugged in and connected, or open each memo to force its download.
Can I change where voice memos are stored?
No, Apple's app doesn't allow it. Dictavault, however, can write the transcripts and the organized archive wherever you want: in Documents, in an Obsidian vault, on an external drive.
What about deleted memos?
They stay in "Recently Deleted" for 30 days, in the app, then disappear from the folder for good. Transcribe before you clean up.