Recording a voice or video note

Recording a voice or video note

Sometimes a written caption isn't quite enough. A voice note from grandma, a video toast from a friend, or a quick "happy birthday" from across the country lands so much warmer when people can hear it in your own voice. You can record short notes right inside the album.

How to record

1. Open the album and tap Add, then choose Record voice note or Record video note.
2. The first time you record, your browser will ask if it's okay to use your microphone (and camera, for video). Tap Allow.
3. Tap the big record button to start. Tap it again to stop when you're done.
4. Tap Play to listen back, or tap Re-record if you'd like another try.
5. When you're happy, tap Save.

We'll write out what you said

After you save, we automatically transcribe your recording so anyone reading the album later can also see your words. The transcript appears under the recording.

If you're the album owner or a co-editor, you can tweak the transcript before publishing — open the recording from your Review queue, edit the text, and save. Your edited version replaces the auto-generated one on the album.

If recording doesn't work

• Recording only works on secure web addresses (ones that start with https://). If you're on a plain http:// address, your browser won't let us turn on the mic or camera.
• If you blocked microphone or camera access by accident, you can re-enable it from your browser's address bar (look for the little camera or mic icon).
• On older browsers, recording may not be available. We support the latest Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge.

Tip: A 20-second voice note often says more than a paragraph of text. Don't worry about being polished — your voice is the gift.