Record their stories with the phone in your pocket

Before you start

1. Find the recorder. On an iPhone it is Voice Memos. On most Android phones it is Recorder or Voice Recorder. Make a ten second test and play it back.
2. Charge and clear space. Plug the phone in if you can. An hour of audio takes far less space than a few minutes of video, but check you have room.
3. Turn on airplane mode. A phone call or a buzzing text can stop a recording or spoil it. Airplane mode keeps the recorder running.
4. Pick a soft, quiet room. Carpet, curtains, and a couch absorb echo. Kitchens and bathrooms bounce sound. Turn off the TV, the fan, and the dishwasher.

Setting up

1. Put the phone close. About an arm’s length or less from the person talking, bottom edge toward them, on a folded towel so the table doesn’t thump.
2. Say who, when, and where. Start every recording with the date, the place, and who is in the room. Your family will thank you in fifty years.
3. Keep it under an hour. Most people tire after forty minutes. Stop while it’s still fun and plan the next one.

While you record

• Ask one question at a time, then wait. Silence is when the good stuff comes.
• Say “mm-hmm” less than you think. Nod instead.
• Bring a photo or an object. It unlocks memories a question can’t.
• Write down names, places, and years on paper as they come up.

After you record

1. Rename the file. Use a pattern like 2026-11-02 Mom, the farm years. You will never remember what Recording 14 was.
2. Back it up the same day. Copy it to a cloud folder and one other place, like a computer or a USB drive. One copy is no copy.
3. Get a transcript. Many phones and cloud services can transcribe audio now. A transcript makes the story searchable, but keep the audio. The voice is the treasure.