How to Convert a WhatsApp Voice Note to MP3

To convert a WhatsApp voice note to MP3, first get the voice note out of WhatsApp as a file, then open the OPUS to MP3 tool, choose the file and tap Convert to MP3. The result plays on any phone, car stereo or computer.

WhatsApp keeps voice notes in a format called OPUS, which many players cannot open. The conversion happens on your device, so private voice notes are never uploaded.

What you need

• A voice note you are allowed to keep, saved as a file on your phone or computer.
• A recent browser such as Chrome, Edge, Samsung Internet or Safari.
• A mail app, because email is the way WhatsApp suggests for getting a voice note out.

Step 1: Get the voice note out of WhatsApp

WhatsApp’s help pages explain that voice messages can only be saved inside the app. Its suggestion is to send the audio to yourself by email. To collect all the voice notes in one chat, the help pages describe Export chat and attaching the media, which emails the audio notes together. The files you receive are .opus files, and WhatsApp notes that you need a media player that supports .opus to play them outside the app.

These are the steps WhatsApp describes in its export chat help. Menu names can be a little different on each phone and version of the app.

Steps to convert the voice note

1. Send the voice note to your own email address from WhatsApp, or export the chat with its media. Open the email on the same phone.
2. Save the attached .opus file to your phone. On an iPhone, save it to the Files app. On Android, save it to Downloads or Files.
3. Open the OPUS to MP3 tool in your browser and tap the box. Choose the .opus file or files you saved.
4. Check the quality. 96 kbps suits speech, and 64 kbps is smaller. Choose Mono under Channels if you want the smallest file.
5. Tap Convert to MP3 and wait for the bar to finish. A Cancel button stops the job.
6. Download the MP3 file, or the ZIP if you chose many. Play one file once to check it, then keep it or share it.

Choosing the quality

A voice note is speech, so you do not need a high rate. At 96 kbps in mono, a minute is under 1 MB and sounds clear. If the voice note has music in it, for example a song someone sang, use 192 kbps and stereo. The page shows the expected size before you convert.

Converting many voice notes

You can pick all the .opus files from an exported chat together. They are converted one after another, and you get one ZIP with every MP3. If a file is damaged, the others still convert and the page names the one that failed. A long list takes time on a phone, so keep the screen on and the tab open.

Trimming the voice note

If you only need part of a long voice note, convert it first, then cut the part you want with the MP3 Cutter. You can drag the handles on the waveform and add a short fade at each end.

Common problems

It says my browser cannot read this sound. Update your browser, or try Chrome on a computer. Voice notes are normally small and read easily.

I cannot find the file after saving. Check the Downloads folder on Android, or the Files app on an iPhone, under On My iPhone or iCloud Drive.

The MP3 sounds thin. That is the nature of a compact voice recording. Choose 128 kbps, but a small voice note cannot gain detail it never had.

The file name looks odd. WhatsApp names files with a date and a code. The MP3 keeps the same name with .mp3 at the end, and you can rename it on your phone.

Frequently asked questions

Is my voice note uploaded when I convert it?

No. The conversion runs in your browser, on your device. The voice note never goes to our servers or anyone else.

Does the MP3 lose quality compared with the voice note?

A little, because the sound is saved again in a new format. For speech at 96 kbps or more the difference is hard to hear.

Why is a voice note an OPUS file?

OPUS keeps speech clear at a very small size, which suits chat apps. The downside is that many players and older devices do not support it, which is why converting to MP3 helps.

Can I convert the voice note without leaving WhatsApp?

No. The browser can only read files that are saved on your device, so the voice note has to be exported first, as the steps above show.