Voice recorder with transcription: the best options

At a glance

On your phone

iPhone: Voice Memos

Since iOS 18, Voice Memos transcribes recordings on iPhone 12 and later. It supports English and several other languages, though not in every country or region.

1. Open Voice Memos and tap the red record button.
2. To watch the words appear, swipe up on the waveform and tap the Transcription button.
3. When you're done, open the recording, tap More (the three dots), and choose View Transcript or Copy Transcript.

You can search your recordings by what was said, which is handy. What you won't get is speaker labels or an easy export. For more, see our guide to transcribing voice memos. The Notes app can also record and transcribe audio inside a note, on the same iPhones.

Google Pixel: Recorder

Google's Recorder app transcribes as you record, lets you search inside recordings, and on recent Pixels can label different speakers (English only for that part). Live transcription languages depend on your Pixel model. It's one of the best phone recorders around, and it's only on Pixel phones.

Samsung Galaxy: Voice Recorder

On Galaxy phones with Galaxy AI, Voice Recorder can turn a finished recording into a transcript with speakers separated, and offer a summary. Turn it on under Settings, Galaxy AI. Which phones get it varies by model, region and software version.

Other Android phones

Many Android phones ship a basic recorder without transcription. In that case, record with it and transcribe the file later on a computer, or install a transcription app from the Play Store.

When a phone recorder isn't enough

Phones are great for a quick memo or an in-person chat. They struggle with:

• Calls and video meetings on your computer. A phone next to your laptop hears your voice clearly and the other people faintly.
• Long recordings. Scrolling and editing an hour-long transcript on a small screen is painful.
• Knowing who said what across many recordings with the same people.
• Getting the text out into documents, notes or other tools.

On your computer

Built-in tools

Windows Sound Recorder records audio but doesn't transcribe it. Windows voice typing (Win + H) types what you say into a text box, which is dictation, not recording. On a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later, Voice Memos transcribes recordings just like on iPhone, without speaker labels. Word's Transcribe can also record or upload audio if you have Microsoft 365.

Hark: a recorder built for conversations

Hark is a free desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux that records, transcribes and keeps track of who's talking. Here's what it does:

• Records both sides of a call. On Windows and Linux, Hark records your microphone and your computer's audio (the other people on Zoom, Teams, Meet or any other app) as separate tracks. No bot joins the meeting. On a Mac it records the microphone only, so it's best there for in-person conversations, or calls played through speakers.
• Transcribes live, so you can follow along while you record, then makes a more accurate full transcript when you stop.
• Runs on your computer. Speech recognition is local; your audio isn't uploaded. English only.
• Names the voices. Hark works out who spoke. Name each voice once and it recognizes them in future recordings.
• Imports old recordings too: drag in voice memos, mp3s, wav files or videos.
• Has no limits on recording or transcription time.

How to record and transcribe with Hark

1. Download Hark from the store and sign in with a free account (an emailed code; no card needed).
2. On the Record page, check your microphone, and on Windows or Linux, your computer audio.
3. Press record. The first time, Hark downloads its speech models (about 730 MB); after that it works offline.
4. Watch the live transcript as people talk. You can type your own notes alongside it, and mute the mic or computer audio when you need to.
5. Press stop. Hark makes the final transcript and splits it by speaker.
6. Play a short clip of each voice and give it a name. Next time, Hark suggests that name for you to confirm.

With a subscription ($12/month as of October 2026), Claude can also write meeting notes from the transcript. That sends the transcript text to Claude; the free app sends nothing anywhere.

Tips for clearer recordings and better transcripts

• Get close. The mic should be nearer to the speakers than to the air conditioner.
• Use headphones on calls. It stops the other side's audio echoing back into your mic.
• Take turns. Overlapping speech is the number one cause of garbled lines and wrong speaker labels.
• Do a 10-second test before anything important and play it back.
• Proofread names and numbers before you share a transcript.

Recording laws vary by place, and some require everyone in the conversation to agree. Tell people you're recording and get their consent.

Which should you choose?

For quick voice notes, use your phone's built-in recorder: it's free, it's already there, and the transcripts are good. For meetings, calls, lectures and interviews on your computer, especially if you want to know who said what, a desktop recorder like Hark is the better tool. Related reading: how to record computer audio, recording lectures and transcribing an audio recording to text.