How long can you record a voice recording?

[user1pMrCtKWVk]

Hi all I just got the new Samsung Galaxy S25 ultra I need to know when you're recording how long does the recording last? And does the phone need to be visible for it to record?

Thx

Lisa

[maird]

It will depend on what software is being used to make the voice recording and what's being recorded. While some will have fixed or configurable recording time limits, it's still unlikely any recording can be longer than the free-space on the phone SSD. 128kbps ought to be far more than good enough for a mono voice MP3/4. My 1TB S25U has 775GB of free-space. Continuous recording at 128kbps would take 560 days to fill the disk. Some apps might record to the "cloud" with bigger limits.

You should probably consider what you want to record. It ought to be possible to record a voice from a meeting in a relatively low noise location on a S25U in a pocket if the recording microphone was facing up. I believe that should be the bottom microphone, so the phone in a pocket, top down with the bottom kept at the pocket rim. That might also work for infringement of copyright by recording a concert with a phone in a pocket with the microphone at the surface and you don't move around too much (causing surface contact noise pickup), however a recording like that opens you to a copyright infringement lawsuit.

If I understand the whole microphone model, the top microphone is used for noise reduction, so the best results would be if both microphones were exposed and the bottom microphone was generally facing the sources of audio and the top microphone facing away from them, i.e. in a meeting probably best with the phone on the table, top microphone as close to you as is practical and the botton microphone facing away from you. At a concert, a better recording would come from the whole phone exposed, top microphone facing down, bottom microphone facing up, even tilted slightly bottom microphone towards the music, bottom microphone tilted slightly away from it. Most of the noise there will come from the audience, so pointing right at the stage would enhance all the noise from people in front of you, hence the suggestion of only a slight tilt towards the music. Again, it's probably copyright infringement to do that.

For an app that will record continuously and with enough disk space start the recording and, if using a pocket, position the phone and start recording before even going into the recording location and edit out the unnecessary content after.

For higher quality recordings, less damage from MP3/4 type compression use a higher bit-rate, up to 320kbps. Which would still allow me to record continuously for 225 days on my S25U.

Note, that for such long-term continuous recordings the phone would have to be permanently connected to an external power source, but I suspect it could record for 60 to 120 minutes without external power if starting with a fully charged battery. Also, there shouldn't be a maximum individual file size limit on an Android device and some audio recording apps can cut a recording into same-size sections using indexed names, e.g. MyMeeting1.m4a; MyMeeting2.m4a; etc., without any loss.

[user1pMrCtKWVk]

I just need to record voice. No music just a voice and only maybe a few minutes.

[maird]

It should record just fine with the phone in a pocket, oriented top down with the bottom of the phone just at the open edge of the pocket. Don't move around too much to avoid noise from contact between the phone and pocket material.

Another way, is treat the phone like it's just a handheld appendage and keep it held in the hand you don't write with. Use your wrist to orient the bottom of the phone towards the talker without making a deliberate effort to literally point the phone at the talker. You can move the arm holding the phone around almost normally but try to avoid too much or fast movement. Like the phone is just a normal appendage for you. You can start the recording minutes before the meeting and edit to just the meeting later. But keep the original file in case you are challenged that it's been edited. If recording mpeg audio use 128kbps or higher, I would recommend 320kbps. Even an hour long recording at that rate would be only 144MB. Which is not a problem for the phone if you have the free space.

It couldn't hurt to practice recording a few times with you just talking to no-one before a needed recording. There might be some settings in a recording app that will improve the loudness or quality of the sound.

[realaud]

It sounds like the OP is aiming to surreptitiously record a conversation with someone, though they can still accomplish that with the phone in their hand, as phones are ubiquitous and no one would even think twice about seeing it.

[maird]

I just tested with the Samsung Voice Recorder App in my left hand at arms length and with the bottom microphone pointing to or away from me in a location with no background noise the recording is fully comprehensible at 128kbps. I repeated the test with the phone top down in my pocket (bottom of phone at top edge of my pocket, so phone not deepest it can go in my pocket) using the highest recording quality in the same app and with my arm between my face and the phone the whole of me speaking in my normal voice is clearly comprehensible.

[maird]

Even with my S25U as deep in my pocket as it will go, top of phone about 1 inch below lip of the pocket recording is comprehensible. Then, even if I intentionally place the outer lip of my pocket over the phone the recording is comprehensible.

It may depend to some extent on how far away the other voice or how loudly they talk (also the level of background noise). I tested Samsung Voice Recorder, with me about 30 feet away from the phone but the bottom microphone generally pointing towards me but not directly at me and me next to a not noisy but not silent box fan and the recording is fully comprehensible again. I reversed the scene, put the phone next to the box fan and I moved 30 feet away with the phone bottom generally pointing towards me but not directed at me and again the voice is fully comprehensible.

[maird]

Total storage used for about 3 minutes 30 seconds of testing is too small to make any change to the free storage shown in the Android Settings app's "Device Care" display but I can see the mpeg4 audio recordings with the Files app, the 3 minutes 30 seconds of test recordings are 5.67MB in size when my phone has 775GB of free storage.

[maird]

One point about starting the recording before being in the company of the speaker, with Samsung Voice Recorder you can immediately lock the screen with the power button and it continues recording. If the screen is visible Voice Recorder shows a small view on the lock screen with a pause button, so it's best to not have the screen come one while recording if the phone screen is in-view. You can leave it recording after finished and stop later when the speaker is not present.

I tried starting a recording and leaving it running to see if there is an obvious short time limit, but it's still recording nine minutes after starting. I'll leave it recording and post if I find a clear, short limit.

[maird]

Given your needs, it's probably sufficient for me to say that I have been recording with Samsung Voice Recorder continuously for an hour all recorded with the screen locked, the screen black and able to record comprehensible voice at up to 30 feet away even in the presence of the noise of a running box fan near the phone.

I "handled" the phone two ways and voice was comprehensible in both cases:

1. Phone in my hand as-if I just tend to always hold it there; but with the bottom of the phone generally facing towards the source but not deliberately being "pointed" at the source
2. Phone in a front pocket of my jeans with top of phone down, bottom of phone up

All combinations recorded comprehensible speaking.

The phone in pocket case may not work as well in some heavy or "fluffy" materials since it may be heavy enough to muffle the sound or some coats since the pocket openings will probably face away from the speaker.

The recording can be started with one screen touch long before the presence of the person to be recorded and stopped with one screen touch long after they have left. As soon as the recording is started you can immediately lock the phone and it will continue recording. To save the recording if you stop rather than pause the recording it should ask you for a filename, offering "Voice-Date-Time" (it's the start date/time). I'd keep this for what context it contains but you can enter a name of your choosing. Just press the Save button, don't worry about the "Category" when pressing Save unless you need to do a lot of similar recordings. Good luck!