How to transcribe a voice memo on iPhone (2026)

You have a voice memo on your iPhone and you need it as text. There are three practical ways to do it, depending on how long the recording is and what you want to do with the result.

Short answer: On iOS 18 or later, new Voice Memos recordings include a basic transcript on supported iPhones. For older recordings, long audio, summaries, or exports, use a transcription app such as AI Transcribe, which imports any voice memo and produces text plus an AI summary in about a minute.

Option 1 — The built-in Voice Memos transcript (iOS 18+)

1. Open Voice Memos and record (or open a recording made on iOS 18+).
2. Tap the recording, then the quote icon (❝) to view its transcript.
3. Select the text to copy it.

Limitations: transcripts are only generated for recordings made after the feature arrived, on supported iPhone models and languages. There is no summary, no editing tools, and no way to transcribe imported files.

Option 2 — AI Transcribe (any memo, any length, with summary)

1. Install AI Transcribe from the App Store.
2. Tap Import and choose your recording from Voice Memos or Files. (You can also share a memo directly: in Voice Memos, tap Share → AI Transcribe.)
3. The transcript appears within moments, with timestamps.
4. Tap Summarize for key points and action items, or use any of the 15+ AI tools — translate, rewrite, extract to-dos, draft a follow-up email.
5. Export the text anywhere with the share sheet.

This route works for memos of any age and any length, videos, and audio saved from other apps.

Option 3 — Transcribing on a Mac instead

If the memo syncs to your Mac via iCloud, you can play it there and use dictation-style tools — but this is slower and less accurate than a dedicated transcription app, and there is no summary. Most people are better served by option 1 or 2.

Frequently asked questions

Can I transcribe old voice memos? The built-in iOS transcript typically doesn't apply to older recordings. Importing the memo into a transcription app like AI Transcribe works regardless of when it was recorded.

Can I transcribe a memo in another language? Yes — AI Transcribe supports transcription in many languages, and can translate the transcript afterwards.

How long does it take? With modern speech models, transcription is usually far faster than the recording's length — a 30-minute memo takes on the order of a minute.

Is there a way to summarize the memo automatically? Yes. After transcribing in AI Transcribe, one tap produces a summary, key points, or an action-item list.