Keep the mic close
Hold the iPhone near whoever is speaking. Distance and echo make speech harder to transcribe.
IPHONE GUIDE
Voice memo transcription on iPhone.
Two ways to get the text.
Recent iPhones can transcribe a voice memo right inside Apple's Voice Memos app. When you want a summary, a translation, or a place to keep the text, share the memo to Voice Note Transcriber.
VOICE MEMO
READY
Lecture notes.m4a18:40 · English
Summary
BULLET POINTS
Chapter 4 is on the exam. Read the two case studies before Thursday. Office hours move to Friday.
ClassExams
01
THE SHORT ANSWER
Try Voice Memos first. Use an app when you need more than a transcript.
Apple's Voice Memos app can show a transcript on iPhone 12 or later, in supported languages and regions. It's the quickest way to read a memo you recorded yourself.
Voice Note Transcriber is for what comes after: a short summary of a long recording, a translation, or a library of saved transcripts you can search, along with voice notes from WhatsApp and Telegram.
METHOD 1 · BUILT INTO IPHONE
How to transcribe a voice memo in the Voice Memos app
See the transcript of a saved recording
- Open the Voice Memos app and tap the recording.
- Tap the More Actions button (three dots).
- Tap View Transcript, then select the words you want and tap Copy. The same menu can also copy the whole transcript.
Watch it transcribe while you record
- Tap the Record button.
- Swipe up from the top of the waveform to open the full recording view.
- Tap the Transcription button to see the words appear as you speak. Tap it again to go back to the waveform.
Don't see the option? Apple lists Voice Memos transcription for iPhone 12 or later, in English and a set of other languages, and not in every country or region. Menu names can change between iOS versions. Apple's Voice Memos transcription guide has the current details.
Voice Memos also searches inside transcripts, so a word you remember can bring up the right recording.
METHOD 2 · VOICE NOTE TRANSCRIBER
How to transcribe a voice memo with Voice Note Transcriber
-
01
Share the memo
In Voice Memos, tap the recording, tap the More Actions button, tap Share, and choose Voice Note Transcriber. Memos saved in the Files app can be picked from inside the app, several at a time.
-
02
Choose the output
Transcribe for every word, Summarize for the takeaway, Translate into another language, or Summarize + Translate for both. Summaries come as short, detailed, bullet points, action items, or dates and deadlines.
-
03
Read, copy, save
Open the result, copy what you need, and save it to a folder with tags. Saved results sync to your account, so they're there when you search later.
WHICH ONE TO USE
Voice Memos transcripts or Voice Note Transcriber?
| You want to… | Voice Memos | Voice Note Transcriber |
|---|---|---|
| Read a transcript of your own recording | Yes, on supported iPhones and languages | Yes |
| Get a summary, action items, or deadlines | Not covered in Apple's Voice Memos transcription guide | Yes, five summary styles |
| Translate the recording | Not covered in Apple's Voice Memos transcription guide | Yes, or summarize and translate together |
| Transcribe chat voice notes or other files | Transcribes recordings in Voice Memos | Voice notes shared from WhatsApp or Telegram, plus audio and video files, several at a time |
| See who said what | Not covered in Apple's Voice Memos transcription guide | Speaker labels on the Power plan |
| Find text again later | Search in Voice Memos matches words in transcripts | Folders, tags, and search, synced to your account |
| Cost | Included with iOS | Pro and Power plans in the app |
This compares Voice Memos transcription as Apple describes it. Other iPhone features change between iOS versions and may help with copied text. Privacy note: Voice Note Transcriber sends the audio to AI providers for processing and removes it afterwards. Only the results you save are kept.
BEFORE YOU HIT RECORD
Tips for a cleaner voice memo transcript.
Cut background noise
Music, traffic, and fans blur speech. A quieter room gives any transcription tool a better start.
Name the recording
A clear title like "Client call, March 3" makes the memo, and its transcript, easier to find later.
QUESTIONS
Voice memo transcription questions.
Why don't I see a transcript in Voice Memos?
Apple lists Voice Memos transcription for iPhone 12 or later, in English and a set of other languages, and not in every country or region. If your iPhone, language, or region isn't covered, you can share the memo to Voice Note Transcriber instead.
Can I get a summary of a long voice memo?
Yes, with Voice Note Transcriber. Share the memo, choose Summarize, and pick short, detailed, bullet points, action items, or dates and deadlines.
Can I translate a voice memo?
Yes, with Voice Note Transcriber. Choose Translate to get the recording in the language you pick, or Summarize + Translate to get a translated summary. See how to translate a voice message.
Can I transcribe several voice memos at once?
Save the memos to the Files app, then select them together in Voice Note Transcriber and send them in one batch.
Can I transcribe voice memos on Android?
Voice Memos is an Apple app, but Voice Note Transcriber is on Android too. Share a recording from your recorder app, pick audio files in the app, or record directly in Voice Note Transcriber.
What happens to my recording?
Voice Note Transcriber sends the audio to AI providers for processing and removes it afterwards. Results you save sync to your account, and you can delete them, or all of your app data, from the app.
Also see how to transcribe WhatsApp voice messages, or read about Voice Note Transcriber. · Summarize an audio recording · Transcribe a lecture
MORE THAN A TRANSCRIPT
Summarize, translate, and keep your voice memos.
Download Voice Note Transcriber for iPhone or Android and share your next memo to it.