Voice notes can be a handy way of recording ideas and reminders while on the go. But in audio form, they have limitations: You can’t easily search through them, and you can’t quickly check them when you need to be quiet (in the library, for example, or next to a sleeping partner).
This is where transcribing comes in, enabling you to have both the voice recording and the written text available. It’s useful not just for recording your own musings but also for interviews, meetings, and other scenarios when typing is burdensome.
You’ve got plenty of apps to choose from for the job, and you don’t necessarily have to pay for the privilege either. We’ve rounded up the best voice note transcription tools that we’ve come across, along with the features you need to know, and how you can get started.
Google Keep (Android, iOS, web)
Google’s note-taking app does a fine job of recording your voice memos and attaching the text at the same time, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is impressive. Google Keep voice notes can be accessed in the app on Android, iOS, and the web, but bear in mind that you can only create voice recordings from the mobile apps, not on desktop.
To create a new note using your voice, tap the little microphone icon at the bottom of the app interface, then start talking. When you’ve finished, your note pops up on screen, with the text on top and the embedded audio underneath (tap the play button to hear it). You can then access the usual note options for adding a title, changing its color, and so on.
Aiko (iOS, macOS)
When it comes to Apple’s own apps, you can’t automatically transcribe text from a voice note in either the Notes or Voice Memos apps that come installed on…
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