Voice Memos on iPhone can save a new recording under the name of the place where you made it instead of “New Recording.” Apple’s iPhone guide ties that place name to Location Services, so the reliable fix is to stop Voice Memos from using your location. The Voice Memos settings screen (Settings > Apps > Voice Memos) may also show a naming switch, which Apple’s Mac guide calls Location-based Naming.
Why your recordings are named after places
Apple’s page on searching for and renaming recordings explains the rule: a recording is initially saved with the name New Recording, or with the name of your location if Location Services is turned on in Settings > Privacy & Security. So the place name is not a glitch. It appears because Voice Memos is allowed to know where you are.
For some people that is handy, because “Main Street” or “City Library” hints at what the recording was. For others it is a problem: lectures recorded in the same building all end up with the same name, and a home address in a file name is not something everyone wants to share when they send a memo to someone else.
You have three ways to change it. Pick the one that matches how much you want to switch off:
| Option | What it changes | Other apps affected? |
|---|---|---|
| Naming switch in Voice Memos settings (if your iPhone shows it) | Only how new recordings are named | No |
| Location access for Voice Memos | Whether Voice Memos can use your location at all | No |
| Location Services turned off entirely | Location for every app and many system features | Yes |
Turn off the naming switch in Voice Memos settings
Apple’s iPhone User Guide does not list a location naming switch for Voice Memos. Its Mac guide does, under the name Location-based Naming, and older iPhone versions of the Settings screen showed a switch with that name too (pictured below). Treat these steps as a check: if the switch is there, this is the lightest change; if not, use the location access method in the next section, which Apple documents.
- Open the Settings app.
Older iOS version shown; current screens look different. - Tap Apps, then tap Voice Memos. This is the path Apple gives for Voice Memos settings in current versions of iOS.
Older iOS version shown, where Voice Memos sat in the main Settings list. - Look for a switch named Location-based Naming (or similar wording) and turn it off.
Older iOS version shown with the location naming switch turned off.
To check the result, open Voice Memos, make a short test recording and look at the name it gets. If it still shows a place, move on to the next method.
Stop Voice Memos from using your location
This route works from the rule Apple documents: no location access for Voice Memos means no place name. It only affects Voice Memos, so Maps, Weather and your other apps keep working as before.
- Open Settings and tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Location Services.
- Scroll the list of apps and tap Voice Memos. If you do not see it, make a short test recording and check its name; if a place name still appears, use the naming switch in the previous section.
- Choose the option that blocks location access (usually labeled Never).
The same screen has a Precise Location switch. Turning only that off gives the app an approximate location instead of none at all, so it is not a dependable way to stop place names. Apple’s guide to controlling the location information you share covers these options.
The switch at the top of Location Services turns location off for every app, including Maps. If that is what you want, see how to turn off Location Services on iPhone and what changes when you do.
What new recordings are called now
With location out of the picture, Apple says a new recording is saved as New Recording. That is fine for a quick note, but a list of identical names gets confusing quickly, so it is worth renaming anything you plan to keep.
Rename recordings that already have a place name
Changing a setting affects how recordings are named from now on. Memos already in your list do not need to be re-recorded; give them a new name instead.
- Open the Voice Memos app.
- Tap the recording you want to change.
- Tap its name, then type a new one.
A simple pattern makes the list easy to scan, for example “Biology lecture week 3” or “Kitchen quote from contractor.” A clear name also makes a memo easier to spot after you upload a voice memo to Google Drive or send it to someone.
Turn location naming back on
If you miss the place names, reverse whichever change you made. If your iPhone shows a naming switch in Settings > Apps > Voice Memos, turn it back on; otherwise go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Voice Memos and allow location access again. New recordings then pick up a place name when one is available; older recordings keep whatever name they have.
Older iOS versions and other devices
- iOS 17 and earlier: app settings were listed directly in Settings, so Voice Memos sat in the main list (as in the older screenshots above) rather than under Apps.
- Mac: Apple’s Voice Memos settings for Mac include Location-based Naming, described as having recordings automatically named based on your location. Open Voice Memos, then choose Voice Memos > Settings.
- iPad: Voice Memos works much the same way, but check the Settings screen on the iPad itself, as the naming switch may not appear in the same place.
Voice Memos naming questions
Why do my memos still get place names after I turned the switch off?
The naming rule Apple documents depends on Location Services, so check Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Voice Memos. If location access is still allowed there, set it to the option that blocks access and make a test recording.
Does blocking location stop Voice Memos from recording?
It should not. Apple’s Voice Memos guide mentions location only for naming new recordings. If a memo will not play back, the problem lies elsewhere; these fixes for Voice Memos not playing walk through the usual causes.
Can I search for a recording by its old place name?
Usually, as long as you have not renamed it. Apple’s guide pairs renaming with search: look for the search field at the top of the recordings list (older versions revealed it when you dragged the list down), then type part of the name.
For the basics of capturing audio, see how to record a voice memo on iPhone. Long recordings can also take up a lot of room, and these ways to free up storage space on an iPhone help when you are running low.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.