How to transcribe Voice Memos on iPhone, three ways
Your old memos, finally readable.
There are three ways to transcribe Voice Memos. On a recent iPhone, Voice Memos already does it. For memos with more than one voice, or a whole folder you want to search, import them into Recordd and get speaker labels, a summary, and search across every word. For a single one-off file, a free browser tool will do.
Here is each way, and how to choose.
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How to transcribe Voice Memos on iPhone, three ways, step by step
6 steps.
- 01
Check whether your iPhone already transcribes
Voice Memos transcribes speech on iPhone 12 or later in ten languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. It is not available in every region. Memos recorded on iOS 17 or earlier are transcribed automatically when you open them, as long as they contain speech.
- 02
View or copy the built-in transcript
Open Voice Memos, tap the recording, then tap the more button and choose View Transcript. Select text to copy part of it, or choose Copy Transcript for all of it, then paste into Notes, Mail, or anywhere else. You can also swipe up from the waveform while recording to watch the transcription live, and the search field finds words inside transcripts.
- 03
Get the memo out of Voice Memos
For anything more than the built-in transcript, you need the audio file. Share the memo from Voice Memos and save it to Files, or AirDrop it to your Mac. Voice Memos saves in m4a, which Recordd imports directly.
- 04
Import into Recordd
On iPhone, tap import in Recordd and pick the file from the Files picker, one file at a time. On Mac, choose import and select several files at once; m4a, wav, aiff, and mp3 all work. Imported recordings sync to your account and show up on every device you use Recordd on.
- 05
Process for speakers, summary, and search
Tap Process and pick the language, or auto-detect, from 26 languages. A one-time notice before your first Process explains that audio is transcribed by cloud services. You get a transcript with speakers separated, a title, a summary, and action items. Every word becomes searchable across your library, and you can ask a single recording a question and jump to the moment. Export as Markdown or plain text with speaker labels.
- 06
For a one-off file, use the free browser tool
If you have one voice memo and no interest in an app, upload it at recordd.co/tools/transcribe-audio. Files up to an hour are transcribed in the browser and the file is not stored afterwards. No account needed.
Voice memo to text: which way to pick
If you talked to yourself for a minute and your iPhone is a 12 or later, the built-in transcript is good enough. Copy it and move on.
If the memo has two or more people in it, if it is in one of the 16 languages Voice Memos does not transcribe, if your iPhone is older than a 12, or if you have years of memos you want to search as one collection, import into Recordd. The free plan covers 40 minutes of recording for life, which is enough to try a few memos before deciding on Pro.
If it is a single short file and you want text in the next minute, use the browser tool.
How to transcribe Voice Memos on iPhone: questions
Before you press record.
Does Voice Memos transcribe on my iPhone?+
On iPhone 12 or later, in ten supported languages and in supported regions, yes. Open a memo, tap the more button, and look for View Transcript.
Does the Voice Memos transcript show who is speaking?+
Recordd’s transcript does: after Process, speakers are separated, and a speaker you have named once is recognized in other recordings. Check your Voice Memos transcript to see what it shows on your device.
Can I transcribe Voice Memos on Mac?+
Yes. Import the m4a files into Recordd for Mac through the open panel, several at a time, then Process. Recordd for Mac runs on macOS 14 or later.
How long a file can the free browser tool handle?+
Up to 60 minutes per file, or 120 if you share Recordd once. The file is not stored after transcription. For longer or multiple files, import into the Recordd app.
Are my imported memos used to train AI?+
No. Recordings are never used to train AI, ours or our vendors’. They are encrypted in transit and at rest, and you can delete any recording or your whole account at any time.
Facts checked 2026-09-23. Apple changes things; tell us if something here is out of date.
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