This is still driving me insane to this day (hence, my return to this thread. How, btw, is there not an ‘Apple Community’ message board iOS app?!?! It’s almost embarrassing).
Anyway - in desperation - having sent my XXth unintended, multi-minute iMessage Audio text - I finally found that we can, in the least, long-tap on the list of iMessage apps (after having tapped the plus sign) and slide the app order around. I moved Audio all the way to the bottom.
I truly don’t know what habit I have that finds me recording so many Audio recordings. I wish I could just delete the entire function altogether. I (personally) will never, ever use it.
Figured I’d share my “solution.” Lol