SpiikDoes Voice Memos transcribe automatically?
Yes. On a supported iPhone, speech in your recordings is transcribed, and you can watch it happen: while recording, swipe up from the top of the waveform and tap the transcript button, and the current word is highlighted. Recordings made with iOS 17 or earlier are transcribed when you open them, if they include speech. These details come from Apple's Voice Memos guide.
Does Voice Memos transcribe on a Mac?
Yes, with macOS Sequoia or later on a Mac with Apple silicon, though not in every country or region. Click a recording, then the transcript button, to read it. To copy, select the text, Control-click it and choose Copy.
What Voice Memos transcripts don't do
- Languages: only the 10 languages above are transcribed.
- Speakers: Apple's guide doesn't mention speaker labels.
- Export: you can copy the text, but Apple's guide doesn't mention subtitle files such as SRT or VTT.
- Summaries: with Apple Intelligence, Writing Tools can summarize a transcript, on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 and later, in supported languages and regions.
Other ways to transcribe a voice memo
If your memo is in another language, has several speakers, or needs to become notes or subtitles, share it to Spiik. Spiik transcribes in more than 100 languages with speaker labels, exports TXT, PDF, SRT or VTT, and makes notes, summaries, quizzes and flashcards from the transcript. Here's how to transcribe a voice memo on iPhone, and the full Spiik and Voice Memos comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Which iPhones can transcribe voice memos?
iPhone 12 or later, with iOS 18 or later. Transcription isn't available in every country or region.
What languages does Voice Memos transcribe?
English (all variants), Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
Why is my voice memo not transcribing?
Check that you have an iPhone 12 or later on iOS 18 or later, that the speech is in one of the 10 supported languages, and that transcription is available in your country or region. If it still doesn't work, you can share the memo to an app such as Spiik.
Can Voice Memos tell who is speaking?
Apple's guide doesn't mention speaker labels. Spiik separates speakers in the transcript, and you can rename each one.
Is Voice Memos transcription free?
Yes. It's built into iOS at no extra cost. Summaries with Apple Intelligence need a supported iPhone, and Apple notes that usage limits may apply.