How to view a Voice Memos transcription on iPad

In iPadOS 18 or later, speech in your audio recordings can be transcribed to text in Voice Memos. You can view the transcription while you’re recording or after.

If you open a recording made in an earlier version of Voice Memos (iPadOS 17 or earlier), Voice Memos will transcribe it automatically if it includes recorded speech. You can also copy transcribed text after recording, and search for text in titles and transcriptions.

Note: Audio transcription is available on supported models in English (all variants), Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. It’s not available in all countries or regions.

View a transcription while recording

1. Go to the Voice Memos app on your iPad.
2. Tap the Record button to begin recording.
3. Tap the Transcription button to watch the transcription live.

   The waveform disappears temporarily, and the transcription appears, with the current word highlighted. To return to the waveform view, tap the Selected Transcription button.

4. Tap the Pause button to stop recording; tap Resume to continue.
5. To save the recording, tap the Done button.

View or copy transcribed text after recording

1. Open the Voice Memos app on your iPad.
2. Tap the recording with the transcript you want to view and tap the Edit Recording button.
3. Tap the Transcription button to view the transcription.
4. Select the text you want to copy, then tap Copy.

   You can open another document—a Mail message or text file, for example—and paste the text into it.

With Apple Intelligence, you can use Writing Tools to summarize transcripts with a tap, proofread your work, and find just the right wording and tone. See Use Writing Tools with Apple Intelligence.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

Search for text in titles and transcriptions

1. Open the Voice Memos app (in the Utilities folder) on your iPad.
2. Tap the Search button in the top right of the screen.
3. In the search field, enter the text you want to find.

   The list shows only recordings with that text—either in the title or in the audio transcription.

When you select a term in the transcription, the playhead appears at that location in the audio waveform. To return to the waveform, tap the Selected Transcription button.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

• Play a recording in Voice Memos on iPad