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Guide · 29 September 2026

How to record a meeting on iPhone.

Your iPhone can already record a meeting and write it down, with two apps that come with it. Here's how to do it with each, what you get, and what's missing when you need to know who said what.

I make Quern, the third option here. Everything about Apple's apps is from Apple's own guide.

The short answer.

For a quick record of what you said, use Voice Memos. To keep the recording with your own notes, use Notes. For a meeting with several people where you need who said what and who is doing what next, that's what Quern is for.

1

Voice Memos

Free, built in

  1. Open Voice Memos and tap the red Record button.
  2. Put the iPhone on the table, screen up, and leave it.
  3. Tap Stop at the end. The transcript is in the recording, and you can read along as it plays.
  4. For a summary, select the transcript and choose Summary from Writing Tools.
You get
A recording and a transcript. A summary if you have Apple Intelligence.
Missing
Who said what: the transcript isn't split by speaker.

2

Notes

Free, built in

  1. Open a new note, tap the paperclip and choose Record Audio.
  2. Tap Record. You can type your own notes in the same note while it records.
  3. Tap the recording afterwards to see the transcript, and add it to the note or copy it.
  4. With Apple Intelligence, you can have the transcript summarised.
You get
A recording, a transcript and your own notes, in one place.
Missing
Who said what, and actions with the person who took each one.

3

Quern

Free for 30 days, then £19.99 once

  1. Open Quern and tap Record. Words appear as people speak.
  2. Lock the iPhone if you like; the recording carries on and shows on the Lock Screen.
  3. Tap Stop. Speaker labels arrive first, then the summary.
  4. Name each speaker once and the transcript and summary both use the names.
You get
Who said what, what was decided, and actions with owners, each with the time it came up.
Missing
An iPad or Mac version. It also needs iPhone 15 Pro or later.

Transcription in Notes and Voice Memos needs an iPhone 12 or later and one of ten languages; summaries need Apple Intelligence (Notes, Voice Memos).

Getting a recording worth having.

Whichever app you use, the transcript is only as good as what the microphone heard.

  1. Tell people first

    Say you're recording and why, before anyone starts. It's courteous, and in some places it's the law.

  2. Put it in the middle

    Flat on the table, screen up, closest to the quietest voice. A phone in a pocket or bag hears very little.

  3. Keep the noise down

    Laptop fans, a coffee machine and paper shuffled near the phone all end up in the transcript as gaps.

  4. Check before you send

    Transcripts get names wrong and summaries can be wrong. Listen to anything you're going to quote or act on.

Questions

Anything else: support, or [email protected]

Can I record a Zoom or Teams meeting on my iPhone?

Not from inside the call with these apps. Zoom and Teams have their own recording, which the host usually controls. A phone or FaceTime call can be recorded in the Phone or FaceTime app itself, and its transcript appears in Notes. Otherwise, put the call on speaker and record the room.

Is it legal to record a meeting?

Laws differ from country to country, and some places need everyone's agreement. Workplaces often have their own policy too. The rule that works everywhere is to tell people before you start.

Which iPhones can transcribe?

Notes and Voice Memos transcribe on iPhone 12 or later, in ten languages. Summaries need Apple Intelligence, so an iPhone 15 Pro or later. Quern needs an iPhone 15 Pro or later for everything.

How do I turn a recording into meeting minutes?

Start from the summary: what was decided, what's still open and the actions. Check each point against the recording before you send it, because summaries can be wrong. Quern shows the time beside each point so you can listen, and it shares the summary as a PDF.

Where should the iPhone go?

In the middle of the table, screen up, away from fans, the coffee machine and anyone tapping a pen. In a long room, put it nearer the person who speaks most quietly.

Free for 30 days.
Then £19.99, once.

Out 19 October on the App Store

How that compares with cloud notetakers

First 30 days
Free, everything works
Then
£19.99, once
Subscription
None
Family Sharing
Included
If you don't unlock it
Your recordings stay yours to play, read and export