WAV to FLAC on iPhone

Safari on iOS 15.4 and newer runs the converter completely, on the phone itself. There is no App Store download — and no converter app quietly uploading your recordings to its own servers. WAV files convert to FLAC here the same way — nothing to install.

If the file is in Voice Memos or Photos, tap the share icon and choose 'Save to Files' first — that makes it visible to Safari's file picker. The converted file lands in Files (Downloads by default), from where you can share it into Messages, Mail, or any app. Your WAV comes out as FLAC, ready to use straight away.

The WAV files people convert on an iPhone almost always originate from recording sessions, DAW bounces, and anything captured uncompressed, and WAV is uncompressed, so files are enormous — an hour of audio runs past 600 MB — which is precisely why they're stuck on the phone until you convert them to FLAC.

Sizes are comparable: WAV and FLAC both sit near 10–5 MB per stereo minute, so this conversion is about compatibility, not storage. Nothing is discarded. WAV and FLAC both preserve the audio exactly; you're changing the container, not the content.

WAV to FLAC is a common iPhone snag specifically because WAV is uncompressed, so files are enormous — an hour of audio runs past 600 MB, and FLAC is what your other apps and devices expect. Apple gives you no built-in way to convert audio at all, so the App Store is full of converter apps — many upload your recording to their own servers, show ads against it, and want a subscription. Doing it in Safari means the WAV file is processed on the phone itself and stays there, which matters when it is a voice memo, an interview, or a recording of your own family.

Your WAV file never leaves the handset. For iPhone that is the whole argument: recording sessions are usually personal, and the App Store alternative frequently ships them to a company's servers as the price of a free conversion. Processing the WAV-to-FLAC conversion on-device means there is no server to trust in the first place.

Most people meet WAV through recording sessions. It is a fine format there; the trouble is that WAV is uncompressed, so files are enormous — an hour of audio runs past 600 MB. FLAC is the destination when you need uncompressed, edit-ready audio that every DAW and editor accepts. Disk usage barely moves — this conversion buys compatibility rather than space. Both WAV and FLAC are lossless, so this specific conversion is bit-perfect: every sample survives and you can go back to WAV later without any loss.