WhatsApp audio to text
Turn a voice note into text you can read, copy and share. Works on any phone, no sign-up.
Audio goes to our transcription provider and is not stored by RecordMeeting.
A long voice note is easy to send and hard to deal with: you cannot skim it, search it or copy the address someone mentioned. This tool transcribes the audio with the same speech recognition RecordMeeting uses for meetings, detects the language automatically and gives you text you can copy or share. It works when WhatsApp's own transcripts do not support your language or phone.
How it works
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Save the voice note from WhatsApp
On iPhone, long-press the voice note, tap Forward, then Share and Save to Files. On Android, long-press it, tap Share and save it to Files or Drive. On WhatsApp Web, open the message menu and choose Download.
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Choose the voice note here
Tap Choose a voice note and pick the file, or drop it on the page on a computer. Transcription starts right away.
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Copy or share the text
The transcript appears in seconds with the detected language. Copy it, share it or download it as a .txt file.
Doesn't WhatsApp already transcribe voice messages?
WhatsApp added voice message transcripts in late 2024, but they run on the phone, support a limited set of languages that differs between iPhone and Android, need the feature switched on, and keep the text inside the chat. This tool works with any language our speech recognition supports, on any device, and gives you text you can copy anywhere.
Which files work
WhatsApp saves voice notes as Opus audio with the .opus or .ogg extension. Forwarded recordings can also be .m4a, .aac or .mp3. All of them work without converting. A chat export is a .zip file: unzip it first and choose the audio file inside.
Free limits
Each network can transcribe three voice notes per day, each up to 15 MB and 10 minutes long. If a file cannot be read, the try is not counted. For longer recordings and whole meetings, a RecordMeeting account includes transcription for every recording.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about RecordMeeting.
- How do I turn a WhatsApp voice message into text?
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Save the voice note as a file, choose it above, and the transcript appears in seconds. Copy or share the text.
- Why does WhatsApp say Transcript unavailable?
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WhatsApp's own transcripts need a supported language set on the phone, clear audio and the feature switched on.
When it fails, save the voice note and transcribe it here instead.
- How do I save a voice note as a file on iPhone?
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Long-press the voice note, tap Forward, tap the share icon and choose Save to Files. Then choose that file on this page.
- How do I save a voice note on Android or a computer?
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On Android, long-press the voice note, tap Share and save it to Files or Drive. On WhatsApp Web or Desktop, open the message menu and choose Download.
- What is an .opus file?
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Opus is the audio format WhatsApp uses for voice notes. Some computers cannot play it, but this tool reads it directly.
- Which languages are supported?
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Dozens of languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
The language is detected automatically, and you can set it yourself for short or mixed-language notes.
- Is my voice message stored?
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RecordMeeting does not store the audio or the transcript.
The file goes to our speech recognition provider for processing and the text comes back to your browser.
- Why is there a limit of three per day?
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Speech recognition costs money for every minute of audio. The daily limit keeps the tool free without an account.
More free tools
Other utilities for subtitle and transcript files.
Related resources
Explore more guides and features across RecordMeeting.
- Record WhatsApp calls Record and transcribe WhatsApp calls from your browser
- How to record a WhatsApp call Step-by-step guide for iPhone, Android and desktop
- AI transcription for meetings Speaker names, timestamps and summaries
From the blog
- How to Record a WhatsApp Call (iPhone, Android, and Desktop) Need to record a WhatsApp call? WhatsApp has no built-in recorder. This guide covers practical options for iPhone, Android, and desktop, plus consent basics and a cleaner browser-based workflow.
- 8 Best Free Voice Recording Transcription Software Tools (2026) Compare the best free voice recording transcription software options in 2026, from Google Docs Voice Typing to Otter and Whisper-based apps, plus their real limits.
Get transcripts without the manual work
RecordMeeting records your calls from the browser and delivers the transcript, subtitles and summary when the meeting ends. Free to get started.