| name | voice-memo |
| description | Send native iMessage voice bubbles with ElevenLabs TTS via BlueBubbles. Use when: user asks to send a voice message, wants something spoken aloud, storytelling or summaries requested, or voice delivery would be more engaging than text. Requires ElevenLabs API key and BlueBubbles. |
| homepage | https://github.com/amzzzzzzz/imessage-voice-memo-skill |
Voice Memo
Send native iMessage voice bubbles (not file attachments) using ElevenLabs TTS and BlueBubbles.
Quick Start
Run the script with text and recipient:
scripts/send-voice-memo.sh "Your message here" +14169060839
This will:
- Generate TTS audio via ElevenLabs (Rachel voice by default)
- Convert to Opus CAF @ 24kHz (iMessage native format)
- Send as native voice bubble via BlueBubbles
Requirements
The Working Formula
Critical parameters discovered 2026-02-19:
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|
| chatGuid | any;-;+PHONE | NOT iMessage;-; (causes timeouts) |
| method | private-api | Required for native bubble |
| isAudioMessage | true | Required |
| Audio format | Opus @ 24kHz in CAF | iMessage native format |
| Pre-convert | Yes | Don't let BlueBubbles convert (wrong codec) |
Voice Options
Default voice: Rachel (ElevenLabs)
- Voice ID:
21m00Tcm4TlvDq8ikWAM
- Model:
eleven_turbo_v2_5 (fast, natural)
- Cost: ~$0.04 per 30s message
Expressive tags:
[laughs] — natural laughter[sighs] — expressive sigh[excited] — energetic delivery
Example: "[excited] Oh my god, it worked!"
For full voice list and IDs, see VOICES.md.
Bidirectional Voice Memos
Sending (Amz → Amy):
Use this skill. Native voice bubbles appear with waveform UI.
Receiving (Amy → Amz):
BlueBubbles auto-converts incoming voice memos to MP3. OpenClaw transcribes via Whisper. Transcribed text flows into conversation context automatically.
Memory note: Incoming voice memo transcriptions flow into conversation context like any text message. They are NOT automatically persisted to memory or files — the agent must explicitly choose to store them, same as any conversation content. If you want to prevent transcriptions from being retained, instruct the agent not to record voice memo content in memory.
Troubleshooting
Voice bubble arrives as file attachment:
- Check
method=private-api is set
- Verify chatGuid uses
any;-; prefix (not iMessage;-;)
- Check response has
"isAudioMessage": true
API times out:
- Use
any;-;+PHONE format for chatGuid
- Verify BlueBubbles Private API is enabled
- Restart BlueBubbles if consistently slow
Audio is 0 seconds / unplayable:
- Ensure pre-conversion to Opus @ 24kHz
- Don't let BlueBubbles convert (uses wrong codec)
- Verify with:
afinfo output.caf (should show opus @ 24000 Hz)
