How to Transcribe WhatsApp Voice Notes to Text on Android, iPhone and PC (3 Ways)

Option 1: WhatsApp's built-in voice message transcripts

WhatsApp can transcribe voice messages on your own device. You switch it on once, then a small option appears under voice notes to show the text. The audio is processed on the phone, so the message stays private.

This is the quickest option for everyday chats, but it has real limits. It only works inside WhatsApp, in that one chat. There is no export, no timestamps, and no speaker labels. Support depends on your phone, your app version, and the language of the message — some languages are not covered, and you may need to download a language pack. Long or noisy recordings often come out rough or refuse to transcribe at all.

• Best for: short messages you just want to read instead of listen to
• Not good for: archiving, sharing, translating, or long recordings
• Cost: free, built into the app

Option 2: Export the voice note and transcribe the audio file

Every WhatsApp voice note is an audio file, usually in OPUS or OGG format. Once you have that file, you can transcribe it with a proper transcription tool and get a text document you can keep.

This is the route to choose when the recording matters: a client brief, an interview, a doctor's instructions, a long message from a family member in another language. You get the full text, and you can search it, translate it, or send it to someone else.

Option 3: Doing it on a desktop with WhatsApp Web

If you spend your day at a computer, WhatsApp Web is often the easiest path. Open web.whatsapp.com, link it to your phone by scanning the QR code, and open the chat that contains the voice note.

Hover over the voice message and use the menu on the message to download it. The file lands in your Downloads folder as an OPUS, OGG or MP3 file. From there you upload it to a transcription tool in the browser — no cables, no file transfers between devices.

One limit worth knowing: WhatsApp Web needs your phone to be online in most setups, or a linked-device session that is still active. If the link expires, scan the QR code again.

Using JustTranscribe for the transcript

JustTranscribe is a web app at justtranscribe.ai. You open it in a browser, drop in the voice note, and get the text back in minutes. It accepts OGG and OPUS files directly, which is exactly what WhatsApp produces, plus MP3, M4A, WAV, MP4 and MOV up to 500 MB.

The first transcript is free and does not require an account, so you can test it with one voice note before deciding anything. That free transcript accepts audio up to 40 minutes. If you register, files up to 150 minutes are supported — useful for those long voice notes people record while driving.

The language is detected automatically, so a Spanish, English or other-language message does not need any setting. The transcript comes with word-level timestamps and clickable segments, so you can tap a line and hear that exact moment again. You can also ask for speaker labels when two people are talking on one recording.

Beyond plain text, there is AI analysis: a summary, the main idea, key moments, and a quote with its timestamp. You can ask the recording questions and get answers pointing to the time they were said. That helps when a voice note is fifteen minutes long and you only need the part about the delivery date.

When you are done, export as TXT, SRT, VTT, CSV, Markdown, PDF or DOCX, or share a link. The transcript can also be translated into any of 111 languages, which is the simplest way to read a voice note recorded in a language you do not speak. The service is in free beta.

Two things it does not do: it cannot open private or login-only content from a link, and it does not do live transcription while someone is recording. For WhatsApp that is not a problem, because you are uploading the file yourself.

• Accepts WhatsApp OGG/OPUS voice notes plus MP3, M4A, WAV, MP4, MOV
• First transcript free, no account, up to 40 minutes
• Registered: up to 150 minutes per file
• Timestamps, automatic language detection, optional speaker labels
• Summary, key moments, and question answering with timestamps
• Exports: TXT, SRT, VTT, CSV, Markdown, PDF, DOCX, share link

Which method should you use?

Use WhatsApp's own transcripts for quick, short, single-language messages you will never need again. It is one tap and nothing leaves your phone.

Export the file and use a transcription tool when the content has value: work instructions, agreements, interviews, medical or legal details, or anything in a language you need translated. You get a searchable document with timestamps instead of text that lives in one chat bubble.

Use WhatsApp Web when the voice note is long and you want to work on a big screen — copy quotes into a document, or share the finished transcript with a colleague.

Practical tips for better results

Transcription quality depends mostly on the recording, not the tool. Voice notes recorded in the street, in a car with the window open, or with a hand over the microphone are hard for any system.

A few habits make a clear difference, both for your own recordings and when you ask someone to resend one.

• Ask the sender to re-record in a quiet room if the audio is unusable
• Do not convert the file first; upload the original OGG or OPUS
• Keep the file name simple, without special characters
• For messages with two voices on one recording, request speaker labels
• If names or technical terms matter, fix them after export in your text editor

Step by step

1. 1

   Try WhatsApp's built-in transcript first

   Open WhatsApp and go to Settings, then Chats, then Voice message transcripts. Turn the switch on and choose your language; the phone may download a small language pack. Go back to the chat, tap and hold the voice note (on iPhone, tap the arrow next to it), and choose Transcribe. The text appears under the message. If the option is missing or the language is not listed, use the steps below.

2. 2

   Save or forward the voice note on Android

   Open the chat and tap and hold the voice message until it is selected. Tap the share icon to send the file to Google Drive, email, or your file manager. Alternatively, open your file manager and look in Internal storage, then Android, then media, then com.whatsapp, then WhatsApp, then Media, then WhatsApp Voice Notes. The file ends in .opus.

3. 3

   Save the voice note on iPhone

   Open the chat and tap and hold the voice message. Choose Forward, then the share arrow, then Save to Files. Pick a folder such as On My iPhone or iCloud Drive and tap Save. You can also choose Mail or another app to send the file to yourself.

4. 4

   Get the file on a desktop with WhatsApp Web

   On your computer, open web.whatsapp.com and scan the QR code with WhatsApp on your phone (Settings, then Linked devices, then Link a device). Open the chat, move the mouse over the voice message, click the menu on the message, and choose Download. The audio file goes to your Downloads folder.

5. 5

   Upload the file to JustTranscribe

   Open justtranscribe.ai in your browser and drag the voice note into the upload area, or click to select it. No account is needed for the first transcript, and files up to 40 minutes are accepted without signing up. The language is detected automatically, so there is nothing to configure.

6. 6

   Wait for processing and read the transcript

   Processing takes minutes. When it finishes, the transcript appears with word-level timestamps. Click any segment to jump to that point in the audio and check a word you are unsure about. Use the search box to find a name or a number inside a long message.

7. 7

   Translate, summarise, or ask questions if needed

   Open the analysis panel for a summary, the main idea, and key moments. Type a question about the recording and you get an answer with the timestamp where it was said. To read the message in another language, choose translation and pick from 111 languages.

8. 8

   Export or share the result

   Choose an export format: TXT or DOCX for documents, PDF for sending on, SRT or VTT for subtitles, CSV or Markdown for further processing. Or copy the share link and send the transcript to someone else instead of forwarding the audio.

Frequently asked questions