# How to Transcribe a Voice Memo on iPhone

Updated: November 12, 2026

Aiko: Price: $24, one-time purchase for all platforms. Platforms: macOS, iOS, visionOS. Get it from: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id1672085276). Free trial: [TestFlight](https://testflight.apple.com/join/P1qnhHCC). Requires macOS, iOS, or visionOS 26.6 or later. Free older versions for macOS 15, 14, and 13: [download](https://sindresorhus.com/aiko#older-versions).

URL: https://sindresorhus.com/guides/transcribe-voice-memo-iphone

In Voice Memos, tap the recording, tap the More button, and choose “View Transcript” or “Copy Transcript”. This works in 10 languages. For other languages, share the recording to [Aiko](https://sindresorhus.com/aiko), which transcribes about 100 languages on your iPhone.

## With Aiko

1. In Voice Memos, tap the recording, tap the More button, and tap “Share”.
1. Choose [Aiko](https://sindresorhus.com/aiko) in the row of apps. Aiko opens and transcribes the recording.
1. Keep Aiko open until it is done, as iPhone cannot transcribe in the background. A long recording takes some minutes.
1. Tap the copy button to copy the text, or the export button to save it as text or subtitles.

If Aiko does not open from the share sheet, use [the shortcut workaround](https://sindresorhus.com/aiko#voice-memos-ios26).

Aiko finds the language itself. If it picks the wrong one, choose it in “Audio language” in the settings. The transcription runs on your iPhone, so your audio is never uploaded. To transcribe a file from the Files app, tap the add button, and choose “Import File”.

## Without an app

1. Open Voice Memos, and tap the recording.
1. Tap the More button, and choose “View Transcript”. To copy all of it, choose “Copy Transcript”.

While you record, swipe up from the top of the waveform, and tap the transcription button to see the text live. Voice Memos also transcribes recordings that you made before, if they have speech.

It needs iPhone 12 or later, and it works in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional). It is not in all countries or regions. For a memo in one of these languages, it is all you need. Aiko is for the other languages, for subtitles, and for audio files from other apps.