Apple Notes can record audio and turn speech into text for free on recent iPhones and Apple silicon Macs. It is a good fit for personal voice notes, lectures and short meetings, but it lacks speaker labels and caption files, so anyone doing interviews or published work should look elsewhere.
What Apple Notes audio transcription is
Apple Notes is the free notes app that comes with every iPhone, iPad and Mac. Since iOS 18, it can record audio inside a note and show a written transcript of what is said Popular Science ↗. Apple describes the feature simply: in Notes you can add an audio recording and transcribe the spoken words to text Apple Support (iPhone) ↗.
To start, you open a note, tap the paperclip icon and choose Record Audio Popular Science ↗. A large red button starts and pauses the recording, and you can record several segments into one file Popular Science ↗. A speech bubble icon switches between a sound wave view and the transcript view. If you are in the transcript view while recording, the words appear as you speak Popular Science ↗.
The same feature is on the Mac. There it needs a Mac with an M1 chip or later, and the device language must be one Apple supports for transcription Apple Support (Mac) ↗. Hands on testing is in progress; we will update this review with results.
What it does well
The biggest strength is that it is already there. There is no app to install, no account to create and no plan to pick. If you own a recent iPhone, you can start recording in a few taps Popular Science ↗.
The live transcript is useful in the moment. During playback, the text is highlighted as the audio plays, which makes it easy to find a quote Popular Science ↗. On the Mac you can click any passage in the transcript to jump the audio to that point Apple Support (Mac) ↗. You can search a transcript, copy it, or add the full text into the note body so it lives next to your typed notes Popular Science ↗ Apple Support (Mac) ↗.
It also handles audio you already have. You can tap the paperclip, choose Attach File and pick an audio file, and Notes embeds it like a live recording so it can be transcribed Popular Science ↗.
If Apple Intelligence is turned on, a Summary button gives a short AI summary of what was said so far, and each clip in a note shows a short preview summary Popular Science ↗. That helps when you record a long meeting or lecture and only need the main points. Summaries can be copied or shared Apple Support (Mac) ↗.
Where it falls short
It only works on Apple devices. There is no Windows, Android or web version, so a team with mixed devices cannot share it as a workflow.
It is built for personal notes, not professional transcripts. We found no mention of speaker labels or caption exports such as SRT or VTT in the sources we checked, which matters for interviews, podcasts and video Popular Science ↗ Apple Support (Mac) ↗.
Language and hardware support are limited. On the Mac, transcription needs an M1 chip or later, and the device language must be English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, or Simplified or Traditional Chinese Apple Support (Mac) ↗. Apple says transcription is not available in every language or region, and if the Transcription button is missing your device does not meet the requirements Apple Support (Mac) ↗.
Summaries come with extra conditions. They need Apple Intelligence, which is not available in all languages or regions. Apple also says its server side Apple Intelligence features have daily usage limits that vary with demand Apple Support (Mac) ↗.
Pricing and plans
Apple Notes transcription is free. It is part of iOS 18 and later on the iPhone, and of recent versions of macOS on Apple silicon Macs Popular Science ↗ Apple Support (Mac) ↗. There is no paid tier, no trial and no subscription for the transcription itself.
Apple does not publish a minute cap for recording or transcription in the sources we checked Popular Science ↗ Apple Support (Mac) ↗. The only usage limits Apple mentions apply to server side Apple Intelligence features such as some summaries, which have daily limits, and Apple notes that expanded access may cost money in the future Apple Support (Mac) ↗.
Who should (and shouldn't) use it
- Good fit: iPhone and Mac owners who want quick voice memos turned into searchable text.
- Good fit: students and owners who record lectures, site visits or their own ideas and want a short AI summary.
- Skip it if: you need speaker labels, timestamps in a caption file or subtitle exports.
- Skip it if: you use Windows or Android, or work in a language Apple does not support for transcription.
- Skip it if: you need to record and transcribe video calls automatically.
Alternatives worth a look
- TurboScribe: free for 3 files a day of up to 30 minutes each, with speaker labels and caption downloads TurboScribe pricing ↗.
- Otter.ai: free for 300 minutes a month with live transcription of meetings and conversations Otter pricing ↗.
- Fathom: free unlimited recording and transcription of Zoom, Google Meet and Teams calls Fathom pricing ↗.
- Buzz: free open source desktop app that transcribes offline on Mac, Windows and Linux, with speaker labels and SRT and VTT exports Buzz ↗.
Where it appears
Also greatThe Best Free AI Transcription ToolsWhat’s good
- Already installed
- Live transcript
- No account needed
What to know
- Apple devices only
- No speaker labels or subtitle exports
Key features
- Record audio in a note with live transcript
- Transcribe attached audio files
- Search, copy and share transcripts
- AI summary with Apple Intelligence
Questions people ask
Is Apple Notes transcription free?
Yes. It is built into Notes on iOS 18 and later and on Apple silicon Macs, with no subscription Popular Science ↗ Apple Support (Mac) ↗. Apple Intelligence summaries may have daily limits Apple Support (Mac) ↗.
How do I transcribe a voice recording in Apple Notes?
Open a note, tap the paperclip and choose Record Audio, then tap the speech bubble to see the transcript. To transcribe an existing file, choose Attach File instead Popular Science ↗.
Does Apple Notes transcription work on a Mac?
Yes, on Macs with an M1 chip or later, when the device language is one Apple supports for transcription Apple Support (Mac) ↗.
Can Apple Notes tell different speakers apart?
We found no speaker label feature in the sources we checked. If you need speakers labeled, a tool like TurboScribe or Buzz is a better fit Buzz ↗ TurboScribe pricing ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. Hands on testing is in progress.
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