Life is short, and there is more to think about than ever when it comes to the end of life. Tap or click for steps to decide who can access your accounts when you’re gone.
If you’ve lost someone, you know how comforting photos and videos can be. Being able to read old text conversations is also special. Tap or click for the best way to save your texts.
Your smartphone’s voice mailbox could be another place to hear words from your loved ones. Don’t bet on your phone to save it indefinitely. Here’s how to keep a copy forever:
Save Voicemails on iPhone
Apple makes it easy to save and share Voicemail messages. This is excellent for business or personal use. Just be careful that you share what you want.
To save or share a voicemail on your iPhone:
• go to the phone app and press voice mail at bottom right.
• Tap on the voicemail you want to save, then tap Share button. It looks like a box with an arrow pointing out.
• You can now share that voicemail via AirDrop, Messages, Mail, Notes, or Voice Memo.
• To save voicemail to your phone, select Notes or Voice memo. You can access the saved message again in either app and play it at your leisure. Both apps automatically back up your file to iCloud if you have iCloud enabled.
• To save your voicemail to your computer, select airdropthen tap Your computer name. Make sure both devices are connected to the same network. On your computer, accept AirDrop, and save the message wherever you want.
• To send Voicemail to someone else, select a contact in Messages or Mail, or share it via AirDrop with someone nearby.
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Save voicemails on Android
Several manufacturers make Android phones, so saving voicemails varies slightly depending on which model you own. But you can take some general steps to keep these important messages.
• Open Voicemail application Or go to the Voicemail section in File phone app.
• Tap or tap and hold on the message you want to save.
• In the menu that appears, look for options such as “Save”, “Export”, or “Archive”.
• Select the storage location on your phone to which you want to send the message, then tap yes or Memorizes.
Get voicemail messages from an old phone
If you have voicemail messages saved on a phone other than a smartphone, your best bet is to record them on a computer. This requires some equipment, but not as much as you might think.
To save voicemail messages on older phones:
• Download Daring Or another similar audio recording software for your computer. If you have a Mac, Garageband can do what you need.
• Find out if your old phone has a headphone jack.
• If this happens, get a 3.5mm audio cable and connect one end to your phone’s headphone jack and the other end to your computer’s jack.
• If it does not, turn up the volume on your phone and get a microphone or place the phone near the computer’s internal microphone hole. You may need to experiment to find the exact location.
• Open your phone’s voicemail and find the message you want to save.
• In your voice recording software, click Record and Play Message. When the message ends, stop recording.
• Save the file to your computer for safekeeping.
The sound quality may not be perfect, but at least this message won’t be lost forever if something happens to your old device.
Keep your technical knowledge going
The popular podcast is calledKim Commando today. It’s 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and tech callers like you from across the country. Find it wherever you get your podcast. For your convenience, click on the link below for a recent episode.
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Learn about the latest technology available at Kim Commando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and offers advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacking. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Commando.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of USA TODAY.