Is there an app to use your phone as a microphone?

Smartphones contain microphones that can be utilized to record audio when used with the appropriate apps. The built-in microphone on smartphones allows users to make calls and utilize voice assistant features. However, with the right apps, the microphone can also be used for other audio recording purposes. This opens up possibilities for using a smartphone as a versatile mobile microphone in various situations.

Built-in Voice Recording Apps

Most smartphones have built-in voice recording apps that can be used as a microphone. For example, iOS devices come with the Voice Memos app pre-installed, which provides basic recording functionality (The 8 best audio recorder apps to record high quality audio). Android devices often include the Sound Recorder or Smart Voice Recorder app. These built-in apps allow you to quickly record voice memos, notes, ideas, interviews, lectures, and more.

The main advantages of using a built-in app are that they’re free, don’t require any extra downloads or installations, and integrate seamlessly with your phone’s operating system. However, the recording quality and features tend to be more limited compared to third party apps. But for casual everyday recordings, the pre-installed tools often get the job done.

Third Party Recording Apps

There are many third party apps that offer enhanced recording features beyond the built-in options on iOS and Android devices. These apps provide higher quality recordings, more format options, editing tools, cloud storage, transcription, and more advanced controls. Some of the most popular third party recording apps include:

Otter Voice Notes (https://otter.ai) – Offers live transcription, editing tools, collaboration, and searchability. Otter can record meetings, interviews, lectures, and more with great accuracy.

Rev (https://www.rev.com/apps/recorder) – Provides unlimited recording time, transcription services, speaker identification, cloud syncing, and integrates with services like Zoom, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

Alice (https://www.alicerecorder.com/) – Designed specifically for interviews, Alice separates speakers into parallel tracks, eliminates silence, and has a wide range of sharing options.

While built-in recording apps work well for quick needs, third party options provide more control, features, and quality for frequent recording use cases. With many free trials available, it’s easy to test out the expanded capabilities before committing to a paid subscription.

Connecting to Other Devices

One of the most useful aspects of using your smartphone as a microphone is the ability to connect it to other devices like computers, speakers, and TVs to use as an external mic. There are several apps that allow you to do this either wirelessly via Bluetooth or with a wired connection using an adapter cable.

Apps like WO Mic turn your phone into a wireless microphone that can transmit audio to a computer. By installing the WO Mic app on both devices, you can connect them over WiFi or Bluetooth to send audio from your phone to your computer’s mic input.

Other apps like Audio Evolution Mobile leverage a wired connection to use your smartphone mic with external devices. By using the appropriate adapter cables, you can plug your smartphone directly into mixers, PA systems, or any device with an audio input jack to utilize it as a microphone.

The ability to seamlessly integrate your smartphone mic into other audio gear gives you a versatile, portable mic option. It allows you to improve audio quality, utilize phone mic accessories, and integrate your device into professional audio setups. Apps streamline the process so you can quickly connect and start recording or transmitting audio.

Recording Quality

The built-in microphones on smartphones can provide decent audio quality for casual voice recordings and videos. However, dedicated external microphones typically deliver superior sound quality compared to smartphone mics.

The main advantages of using a dedicated microphone over a phone’s built-in mic include:

Better frequency response – Dedicated mics capture a wider range of frequencies, resulting in richer, more natural sounding recordings.

Lower noise – External mics have better noise isolation, reducing background noise interference.
Directionality – Many dedicated mics are unidirectional, focusing on sound from one direction and rejecting noise from other directions.
Sensitivity – Pro-grade mics offer higher sensitivity for picking up subtle sounds and quiet sources.

Connectivity – With an external mic you can use high quality cables/connections like XLR, avoiding signal degradation from phone jacks.

According to audio experts, high-end condenser microphones and dynamic vocal mics can capture nuances and tones that smartphone mics miss. The superior diaphragms and electronics in pro-grade mics enable warmer, crisper, richer recordings. However, smartphone mics can still work well for informal voice or video use if audio fidelity is not critical.

Overall, dedicated external microphones provide noticeably better sound quality than built-in smartphone mics in most situations. But phone mics offer simplicity and portability when pro-level audio is not required.

Microphone Types

Smartphones typically use a few different types of microphones. The most common are MEMS microphones^[1]. MEMS stands for Microelectromechanical systems and refers to tiny microphones with built-in analog-to-digital converters^[1]. They are very small, highly sensitive, and optimized for use in mobile devices^[2].

Another type often found is electret condenser microphones (ECM)^[3]. These are capacitive microphones that use a permanently charged material. They are inexpensive, require little power, and provide quality audio recordings^[2].

Some newer smartphones incorporate microelectrical condenser microphones, which are more sensitive and provide even better audio quality^[4]. Other specialist mics like noise canceling mics may also be included depending on the phone model.

Overall, modern smartphones have highly advanced microphone arrays to support clear phone calls, audio recordings, and other multimedia uses. The tiny MEMS microphones are most common, but other types like condenser and electret condenser mics are also found to enhance audio capturing.

[1] https://hearingreview.com/practice-building/practice-management/continuing-education/back-basics-smartphones-microphones

[2] https://mynewmicrophone.com/what-kind-of-microphones-are-used-in-cell-phones/

[3] https://momanx.com/collections/phone-microphones

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microelectrical-mechanical_systems

Audio Processing

Many voice recording apps provide audio editing and processing features to help improve your recordings. According to https://speechify.com/blog/voice-recorder/, Rev Voice Recorder offers robust audio editing like trimming, editing, and audio effects. Voice Record Pro for iOS also lets you edit recordings by cutting, copying, and pasting audio clips as mentioned on the App Store page. These editing features allow you to remove unwanted sections, stitch clips together, and polish your recordings before exporting or sharing.

In addition to editing, many apps provide audio processing effects and enhancement tools. As described in a Descript blog post, some apps like RecForge II for Android include noise reduction to minimize background sounds. Others like Voice Recorder Pro offer equalization controls and compression to improve audio quality. These processing features help optimize the playback experience and clarity of your recordings.

Having the ability to edit and enhance the audio directly within recording apps enables users to produce higher quality recordings without needing additional software. The built-in processing empowers anyone to create professional sounding audio using just their smartphone.

Usage Examples

Smartphones can be used as microphones in a variety of situations. Here are some of the most common use cases:

Recording videos for YouTube or social media – The built-in microphone on most smartphones today is good enough for casual video recording. Using your phone as the microphone captures decent audio quality for things like vlogs, interviews, unboxings, etc. (Source)
Recording music or podcasts – While dedicated microphones are better, you can use a phone in a pinch to record vocals, acoustic instruments, or a simple podcast. Just make sure to get close to the phone’s mic and reduce background noise. An external mic can improve quality.
Making voice calls on apps – Smartphone mics pick up your voice well for phone calls or voice chats through apps like Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc. The mics filter out background noise.

As a wireless mic for another device – Phones can connect to computers or cameras as a wireless microphone via Bluetooth or a mic cable. This lets you record audio remotely or from a distance.
Recording live events – Phone mics are handy for recording live speeches, performances, conferences, interviews, and other in-person events.
As a dictation device – Make voice memos, notes, or dictations using your phone’s recording app and built-in microphone.

While dedicated microphones produce better sound quality, a smartphone can work in a pinch for casual recording situations. Phone mics pick up decent audio if used properly.

Limitations

While using your phone’s microphone as an audio recording device certainly has its advantages in terms of convenience and accessibility, there are some limitations to be aware of.

One limitation often cited is background noise. Since phones do not have advanced noise cancellation features, any ambient sounds in your environment may be picked up in your recording (Kent Faith). Things like air conditioning units, traffic, or chatter can potentially interfere with your audio quality.

Phone microphones also have a more limited dynamic range compared to professional microphones, meaning they may struggle to capture subtle tones or volumes (Quora). You may find certain frequencies get drowned out or distorted more easily.

Additionally, phone microphones are omnidirectional, so they pick up sound from all directions instead of a specific source. This makes them more prone to picking up unwanted sounds as mentioned above (RF Wireless World).

While phone microphones can work well in quiet environments and for casual use, their audio quality and noise isolation fall short of professional recording equipment. Knowing the limitations can help you determine if a phone microphone is suitable for your particular audio needs.

Conclusions

In summary, most smartphones have built-in voice recording apps that can turn your phone into a microphone for basic voice capture needs. For more advanced recording capabilities, third party apps like Otter, Rev, or Trint offer automated transcription, editing tools, and integration with other devices. While smartphone microphones may not match the quality of dedicated external mics, they can produce decent recordings in close range and quiet environments. For professional or musical recordings, an external microphone is recommended for best quality. Usage examples range from interviews, lectures, meetings, and voice memos to musical performances and field recordings. Just be aware of ambient noise, privacy concerns, phone storage limits, and audio distortion when recording loud sounds. With the right app and reasonable expectations, your smartphone can serve as a versatile microphone for many daily situations.