Trim a Recording
Started recording a little early? Left it running after the meeting wrapped? With Trim you can cut extra audio off the beginning or end of any recording. Wave trims the audio itself, tightens the transcript to match, and updates the summary — so the session reads like the extra part was never there.
Trim is available on all platforms — iPhone & Android, web, and desktop — and works the same way everywhere.
Where to Find It
iPhone & Android — open the recording, then tap the 1× button on the right side of the audio player at the bottom of the screen. The player expands to a larger view — tap Trim there.
Web (app.wave.co) — open the session and click Trim in the toolbar above your summary.
Desktop — open the recording and choose ⋯ → Trim Recording.
The mobile audio player — tap the 1× on the right to expand it.
The expanded view, with playback speed, Trim, and Share Audio.
How to Trim
The trim editor works just like the one in QuickTime or Voice Memos:
Drag the yellow handles at either end of the waveform to select the part you want to keep. Everything dimmed outside the selection will be removed.
Preview plays only the part you’re keeping, so you can double-check before committing.
Tap or drag anywhere on the waveform to move the playhead. On a long recording, scrub to the right spot and tap Start here or End here to snap a handle exactly to the playhead.
The label under the waveform always shows what you’re keeping and removing — for example, keeping 42:10 · removing 3:24.
When the selection looks right, tap Trim and confirm. Trimming takes about a minute — the session shows Trimming recording… while Wave works, then comes back with the shorter audio, a matching transcript, and a freshly updated summary.
Changed Your Mind? Undo Anytime
Wave keeps your original audio safe. To bring it back, open the trim view again and choose Undo last trim (on desktop it’s in the ⋯ menu). Your original audio, transcript, and summary are restored exactly as they were.
If you’ve trimmed the same recording more than once, undo steps back one trim at a time — most recent first.
Good to Know
Trim the start, the end, or both — the selection is one continuous range, so cutting a section out of the middle isn’t supported yet.
Audio recordings only — sessions that include video can’t be trimmed yet.
Let processing finish first — you can trim as soon as the recording is done processing.
Shares and exports follow along — anyone you’ve shared the session with sees the trimmed audio and updated summary.
Available to everyone — Trim is included on every plan, free and paid.