--- title: "Is there an app that can transcribe audio to text?" url: https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-can-transcribe-audio-to-text/ answer: "yes" summary: "Yes. Voice Memos on iPhone 12 or later transcribes recordings built in, in ten language options, though Apple says it is not available in all countries or regions. Otter, Whisper and others cover other devices and uploaded files." category: "Audio & transcription" published: 2026-10-02 updated: 2026-10-02 author: "Jack Stovell" publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" language: en-GB --- # Is there an app that can transcribe audio to text? **Answer: yes.** Yes. Voice Memos on iPhone 12 or later transcribes recordings built in, in ten language options, though Apple says it is not available in all countries or regions. Otter, Whisper and others cover other devices and uploaded files. (Source: [Apple: View a Voice Memos transcription on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph00953a982/ios)) Yes, several apps transcribe audio to text. Voice Memos on iPhone 12 or later does it built in, in ten language options, though Apple says it is not available in all countries or regions. Otter, Whisper and others cover other devices and uploaded files, so which one suits you depends on the phone or computer you've got, and whether the audio is a live meeting or a file you already have. ## The shortlist ### Apple Voice Memos The built-in iPhone recorder, which can show a transcript while you record or afterwards. - Link: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph00953a982/ios - Free tier: not verified. No separate price is stated on the Apple page; the app is part of iOS. - Paid from: not checked (not verified) - Best at: Transcribing speech on the phone you already have, with the ability to view, copy and search the transcript. - The catch: Apple says audio transcription needs iPhone 12 or later, covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese, and is not available in all countries or regions. - Platforms: ios - Source: [Apple: View a Voice Memos transcription on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph00953a982/ios) ### Google Recorder (Pixel) The recorder app on Google Pixel phones, with transcription of what it records. - Link: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16267698?hl=en-GB_ALL - Free tier: not verified. No separate price is stated on the Google page; the app comes with Pixel phones. - Paid from: not checked (not verified) - Best at: Transcribing what it records, built into Pixel phones. - The catch: It is for Pixel phones (Pixel 3 and later per Google). Re-transcribe may process audio on Google servers, and Google says some languages may need internet access for summaries. - Platforms: android - Source: [Google Pixel Help: Create, edit and manage transcriptions](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16267698?hl=en-GB_ALL) ### Microsoft Word Transcribe Transcribe in Word and OneNote for Microsoft 365: record or upload audio and get a timestamped transcript. - Link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/transcribe-your-recordings - Free tier: no. No free tier; included with a Microsoft 365 subscription (300 minutes of uploads a month). - Paid from: not checked (subscription price not verified) - Best at: Turning an uploaded .wav, .mp4, .m4a or .mp3 file into a Word-editable transcript in 80+ locales. - The catch: Needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, an internet connection, and is capped at 300 minutes of uploaded audio a month on a Microsoft 365 plan. - Platforms: windows, web - Source: [Microsoft Support: Transcribe your recordings](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/transcribe-your-recordings) ### Otter AI meeting and conversation transcriber with apps and a Chrome extension. - Link: https://otter.ai/ - Free tier: yes. Basic: 300 monthly transcription minutes, up to 30 minutes per conversation, 3 lifetime file imports (Otter pricing page). - Paid from: $8.33 per user per month (Pro, billed annually) (checked 2026-10-02; $16.99 per user billed monthly; USD only on the pricing page) - Best at: Live transcription of meetings with speaker recognition, plus summaries, on web, desktop and mobile. - The catch: The free Basic plan has 300 monthly transcription minutes, 30 minutes per conversation and only 3 lifetime file imports; Pro allows 10 monthly imports. - Platforms: web, ios, android, mac, windows, chrome - Source: [Otter pricing](https://otter.ai/pricing) ### OpenAI Whisper Open-source speech recognition model from OpenAI, released under the MIT licence. - Link: https://github.com/openai/whisper - Free tier: yes. Free: code and model weights are MIT licensed. - Paid from: Free (MIT licence) (checked 2026-10-02) - Best at: Free, local transcription for people comfortable with the command line, in many languages. - The catch: You install it with pip and need FFmpeg (and sometimes Rust); OpenAI says performance varies significantly by language. - Platforms: linux, mac, windows, api - Source: [OpenAI Whisper (GitHub)](https://github.com/openai/whisper) ### MacWhisper A Mac app that transcribes files, meetings and system audio using Whisper and other models. - Link: https://macwhisper.com/ - Free tier: yes. Free version: basic transcription, recording and dictation (MacWhisper site). - Paid from: €64 one-time (Pro) (checked 2026-10-02; Gumroad and App Store versions exist) - Best at: Private transcription on a Mac: the site says it uses local models so files do not leave the Mac. - The catch: Mac only. Speaker recognition and batch transcription are Pro features. - Platforms: mac - Source: [MacWhisper homepage](https://macwhisper.com/) ## How they compare ### If you want it built into your phone If you've got an iPhone 12 or later, Apple's Voice Memos app already does this. It can show a transcript while you record or afterwards, and you can view it, copy it and search it. Apple's page states no separate price; the app is part of iOS. Then there's the fine print. Apple lists ten language options and isn't available in all countries or regions, so your language and your location both need to be on the list. Pixel owners get something similar in Google's Recorder app, which transcribes what it records. It's built into Pixel phones, Pixel 3 and later, says Google. Both are tied to the phone in your pocket, and the pages we read don't describe importing other files. ### If you want free transcripts of meetings Otter is the one to look at. The free Basic plan gives you 300 transcription minutes a month and up to 30 minutes per conversation. Otter runs on web, desktop and mobile, with a Chrome extension, and it is built for live transcription of meetings with speaker recognition and summaries. What you give up is room on the free plan. A meeting that runs past 30 minutes bumps into the cap, and Basic allows only 3 file imports across the whole life of the account. That makes it a fit for live meetings but a poor one for a backlog of old recordings. ### If you already pay for Microsoft 365 Word's Transcribe makes sense here, because it comes with the subscription. You upload a .wav, .mp4, .m4a or .mp3 file, or record directly, and get a timestamped transcript you can edit in Word, in 80+ locales. It's also available in OneNote. The catch is that you need an internet connection, and there's a cap of 300 minutes of uploaded audio a month on a Microsoft 365 plan. Without the subscription it isn't a free route at all, as there's no free tier. ### If you're comfortable with code OpenAI's Whisper is free, with code and model weights under the MIT licence, and it runs locally in many languages. You install it with pip and you need FFmpeg (sometimes Rust too). If a command line doesn't put you off, that's a fair trade for no cost. OpenAI also says performance varies significantly by language, so test it on yours. If you'd rather not touch a terminal, MacWhisper puts a Mac app on top of Whisper and other models, and its site says it uses local models so your files don't leave the Mac. It has a free version with basic transcription, recording and dictation. The catch is that it's Mac only, and speaker recognition and batch transcription are Pro features. ### When paying is worth it Otter Pro is $8.33 per user per month billed annually, or $16.99 per user per month billed monthly (USD). It suits a regular meeting transcriber who keeps hitting the free limits, especially the import ceiling, since Pro allows 10 imports a month rather than 3 for life. MacWhisper Pro is a €64 one-time purchase, which suits someone on a Mac who wants speaker recognition or batch jobs without a subscription. Whisper stays free throughout; you pay in setup time instead. If none of the free options has blocked you yet, there's no need to pay. ## What to watch for Apple says Voice Memos transcription needs iPhone 12 or later, covers a fixed list of languages and isn't available in all countries or regions. An iPhone 12 in an unsupported region, or recording an unsupported language, won't offer it. Google says Recorder's re-transcribe may process audio on Google servers, and some languages may need internet access for summaries. If privacy matters to you, that's worth reading before you use it. Word's Transcribe needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, so don't assume it comes with Word on its own. ## How we checked On 2026-10-02 we read Apple's iPhone User Guide page on Voice Memos transcription, Google's Pixel support page on Recorder transcription, Microsoft's Transcribe in Word support page, Otter's pricing page and homepage, OpenAI's Whisper GitHub page and the MacWhisper homepage. Nothing was tested hands-on. ## If none of these fit If your phone or computer isn't covered, Whisper is free open-source code you can run locally (it needs pip and FFmpeg), and MacWhisper puts a Mac app on top of the same kind of models. Apple lists the ten language options Voice Memos covers, so check yours before relying on it. None of our products transcribes audio. ## Also typed as - is there a tool that can transcribe audio to text - is there a website that can transcribe audio to text - is there an ai that can transcribe audio - is there an app that transcribes audio to text - is there an app that will transcribe audio - is there an app that records and transcribes - is there an ai that transcribes audio - is there an app that can transcribe video to text ## Related questions - [Is there an app that reads text to you?](https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-reads-text-to-you/) - [Is there a website that can summarize youtube videos?](https://isthereathing.com/a-website-that-can-summarize-youtube-videos/) - [Is there an app that can name a song by humming?](https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-can-name-a-song-by-humming/) ## Sources - [Otter pricing](https://otter.ai/pricing) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Otter homepage](https://otter.ai/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [OpenAI Whisper (GitHub)](https://github.com/openai/whisper) (checked 2026-10-02) - [MacWhisper homepage](https://macwhisper.com/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Apple: View a Voice Memos transcription on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph00953a982/ios) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Google Pixel Help: Create, edit and manage transcriptions](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16267698?hl=en-GB_ALL) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Microsoft Support: Transcribe your recordings](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/transcribe-your-recordings) (checked 2026-10-02) ## Questions people ask ### Is there a free app that transcribes audio? Yes. Otter's Basic plan gives 300 monthly transcription minutes and up to 30 minutes per conversation. Voice Memos on iPhone 12 or later and Recorder on Pixel phones transcribe built in, and Whisper is free MIT-licensed code. ### Can Microsoft Word transcribe an audio file? Yes, with a Microsoft 365 subscription. Microsoft says you can upload .wav, .mp4, .m4a or .mp3 files, up to 300 minutes of audio a month on Microsoft 365, and an internet connection is required. ### Can I transcribe without an internet connection? Some tools can. MacWhisper says it uses local models so files stay on the Mac, and Whisper is open-source code you run on your own machine. ### Which languages does iPhone Voice Memos transcribe? Apple lists English (all variants), Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, on iPhone 12 or later, and says it is not available in all countries or regions.