In today’s episode, we dig into a problem that’s both technical and philosophical: why iOS still doesn’t offer a real API for Voice Memos — and why that matters more than you might think. Inspired by a Sound Library deep-dive, we explore the limitations developers face when building apps that organize and manage user recordings.

For years, third-party developers have been able to build rich apps around iOS Photos because Apple provides PhotoKit — a comprehensive, privacy-preserving API that lets apps index, query, and work with a user’s photo library programmatically. In contrast, Voice Memos sits behind a wall: there’s no equivalent framework that lets developers automatically fetch recordings. The files live in a protected part of the system (/private/var/mobile/Media/Recordings/), inaccessible without manual user action.

We explain that this isn’t a simple oversight — it’s the result of Apple’s design choices. Over 16 years, despite loads of requests and clear utility for productivity tools, Apple has never prioritized opening up a Memos API. Unlike photos, voice recordings aren’t seen as a “social” or user-central asset, so there’s little incentive to provide robust programmatic access.

So what is MemoKit — or what could it be? In this podcast, we explore the blog from the creators of Sound Library App. The creators imagines an API like “MemosKit” that would let developers request authorization, fetch recordings by metadata, and build powerful organization features — all without manual import workflows. Instead, developers must rely on workarounds like using the iOS share sheet or document picker to import files one at a time.

In today’s conversation, we unpack:

* The real limitations of iOS sandboxing and why Voice Memos has stayed closed for so long.

* The contrast with PhotoKit and what Apple does provide for other media types.

* How developers are coping today with import workarounds.

* Why a MemoKit-style API would be a game-changer for productivity and organization apps.

Whether you’re an app creator frustrated by platform limits or just curious about how developer ecosystems evolve, this episode sheds light on a silent gap in the iOS experience — and what it tells us about Apple’s approach to APIs.

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