How to transcribe audio to text on iPhone

Updated July 2026 · 3 min read

Not just WhatsApp voice notes: the meeting recording you need to review, the lecture to study from, the voice memo recorded in the car, the interview to write up. On iPhone you can turn any audio file into text — offline if you want, and without paying per-minute transcription fees.

Transcribe an audio file in 4 steps

  1. Open Matt on your iPhone;
  2. Tap Import file and pick the audio or video (from Files, voice memos or other apps);
  3. Matt transcribes it, detecting language and speakers automatically (or on-device, even offline, in on-device mode);
  4. Read, copy, save — or tap Summary for the key points.

Alternatively, share the audio with Matt straight from any app's Share menu, exactly like a WhatsApp voice note.

AI summary of a long audio recording transcribed to text on iPhone

Typical use cases

🔒 Privacy: you choose the engine. With on-device transcription (Pro), unlike online services, your audio is never uploaded to any server: ideal for confidential work content. With AI transcription (Premium) the audio is processed in the cloud over an encrypted connection, with your consent, and is never stored.
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Stop typing out recordings

Download Matt and transcribe your first audio file. ★ 4.9 on the App Store.

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Frequently asked questions

Which formats can I import?

The most common audio formats (recordings, memos, audio exported from other apps) and video files too, from which Matt extracts the audio, plus .txt and .pdf documents for summary or translation.

How long can the audio be?

Matt is built for long audio like meetings and lectures: it recognizes who is speaking and the AI summary condenses it all into key points.