On a recent iPhone, the Voice Memos app can transcribe a recording by itself: open the memo, tap the More button (•••), then "Copy Transcript". Apple says the feature needs a supported iPhone, English among the supported languages, and is limited to certain countries and regions (Apple, as of October 2026). If it isn't offered on your phone, or you want more than a block of text, export the memo to Files and upload it to Supertranscription. Both methods are below.

With Voice Memos: the built-in transcript

  1. Open Voice Memos (in the Utilities folder, unless you moved it to your Home Screen).
  2. Tap the recording, then the More button (•••).
  3. Choose "View Transcript" to read it and select a passage, or "Copy Transcript" to copy it all.
  4. Paste the text wherever you like: Mail, Notes, a message.

For a note to yourself, an idea or a list, that is often enough. Still read it through before you send it or rely on it: like any automatic transcript, it can be wrong.

When to use Supertranscription

  • Your iPhone is too old for the built-in transcript, or the feature isn't available where you live.
  • You want to work on a computer or an Android phone, without depending on the iPhone.
  • The recording is long (a lecture, an interview, a meeting) and you want the text with each voice separated (Speaker 1, Speaker 2…) and a time marker for every word.
  • You need subtitles (.srt or .vtt), or the text as a .txt file.
  • You want to find your memos in a search, next to your other notes, and ask AI questions about what's in them.

1. Export the recording to Files

  1. In Voice Memos, tap the recording, then the More button (•••), then the share icon.
  2. Scroll down and tap "Save to Files".
  3. Pick a folder, then tap "Save".

By default, Voice Memos exports as .m4a, with the recording's layers flattened (Apple). That format uploads as it is. Keep the default options: the editable format (QuickTime) is no use here. There is also a short page on M4A to text, and one on transcribing voice memos.

2. Upload it from your phone

  1. Open supertranscription.com in Safari.
  2. Tap the upload box and, in the menu that opens, choose to browse your files.
  3. Find the recording in Files and tap it.
  4. Wait for the text, staying on the page.
  5. Tap Copy to paste it elsewhere, or Download to get a .txt file.

Without an account, the transcript exists only in the tab: copy it before you close it. A memo is usually short, so the free file is often enough (one per person, up to 30 minutes of audio). If you dictate often, sign in: until January 2027, every Google or Apple account has Pro for free, with 10 hours of transcription a month and no card, and your transcripts are saved in My notes. The details are on the pricing page.

From a computer

If Voice Memos is turned on in your iCloud settings, your recordings also show up in the Voice Memos app on your Mac, under the same Apple Account (Apple). You can then take the file from the Mac and upload it in the browser.

On Windows, the easiest way is to save the file to iCloud Drive in step 1, then download it from icloud.com. For a short memo, you can also email it to yourself.

Recording straight into My notes

In My notes, once you've signed in with Google or Apple, the Record button records from your phone's browser and puts the transcript in the note. No export, no upload: the text is right there next to your other notes. The recording and its transcript stay in your account until you delete them, and the limits are the same as on the homepage.

Dictation or voice memo?

For a message, an email or a shopping list, you don't need to record: tap the microphone on the iPhone keyboard and talk. If you don't see the microphone, turn it on in Settings, General, Keyboard, "Enable Dictation". Apple says that in supported languages dictation adds commas, periods and question marks automatically, and stops on its own after 30 seconds of silence (Apple).

Dictation suits you when you're looking at the screen and fixing as you go. For a longer train of thought, a conversation or a class, a recording is better: you don't have to watch the phone, and you get the text in one piece afterwards.

Tips for a better recording

  • Filter out background noise. Open Control Center, tap Voice Memos at the top, then choose "Voice Isolation" (Apple).
  • Bring the phone closer. Hold it as if you were making a call when you're dictating a note to yourself. For a conversation, put it on the table between the people, not in a pocket or a bag.
  • Name the recording right away. It's called "New Recording", or after the place if Location Services is on. Tap the name to change it: you'll find it more easily.
  • Tell the people you record. Recording someone without their knowledge can be illegal, and the rules vary by country and US state.

Phone calls, Android and WhatsApp

Apple's Phone app can record calls on recent iOS versions in some countries, and it tells everyone on the line that the call is being recorded (Apple). Check that it is available where you live. Otherwise, to keep a record of a call with the other person's consent, turn on speaker and record with another device.

On Android, the built-in recorder changes name and menu from brand to brand, but the principle is the same: share or save the file, then look at its extension. M4A, MP3, WAV, OGG and AAC upload directly. For another format, convert to MP3 first.

A WhatsApp voice message is an .opus file. Renaming it to .ogg usually lets you upload it. If not, convert it to MP3.

For the formats, the limits and the tips that apply to any recording, see the article on transcribing audio to text.