How to lock voice recordings comes down to one move: lock the app or folder that holds them. On iPhone, touch and hold the recorder app's icon and tap Require Face ID. On Samsung Galaxy, move recordings into Secure Folder. On other Android phones, use the Safe folder in Files by Google, or a private space on Android 15 and up. Apple Notes cannot lock a note that contains audio. Steps current as of Nov 12, 2026.
A phone lock covers one door. Cloud copies, share links and leftover files are the others, and each has its own control. If you already use Comu and only want its delete and share-link rules, skip to how Comu AI handles encryption, deletion and share links.
What are you trying to protect your recordings from?
Each row below is a different problem with its own control, and no single lock solves all of them.
| Situation | What helps | Where it is covered |
|---|---|---|
| Someone picks up your unlocked phone and opens the recorder | An app lock that asks for Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode | iPhone app lock section |
| Someone knows your phone passcode | A lock set separately from the screen lock | Safe folder and private space sections |
| Someone breaks into your cloud account | End-to-end encryption on the cloud copy | iCloud section |
| A person you shared a recording with forwards the link | Links that expire or name specific people | Sharing section |
| An old copy survives in another place | Deleting every copy, including backups and copies in other apps | Deleting section |
Start with the first row, because it stops casual access. The other rows matter when the recordings hold client details, health information or anything you would not want read aloud by a stranger.
How do I set up app lock with Face ID for a voice recorder on iPhone?
Locking an app on iPhone means the app opens only after Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, and the lock applies to that device only.
- Go to the Home Screen and find the recorder app.
- Touch and hold the app icon until the Quick Actions menu opens.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
After you quit the app, it locks again. Each time you open it, Face ID runs. Information inside a locked app stays out of CarPlay, notification previews, search, Siri suggestions and your call history.
To remove the lock, touch and hold the icon again and tap Don't Require Face ID, then authenticate.
What does Face ID need for an app lock?
Face ID needs a passcode on the iPhone. Apple states that Face ID data is encrypted, is not saved to iCloud and does not leave the iPhone. Set it up under Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
Should I hide the app as well as lock it?
Hiding adds a second layer. A hidden app disappears from the Home Screen and moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library, and opening that folder needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Only apps you downloaded can be hidden, not apps that came with the iPhone.
- Touch and hold the app icon.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
- Tap Hide and Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), authenticate, then tap Hide App.
The app's name still appears in Screen Time, Battery Usage By App in Settings and your App Store purchase history. The list of hidden apps sits at Settings > Apps > Hidden Apps.
What does an iPhone app lock not do?
Two limits matter. First, the passcode opens it. Anyone who knows your passcode can authenticate and open a locked or hidden app, so a recorder lock protects you from a borrowed phone, not from a person who has watched you type your passcode. Second, the lock lives on one device and does not sync with iCloud. A second iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account needs its own lock. Some built-in apps cannot be locked at all, including Calculator, Camera, Clock, Contacts, Find My, Maps, Shortcuts and Settings.
Can Apple Notes lock a voice memo?
Not an audio file. Apple Notes locks notes with a password or Face ID, but the lock does not apply to notes that contain audio. Notes also cannot be locked when they have tags, PDFs, video, Keynote, Pages or Numbers documents, when they sync over IMAP with accounts like Gmail and Yahoo, or when you share them with someone else.
That leaves one workable use of Notes: the text. A transcript or summary pasted into a plain note, with no tags or attachments, can be locked. The audio file stays in the recorder app.
Notes gives you two ways to lock:
- Your iPhone passcode. You do not need a second password, and turning on iCloud Keychain is required.
- A separate Notes password. You set a hint. If you forget this password, there is no way to open the locked notes, and Apple cannot help.
To set either, go to Settings > Apps > Notes > Password and choose Use Device Passcode or Create Password, then turn on Face ID or Touch ID if your device supports it. To lock one note, open it, tap the More button, tap Lock, and follow the prompts. Locked notes in iCloud accounts are protected with end-to-end encryption.
Locked notes stay open for several minutes, so you can jump to another note. Closing Notes or letting the iPhone sleep locks them again. Resetting a forgotten Notes password creates a new password for future notes and does not reopen the old ones. People signed in to iCloud with a Managed Apple Account cannot lock notes at all.
How do I lock voice recordings on a Samsung Galaxy?
Samsung's route is Secure Folder, a protected space with its own lock. Samsung states that its Knox security platform encrypts everything stored in it, and that the lock can be a passcode or a biometric.
To create it:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Security and privacy, then More security settings, then Secure Folder.
- Sign in to or create a Samsung Account.
- Wait until setup finishes, then tap Done.
- Choose a lock type to protect your apps and private files.
To move recordings in, open Secure Folder, tap More options, tap Add files, select the file type, tap Done, then choose Copy or Move. Moving files directly from an app works only with Samsung apps such as My Files, Gallery and Voice Recorder. Older Galaxy models may not support Secure Folder.
If the goal is to stop people who know your screen PIN, give Secure Folder a different PIN, pattern or password.
How do I lock voice recordings on a Pixel or another Android phone?
Android has two Google-made options, and both work with recordings you move into them: the Safe folder in Files by Google, and private space on Android 15 and up.
How does the Safe folder in Files by Google work?
The Safe folder hides files behind a PIN or pattern. It needs Android 8.0 or later.
- Open Files by Google.
- Scroll to Collections and tap Safe folder.
- Choose PIN or Pattern, enter it twice, and tap Got it.
- Find the recordings, tap More, then tap Move to Safe folder (in grid view, touch and hold the files first).
- Enter your PIN or pattern to confirm.
Stay inside the Safe folder until the transfer finishes. Closing it or opening another app before then cancels the move. On a Pixel, Recorder keeps the original in its own private storage, so moving a copy into the Safe folder leaves the original in Recorder.
Files in the Safe folder stay out of search and categories, cannot be opened by third-party apps, and cannot be shared or backed up to Google Drive from the folder. Two cautions apply. A forgotten PIN or pattern means you cannot open the files, and resetting the Safe folder permanently deletes them. And a person who gains unauthorized access to the phone's internal storage may still be able to reach the files.
What is private space on Android?
Private space is a separate space and profile on the phone, and you can give it its own lock or use your device screen lock. When it is locked, it collapses and its apps are hidden from All apps and other parts of the system. It runs on Android 15 and up, and it is unavailable on managed devices, when the manufacturer or an enterprise admin disables it, inside a secondary user, or on a device with more than four users or profiles.
- Open Settings and tap Security & privacy.
- Under Privacy, tap Private space.
- Authenticate with your device screen lock.
- Tap Set up, then Got it.
- Optional: sign in to a different Google Account for the space. Then tap Use device screen lock, or tap Choose new lock and select a lock for private space. Tap Done.
To add recordings, open private space, tap + Add, tap Add files, choose the files, and pick Copy or Move. Copy leaves the original in the main profile, so use Move for recordings you want out of sight. Moved files land in the Downloads folder of private space storage.
Use a different Google Account in private space than in your main space, because some data from a shared account appears outside private space.
Which lock should I use for voice recordings?
| Route | Works on | Unlocks with | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Require Face ID | iPhone, any app that can be locked | Face ID, Touch ID or passcode | The passcode also opens it; set per device |
| Apple Notes lock | iPhone, iPad | Passcode or a separate Notes password, with Face ID or Touch ID | Cannot hold audio; a forgotten Notes password has no recovery |
| Samsung Secure Folder | Samsung Galaxy | Its own passcode or biometric lock | Moving directly from an app works only for Samsung apps; older models may not support it |
| Safe folder (Files by Google) | Android 8.0 and up | PIN or pattern | No share or Drive backup from the folder; a forgotten PIN means lost files |
| Private space | Android 15 and up | Private space lock or device screen lock | Unavailable on managed devices and with more than four users or profiles |
Pick by the situation:
- If you use an iPhone and a recorder app, use Require Face ID on the app, and add Hide if you want the app out of sight on the Home Screen.
- If you use a Galaxy and your recordings come from Samsung's Voice Recorder, use Secure Folder and give it a PIN, pattern or password that differs from your screen PIN.
- If you use a Pixel or another Android phone, use the Safe folder for recordings you move out of the recorder app, and private space for a whole app and its files.
- If you want to protect only the text of a conversation, paste the transcript into a locked note on iPhone.
How do I protect recordings on iPhone once they sync to iCloud?
When Voice Memos is turned on in your iCloud settings, each recording is saved in iCloud and appears on every iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to the same Apple Account. That convenience is also a copy on Apple's servers and a copy on each of those devices.
iCloud has two protection levels for Voice Memos:
| Setting | How Voice Memos is protected | Who holds the keys |
|---|---|---|
| Standard data protection (default) | Encrypted in transit and on the server | Apple |
| Advanced Data Protection | End-to-end encrypted | Your trusted devices |
Apple states that end-to-end encrypted data can be decrypted only on your trusted devices, and that no one else can access it, not even Apple. Advanced Data Protection is optional and requires iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 or macOS 13.1 or later. Before you turn it on, you are guided to set up at least one recovery contact or recovery key, because if you lose access to your account, Apple will not have the keys to help you recover your data.
Advanced Data Protection also changes web access: iCloud.com access to your data is off by default, and you can turn it on if you need it.
Sharing weakens the protection. Apple states that content shared with "anyone with the link" is not end-to-end encrypted, even with Advanced Data Protection on.
If a recording never needs to leave the phone, turn Voice Memos off in your iCloud settings.
Does Google Recorder back up my recordings, and how do I keep some on the phone only?
On a Pixel, the Recorder app saves recordings on the phone. Back up & sync, when turned on, saves them to your Google Account, where you can open them at recorder.google.com from any device. Backed-up recordings remain private to your Google Account by default.
You choose per recording. Recordings can stay private on the device if you use Recorder without a Google Account:
- Open the Recorder app.
- Tap the user icon.
- Next to your Google Account information, tap Expand more.
- Tap Use without an account.
Three details affect how private the files are:
- A recording is linked to the Google Account selected when you create it, and you cannot change that account later.
- Backups use your Google Account storage, which is shared across Photos, Drive and Gmail. When storage is full, new files cannot be backed up.
- Access recordings in other apps is on by default. It creates copies of recordings that other apps with storage permissions can read, and each copy takes more space. To turn it off, open Recorder, tap the user icon, tap Recorder settings, and switch off Access recordings in other apps.
How do I delete voice recordings for good?
Deleting happens in several places, and each app has its own rules for how fast a file disappears.
| Where | What happens on delete | How to finish the job |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone Voice Memos | The recording moves to Recently Deleted and stays for 30 days by default | Open Recently Deleted, tap the recording, tap Delete. Or change the retention under Settings > Apps > Voice Memos > Clear Deleted |
| Pixel Recorder | The recording is permanently removed from all synced devices and from recorder.google.com | Press and hold the recording, select it, tap Delete. Or delete on the web at recorder.google.com |
| Pixel Recorder copies in other apps | Deleting inside Recorder does not automatically delete the copy made for other apps | Delete the copy in a file manager |
| Files by Google Safe folder | Resetting the Safe folder permanently deletes its files | Menu > Settings > Safe folder > Reset your Safe folder > Reset |
| Comu app | A deleted audio removes its linked text as well | Delete in the app; see the Comu section |
After you delete the original, check three leftovers: a backup that still holds the file, a shared link that still points at it, and a transcript copied into another app.
How do I share a recording with a link that expires?
A Comu share link expires after 7 days by default. Google Drive lets you set an expiration date for each person you share with.
| Where you share from | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Comu share link | Expires after 7 days by default; shows a snapshot of the content |
| Google Drive | Expiration is set per person on the share, with a date within one year; work and school accounts only; for folders, Viewer roles only |
| Pixel Recorder link | Public link, Share with specific people, or Private link; private by default |
On Google Drive, open the Share menu, click the down arrow next to a person's name, choose Add expiration, pick a date within one year, and click Save. The option is available for work and school accounts.
In the Pixel Recorder app, touch and hold a recording, tap Share, tap Link, and pick Public link, Share with specific people, or Private link. Backed-up recordings and links are private by default, and a public link lets anyone who has it play the recording. Sharing with specific people works only for email addresses tied to a Google Account, and the recipient gets an email notification.
For a recording with client details, choose a named-people link over a public link every time.
Comu AI: encryption, deletion and share links
Encryption and data use. Comu encrypts files throughout, does not sell data to third parties and does not use data to train AI. Comu is GDPR, HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant, and it also complies with the California Consumer Privacy Act. You can access, change and delete your own data at any time.
Deleting. In the Comu app you can delete a single audio recording, and the text linked to it is deleted with it. You can delete a contact, or delete your whole account, which clears all of your data. In device management you can unbind the device and clear its data.
Share links. Comu turns a transcript, summary, highlights, insights, outline, action list, your notes or the audio into a shareable link. The link expires after 7 days by default. It shows a snapshot of the content from the moment you created it, so editing the original later does not change what the link shows.
Where Comu stores audio and what you can delete is covered on a separate page: where an AI voice recorder stores audio. The compliance details sit on which AI voice recorders are GDPR and SOC 2 compliant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I lock voice recordings on my iPhone?
Touch and hold the recorder app's icon on the Home Screen and tap Require Face ID. The app then opens only after Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, and it locks again every time you quit it. Apple Notes cannot lock a note that contains audio, so the app lock is the iPhone route for audio.
Can someone with my passcode open a locked voice recorder app?
Yes. A locked or hidden app opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, so anyone who can authenticate your iPhone can open it. For a lock that is separate from your screen passcode, set a Secure Folder PIN, pattern or password on a Samsung Galaxy, a PIN or pattern in the Safe folder in Files by Google, or choose a new lock for private space on Android 15 and up.
Does Face ID send my face data to iCloud?
No. Apple states that Face ID data is encrypted, is not saved to iCloud and does not leave your iPhone. Face ID also needs a passcode set on the phone.
What happens if I forget my Notes password?
You cannot open the notes locked with it, and Apple cannot help. Resetting the password lets you lock new notes with a new password, and does not reopen the old ones. If you lock notes with your iPhone passcode, you do not have a separate password to forget.
Do deleted voice memos disappear right away?
No. Deleted voice memos move to Recently Deleted and stay there for 30 days by default. Open Recently Deleted, tap the recording and tap Delete to erase it right away, or change the time under Settings > Apps > Voice Memos > Clear Deleted.
Are voice memos in iCloud end-to-end encrypted?
Only with Advanced Data Protection turned on. With standard data protection, Voice Memos is encrypted in transit and on the server, and Apple holds the keys. With Advanced Data Protection, the keys stay on your trusted devices.
How long does a Comu share link last?
A Comu share link expires after 7 days by default. It shows a snapshot of the content as it was when you created the link, so later edits to the original do not appear in it.
Related reading
- Where an AI voice recorder stores audio: local and cloud storage, and what you can delete.
- Which AI voice recorders are GDPR and SOC 2 compliant: what the compliance labels cover.
- Do AI note takers train on your recordings: the data-use question after the lock question.
- Is your AI voice recorder always listening: when a recorder is capturing audio.
- How to transcribe voice memos on iPhone and Mac: turn a voice memo into text you can protect in a note.
Sources
Read Nov 12, 2026.
- Apple Support, Lock or hide an app on iPhone (iOS 26): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-or-an-app-iph00f208d05/26/ios/26
- Apple Support, How to lock or unlock notes on your iPhone or iPad: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102537
- Apple Support, Set up Face ID on iPhone: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-up-face-id-iph6d162927a/ios
- Apple Support, Edit or delete a recording in Voice Memos on iPhone: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphc9bdaee83/ios
- Apple Support, Make a recording in Voice Memos on iPhone: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iph4d2a39a3b/ios
- Apple Support, iCloud data security overview: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102651
- Samsung UK, What is the Secure Folder and how do I use it: https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/what-is-the-secure-folder-and-how-do-i-use-it
- Google, Protect your files with Safe folder (Files by Google Help): https://support.google.com/files/answer/9935264?hl=en
- Google, Hide sensitive apps with private space (Android Help): https://support.google.com/android/answer/15341885?hl=en
- Google, Create, edit & delete a recording on your Pixel device: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16267367?hl=en
- Google, Find, back up & manage recordings on your Pixel device: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16267668?hl=en
- Google, Save & share recordings & transcripts (Pixel Phone Help): https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16267696?hl=en
- Google, Share and manage access to files and folders in Google Drive: https://support.google.com/drive/answer/7166529?hl=en
