Before you start
- The recording on your phone or computer
Method 1 iPhone: Enhance Recording in Voice Memos
It reduces background hiss and room echo. It can’t remove loud sounds like music or traffic completely.
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Step 1: Open the recording
Open Voice Memos and tap the recording.
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Step 2: Edit it
Tap ⋯ > Edit Recording.
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Step 3: Tap the magic wand
Tap the Enhance (magic wand) button. Play it back to compare, then tap Done.
Method 2 Samsung Galaxy: Audio eraser
For new recordings, Samsung’s Voice Recorder has Interview and Speech-to-text modes that focus on voices.
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Step 1: Open the video
In Gallery, open a video you recorded and tap the Edit (pencil) icon.
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Step 2: Choose Audio eraser
Tap the audio icon and choose Audio eraser (on Galaxy AI phones like the S24/S25 series and newer).
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Step 3: Lower the noise
Galaxy AI separates voices, music, wind, noise and other sounds. Turn down the ones you don’t want and save.
Method 3 Google Pixel: Audio Magic Eraser
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Step 1: Edit the video
Open the video in Google Photos and tap Edit.
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Step 2: Open Audio Magic Eraser
Tap Audio > Audio Magic Eraser (Pixel 8 and later).
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Step 3: Adjust sounds
Tap Auto or adjust the sliders for speech, wind, noise, nature and music, then save a copy.
Method 4 Any recording: Audacity on a computer (free)
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Step 1: Open the file
Install Audacity (free, Windows/Mac/Linux) and open your audio file. For videos, extract the audio first or use a video editor.
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Step 2: Capture a noise sample
Select a couple of seconds where nobody speaks and only the background noise plays. Choose Effect > Noise Removal and Repair > Noise Reduction and click Get Noise Profile.
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Step 3: Apply to the whole recording
Select everything (Ctrl+A / Cmd+A), open Noise Reduction again and click OK. Start with the default settings; too much reduction makes voices sound robotic.
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Step 4: Export
Choose File > Export and save as MP3 or WAV.
Troubleshooting
The voice sounds robotic after cleaning
The reduction is too strong. Undo and use a lower setting (in Audacity, reduce the Noise reduction dB), or apply it twice gently rather than once strongly.
I don’t see Audio eraser or Audio Magic Eraser
These need recent Galaxy AI or Pixel 8+ phones and updated Gallery/Photos apps. Use Audacity or the iPhone method instead.
Frequently asked questions
Can I remove noise from a WhatsApp voice note?
Save it to your phone first (Share > Save to Files on iPhone), then clean it with Voice Memos, Audacity or a similar tool.
Are online AI noise removers safe?
Well-known ones such as Adobe Podcast Enhance work well, but you upload your recording to their servers. Avoid them for private or sensitive audio.
Summary
On iPhone, use Voice Memos > Edit > Enhance. On recent Samsung and Pixel phones, use Audio eraser or Audio Magic Eraser for videos. For anything else, Audacity’s Noise Reduction is free and effective, and recording closer to the speaker helps most of all.
