Guide · 2 October 2026
Voice Memos already turns a recording into text. Here's how to get the transcript out of it, what it leaves out when more than one person is talking, and how to bring a memo, or any audio file, into Quern.
I make Quern, the second option here. Everything about Voice Memos is from Apple's own guides: viewing a transcription and sharing a recording.
For a memo of just you talking, Voice Memos' own transcript is often all you need. For a meeting, an interview or a lecture, where it matters who said what, bring it into Quern.
1
2
Transcription in Voice Memos needs an iPhone 12 or later and one of ten languages; summaries need Apple Intelligence, on an iPhone 15 Pro or later (Apple's guide).
Anything you import gets the same transcript, speaker labels, summary and search as a recording made in Quern.
In Voice Memos, tap the recording, the More button (…), then Share, and choose Quern. If you're offered Options, Rendered gives one ordinary audio file (Apple).
Choose Save to Files instead of Quern, then tap Import in Quern's recordings list and pick the file.
Import takes audio or video files, and you can choose several together. Each becomes its own recording.
Audio or video from WhatsApp, Files or Mail can be shared to Quern the same way.
A voice memo of a meeting comes out of Voice Memos as one long run of text. Quern splits it by speaker and summarises it: what was decided, what's still open, and who's doing what next. Every point has the time it was said, so you can tap it and listen.
Apple's on-device speech recognition and Apple Intelligence, on the iPhone. No account.
Search finds titles and any word said, in every recording.
Export Markdown with the audio, SRT or VTT subtitles with speaker names, or a PDF.
Words appear as people speak. How to record a meeting on iPhone
Other apps that transcribe on the iPhone: offline transcription apps, compared. Recording calls on a Mac: Quern for Mac, coming soon.
Anything else: support, or [email protected]
Yes. Apple says Voice Memos transcribes a recording made in an older version of the app when you open it, if it has speech in it (Apple's guide). Quern can transcribe any voice memo you share to it, however old.
Save them to Files, then tap Import in Quern's recordings list and choose them together. Each becomes its own recording, with its own transcript and summary.
The same way: share the voice note from WhatsApp and choose Quern. Files and Mail attachments work too, and so does video.
Not by Quern. It transcribes, labels and summarises on the iPhone, with no account and no server of ours, so we couldn't read your recordings if we wanted to.
For the first 30 days, yes: everything in Quern works. After that, importing and recording need the one-time unlock, £19.99. Anything you've already transcribed stays yours to read, play and export.
Voice Memos transcribes in ten languages on iPhone 12 or later. Quern uses your iPhone's language, or another you choose, wherever Apple's on-device speech recognition supports it.
