WhatsApp voice message transcripts: how to read voice notes as text
Updated
WhatsApp can transcribe the voice messages you receive by itself, with no other app. Turn on Voice Message Transcripts in the settings on iPhone or Android, then tap and hold a voice message and tap Transcribe.
What transcripts do
A transcript is the written version of a voice message: you read it instead of listening. According to the WhatsApp Help Center:
- transcripts are off until you turn them on, on your own phone;
- the person who receives the voice message sees the transcript, the sender doesn't;
- transcripts are generated on your device: voice messages stay end-to-end encrypted and not even WhatsApp can listen to them or see the transcripts;
- they can be inaccurate, and may take a moment to appear.
Turn them on on iPhone
You need iOS 16 or newer with Siri turned on. If Siri isn't on, you'll need to download the language when you turn transcripts on.
- Tap WhatsApp Settings (or your profile picture).
- Tap Chats and turn on Voice Message Transcripts.
- Tap Choose language, pick the language of most voice messages you receive, then tap Change to that language.
- In a chat, tap and hold a voice message and tap Transcribe. Tap the icon in the voice message to expand the transcript.
Turn them on on Android
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats.
- Turn on Voice Message Transcripts.
- Tap Choose language, then Set up now or Wait for Wi-Fi.
- In a chat, tap and hold a voice message, then tap the menu icon, then Transcribe.
To change the language later: Settings > Chats > Transcript language. Turning transcripts off resets the language.
Which languages work
- Android: English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian.
- iPhone with iOS 16: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.
- iPhone with iOS 17 or newer: the same, plus Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Hebrew, Malay, Norwegian, Swedish and Thai.
- WhatsApp Web, Windows and Mac: the Help Center says transcripts are only available on some devices and may not be available to you yet.
Source: WhatsApp Help Center, "How to turn voice message transcripts on or off", read on November 10, 2026. If you can't find the setting, WhatsApp recommends keeping the app updated.
Can the sender see the transcript?
No. The transcript only shows on the phone of the person who received the voice message and turned transcripts on.
Do transcripts send my voice messages to WhatsApp?
No. According to WhatsApp, transcripts are made on your phone and voice messages stay end-to-end encrypted.
Why don't I see Transcribe?
Check that Voice Message Transcripts is on in Settings > Chats, that you finished choosing the language and, on iPhone, that you have iOS 16 or newer with Siri on (without Siri, the language must be downloaded). On a computer, the feature may not be available yet.
Want to keep the chat with its voice messages? Save it as a PDF
To keep a conversation, export it from WhatsApp with media: you get a .zip file with the messages, the photos and each voice message as an .opus file. Open the .zip in Amberword: your browser lays out messages and photos in pages with bubbles, dates and names, and each voice message shows as a box with its file name, so you know where it was in the conversation. Amberword doesn't transcribe voice messages. The preview is free and the file is never uploaded: it's read on your device. See the export guide for the steps.