iPhone Voice Memos · 1 hour free
Voice memo to text: how to transcribe voice memos on iPhone
To get the text of a voice memo, open it in Voice Memos on an iPhone 12 or later with iOS 18 or later, tap More and choose Copy Transcript. For a long interview, several speakers or a Word file with timestamps, upload the memo to Spirelight instead, with 1 hour free and no card. You can try the first 5 minutes of your file here without an account.
1 hour free · No card needed
Confirm your email with the code we send you. You get 1 hour free; earlier free use counts toward that hour. Buy more time when you need it.
No account needed.
How to do it
From voice memo to text in a Word file
1. Save the memo as a file
In Voice Memos, tap the recording, tap More, then Share. Scroll down, tap Save to Files, choose a folder and tap Save. The file ends in .m4a.
2. Upload it to Spirelight
Confirm your email with the code we send for 1 hour free, then upload the M4A. Choose the language of the recording or let Spirelight detect it.
3. Correct it and export
Read the draft while it plays in the built-in player, fix names and rename each speaker once for the whole document. Export to Word (.docx), plain text or SRT.
Compare
iPhone voice memo transcription or Spirelight?
Apple’s transcript in Voice Memos is the quickest way from voice memo to text: free and already on your phone. For a shopping list or an idea you had on the bus, it is all you need. For an interview you will quote from, compare what each gives you:
| What you need | Voice Memos on iPhone | Spirelight |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, built into the app | 1 hour free with no card, then €2 an hour, or Spirelight Plus at €14 a month for 20 hours |
| Requirements | iPhone 12 or later with iOS 18 or later; English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean or Chinese; not in every country or region | M4A, MP3, WAV, MP4 and other formats up to 1 GB; many languages, chosen by you or detected |
| Speakers | Apple’s guide mentions no speaker labels | Automatic speaker labels; rename a speaker once and it changes everywhere |
| Finding a passage | Search titles and transcripts; select a word to move the playhead there | A timestamp at each change of speaker and a built-in player for checking |
| Getting the text out | Copy all or part of it and paste it into another document | Export to Word (.docx), plain text or SRT, and code quotes in the same project |
Getting the file
How to transcribe voice memos from iPhone or Android
Voice Memos exports recordings as .m4a by default, and Spirelight takes M4A as it is, so there is nothing to convert. More about the format on our M4A to text page.
- iPhone: after Share, leave Options alone. The Editable setting saves a QuickTime Audio file instead of an M4A.
- Android: in Samsung’s Voice Recorder, tap and hold the recording, then tap Share. In the Recorder app on Pixel phones, touch and hold it, then tap Share, File and Audio.
- Long memos: your account needs enough time for the whole recording before transcription starts. For a memo longer than your free time, buy time first or cut it into parts.
- Interviews: the ICO treats a recording as personal information when someone can be recognised from it, even if no name is said. Check your university’s rules before you upload: Spirelight is not on any university’s approved list, transcription runs on servers in the US with servers in the EU as a backup, and files and transcripts are stored in the US.
After your free time
Prepaid hours
€2
per audio hour
No subscription. Bought hours never expire.
Spirelight Plus
€14
per month
20 hours every month, cancel anytime. Unused Plus hours do not roll over.
Enterprise
For organisations that need a custom data processing agreement, invoicing or larger volumes.
Prices include applicable tax. If you have paid before, your account may use another currency. Review the final price at checkout.
Questions about turning voice memos into text
Can iPhone transcribe voice memos?
Yes, on an iPhone 12 or later with iOS 18 or later, in English and several other languages, though not in every country or region, according to Apple. Open the recording, tap More and choose View Transcript or Copy Transcript.
Why don’t I see a transcript in Voice Memos?
Apple’s conditions are an iPhone 12 or later with iOS 18 or later, a supported language and a country or region where the feature is offered, and the memo needs recorded speech. If one is missing, save the memo to Files and upload it to Spirelight.
How do I get a voice memo transcript into Word?
Copy Transcript gives you text to paste into a Word document. For a file with speaker labels and a timestamp at each change of speaker, upload the M4A to Spirelight and export it as Word (.docx).
Is there a free way to transcribe voice memos?
The Voice Memos transcript is free if your iPhone and language support it. Spirelight gives you 1 hour free once you confirm any email address with a code, with no card; earlier free use counts towards the hour, and free time does not renew. After that it is €2 per hour of recording, or Spirelight Plus at €14 a month with 20 hours.
Can I transcribe a voice memo in another language?
Yes. Choose the recording’s language when you upload, or let Spirelight detect it. The text stays in the language that was spoken, because Spirelight does not translate.
More on transcription
Interview transcription
Interview transcription: file formats, prices and export on one page.
Free transcription for students
Word, noScribe, Otter, university tools and Spirelight: what students get free, the limits and where recordings go.
Interview transcript template
A free Word template for interview transcripts, the format explained, and a finished example.
M4A to text
Upload an M4A as it is and get text with speaker labels and timestamps: the limits, the export and checking the draft.
Get started
Stop transcribing recordings by hand
Create an account, confirm your email and upload a recording. Correct the draft, then download it in Word, plain text or SRT.
1 hour free · No card · No trial