Fix iPhone Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time
Advances in social media platforms have revolutionized the way we communicate with each other, saving and broadening the time and approach to communication. Many prevalent social media platforms facilitate communication between different countries, such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.
Although many social media apps are popular today, traditional SMS still matters, and Apple's iMessage has become a preferred way for iPhone users to communicate since it supports text, audio messages, photos, videos, and files over Wi-Fi or cellular data. However, iMessage isn't perfect, and some users encounter the error "iPhone Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time." This article explains why this happens and how to fix it.

- Part 1: Why iPhone Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time?
- Part 2: How to Fix iPhone Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time?
- Method 1: Restart Your iPhone
- Method 2: Close Message & Enable iMessage Again
- Method 3: Fix Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time with TunesKit iOS System RecoveryHOT
- Method 4: Check Your Network
- Method 5: Ensure the Recipient Available for Audio Messages
- Method 6: Update Your iMessage
- Method 7: Disable Sound Recognition
- Method 8: Check for Software Update
- Method 9: Free up Storage Space
- Method 10: Reset All Settings
- Part 3: FAQs about Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time
- Part 4: Conclusion
Part 1: Why iPhone Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time?
If your iPhone keeps showing "Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time" or you see errors like audio recording not available iMessage, the issue is usually related to network, settings, or system problems. Understanding the exact cause will help you fix it faster.
- Poor or unstable network connection: iMessage audio messages require a stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
- iMessage is disabled on your iPhone: If iMessage is turned off, audio messages won't send.
- The recipient has iMessage disabled or is using Android: Audio messages only work when both sides use iMessage on Apple devices.
- Outdated iOS or iMessage version: Older system or app versions may trigger errors such as audio recording not available iMessage.
- System glitches or software bugs: Temporary iOS issues can prevent audio messages from sending.
- Insufficient storage space: Low storage can block audio recording and message delivery.
These are the main causes behind the iPhone cannot send audio Messages at this time error. Some issues can be fixed by adjusting simple settings, while others may require deeper system repair. In the next sections, you'll find step-by-step solutions to help you restore iMessage audio messaging quickly.
Part 2: How to Fix iPhone Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time?
After understanding the possible causes, you can now apply the right fix. Below are simple and effective methods to resolve this error and get iMessage audio working again.
Method 1: Restart Your iPhone
Restarting your iPhone can quickly fix temporary glitches that may be causing voice messages to stop working. It refreshes the system, clears minor memory issues, and resets all running apps and services.
1. Press and hold the Side/Power button until the power slider appears.
2. Drag the slider to turn off your device.
3. Wait about 30 seconds, then press and hold the Side/Power button to turn it back on. Once your iPhone fully reboots, try sending an audio message again.

Method 2: Close Message & Enable iMessage Again
You can only use the audio messaging feature if you have iMessage enabled on your iPhone. This may be useful for you if you shut down Messages that may be running for a long time and causing internal errors. Swipe up to close Messages and go to iMessage again on your iPhone as follows.
1. Navigate to Settings.
2. Find the icon of Messages, and tap on it.
3. Shut down iMessage and turn it back on again.

Method 3: Fix Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time with TunesKit iOS System Recovery
Do you still work hard to fix audio messages not working? All the settings ways don't work for you? Obviously, your iPhone is troubled with system problems. There is an easy-to-use tool highly recommended to you to help you fix your iOS system. TunesKit iOS System Recovery, a multi-functional system repair tool, specializes in various types of iOS system issues, including iTune errors, factory reset without a password, iPhone keep restarting, iOS upgrade failure and other problems.
The latest iOS/iPadOS version and all iOS devices are supported. 150+ system issues can be repaired. All your iOS system problems can be fixed with several steps, and step-by-step guide of each feature will be provided by TunesKit iOS System Recovery to assist you fix systematic issues in an easy and successful way, such as iPhone says cannot send audio messages at this time.
Why Use TunesKit iOS System Recovery?
TunesKit iOS System Recovery helps fix iOS system glitches that cause iMessage audio messages to fail—no data loss, no technical skills required.
The following shows you how to fix audio messaging not working on iMessage by using TunesKit iOS System Recovery.
Step 1:Connect Your Device
To begin with, you have to connect your iPhone to a PC and keep connecting while recovering your system. After connection, click iOS System Repair button, then click the Start button to fix your iPhone.

Step 2:Choose Repair Type
The interface comes with Standard Repair and Deep Repair. Click Standard Repair which is displayed on the left. Note: Standard Repair will not erase your data on iPhone while Deep Repair will remove all the data on your iPhone. If Standard Repair does not work, you can try to use Deep Repair to fix audio not working.

Step 3:Put the iPhone into DFU Mode or Recovery Mode
Your iPhone should be put into DFU or Recovery Mode, the instructions will be displayed in the interface. TunesKit can automatically enables your iPhone into Recovery Mode in one click. And you can manually put it into DFU mode according to the on-screen prompt.

Step 4:Download Firmware Package & Begin to Fix
Check your device's information and begin to download the firmware package on the PC. After verifying the firmware package, click Repair button to fix your iOS system. Then wait for a while, you can totally fix the problem!

Method 4: Check Your Network
The iMessage only can be used when you connect to a stable WiFi or cellular data. You will not be able to send audio messages to others if you do not have access to stable WiFi or cellular data. Therefore, it's necessary to check whether your network is stable enough to use this feature. Sometimes, turning Airplane Mode on and off can help you fix your network. Try to follow the tips as follows to fix your unstable network.
1. Go to Settings.
2. The Airplane Mode button is clearly displayed below your Apple ID, turn it on, wait 30 seconds, and then turn Airplane Mode off.

Method 5: Ensure the Recipient Available for Audio Messages
In fact, audio messaging is a feature of iMessage designed for iPhone users, not for SMS or Android users. So if the recipient does not enable iMessage on his iPhone or the recipient uses an Android device, a tip "Cannot send Audio Messages at this time" will show up when you try to send an audio message to the recipient.
It's easy to figure out if you've already sent a message with iMessage or SMS. A message bubble in blue means you have sent a message by iMessage. If it's green, that means you have sent one by SMS.

Method 6: Update Your iMessage
Actually, if the iMessage version is too old, it might affect you on using some features of the application. It's suggested that you update your iMessage version in the Apple Store. Bugs and errors, such as iPhone cannot send audio messages at this time, can be fixed in the newest version. Here's how to check your iMessage version and update it.
1. Go to the Apple Store.
2. Enter iMessage on the search bar and tap Search on your keyboard. If UPDATE is displayed on the right of the outcome, you can tap on it to update to the latest version. And if Open is shown on the right, that means you have already accessed the latest version.

Method 7: Disable Sound Recognition
One common cause of receiving the "Cannot send Audio Messages at this time" error message is having Sound Recognition enabled on your iPhone. This feature can interfere with the recording of audio messages. Disabling this feature might resolve the issue. Go to Settings and navigate to Accessibility. Scroll down to select Sound Recognition and toggle it off.

Method 8: Check for Software Update
If your iPhone says "Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time," you need to check for software updates on it. The bugs on outdated system might cause this issue. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to check if there is an update available. If there is a new iOS version, click the Update Now button.

Method 9: Free up Storage Space
If your iPhone is running out of storage, it might prevent you from sending large audio messages. To free up space and fix audio recording not available on iMessage. Follow these steps:
1. Navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to check your current storage usage.
2. Delete some apps you no longer use.
3. For precious photos or videos, you can transfer them to your computer or upload them to iCloud to save space.
4. Also, you can clear out old message conversations and any downloaded attachments from the Messages app.

Method 10: Reset All Settings
Reverting your iPhone's settings to their original state can resolve problems related to iMessage audio recording not available. This approach addresses issues at the system level but does not remove your personal information. Here's how to reset your settings:
1. Navigate to Settings, select General, then tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone.
2. Tap on Reset, then select Reset All Settings from the options. Then enter your lock screen and Screen Time passcode.
3. The iPhone will restart, and all settings will revert to their factory defaults, but your personal content will remain intact.

Part 3: FAQs about Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time
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1. Does the "Hey Siri" feature interfere with audio messages?
Occasionally, a glitch in the "Hey Siri" listening process can hang the microphone. If the system thinks Siri is being invoked or is currently processing a command, it may lock the microphone. A quick Force Restart of the iPhone usually clears this temporary cache and releases the microphone for use in iMessage.
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2. Why does the error only happen with one contact?
This may be due to the recipient not using iMessage, a corrupted conversation thread, and temporary iMessage sync issues. You can try starting a new message thread with that contact.
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3. When should I contact Apple Support?
You should contact Apple Support if the error persists after all basic fixes, audio messages never send on any network, and the problem started after a hardware repair or major iOS update.
Part 4: Conclusion
You can try to fix your iPhone Cannot Send Audio Messages at This Time with the 9 solutions written in detail above. You are advised to fix your iPhone using TunesKit iOS System Recovery, which is easy to use and has a high success rate. Hope that you can learn something from this article.