By , Kim Komando
Published February 07, 2020
When you’ve lost someone special, any little detail or reminder of that person can mean the world. Google's Super Bowl commercial sure pushed that point home and showed us how instrumental tech can be in preserving those memories.
It also got many people thinking about whether Big Tech companies know too much about us. Spoiler: They do. Tap or click here to learn what info Google collects and how to delete it.
While you're at it, you really need to remove your information from creepy data broker sites once and for all. These people search sites let anyone find you for just a few bucks. Tap or click here to find out where to start.
Now, back to those special memories. If you find yourself listening to an old voicemail over and over — for sentimental reasons or otherwise — don't bet on your phone to save it for you indefinitely.
Luckily, it's easy to save a voicemail from your iPhone, Android or old non-smart phone. Let’s start with iPhones.
Apple makes it easy to save and share voicemails. This is excellent for business or scholastic use. Share important messages with coworkers or classmates, or upload them to a computer anyone can access. Just be careful you’re sharing only what you want to.
Saving voicemails on an iPhone
SECURITY TIP: Most people are surprised to hear they have a public profile on Amazon they didn’t even know about. Tap or click here to learn how to shut it down, plus 4 more Amazon security musts.
To save or share a voicemail on an iPhone:
Did you upgrade to the newest iPhone? The camera is amazing, if you know how to use it. Tap or click to see what the iPhone 11 is capable of.
If you have a visual voicemail from FaceTime you want to preserve, you can save it with the Files app:
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Saving voicemails on an Android
Android phones are made by a variety of different manufacturers, so saving voicemails differs slightly depending on the model you own. But there are some general steps you can follow to save those important messages.
To save voicemails on most Android phones:
You can also use a cloud service to backup everything you want to save from your phone or download an app made for saving messages, like VoicemailSaver. It costs $3.99 but it saves your messages, even if your phone is broken or stolen. For free options, try HulloMail or InstaVoice.
GET ORGANIZED: Sick of swiping through endless photos and all those annoying duplicates on your phone? Organizational bliss is just a few steps away. Tap or click here to clean up your collection.
Get voicemails from an old phone
If you have voicemails saved on a non-smart phone, your best bet is to record them on a computer. This is a method that requires some equipment, but not as much as you might think.
This can also work with your iPhone or Android, if the above methods aren’t working for you. Just connect your phone into the computer with a 3.5mm audio cable. More on that in a minute.
To save voicemails on older phones:
The audio quality may not be perfect, but at least that message won’t be lost forever if something happens to your old device.
BONUS TIP FOR EXTRA KNOW-HOW: Lock down private files on your phone or computer
It doesn’t matter what you save to your phone, computer or tablet — everything you keep on your devices should be considered private unless you give someone else permission to look through your files, images and apps.
Unfortunately, the default settings on most gadgets aren’t set up to keep everything hidden or password-protected. Anyone who accesses your devices can see everything.
So, how do you protect your information? There are a few settings and privacy apps that can help.
Tap or click here to keep your files private.
What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to or watch the Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, television or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.
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Learn about all the latest technology on The Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/how-to-save-important-voicemails