Starting with iOS and iPadOS 18, Notes can record audio and provide transcription.
The Notes app in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 lets you easily add audio recordings to your notes and handwrite them if you want. Here’s how to do it:
Adding audio recordings to notes you take in the Notes app has long been possible, but it was a bit more cumbersome in older iOS versions. Users open the Voice Memos app, record audio, and then attach that recording to a new note in the Notes app.
Starting with iOS 18, the feature is available directly in Notes, but it’s still somewhat hidden until you know how to find it. The biggest change compared to the previous Voice Memos app is that Notes can now also provide a written transcript of what you said if you have an iPhone 12 or later.
It’s important to note that the audio transcription feature is only available in various English versions. This includes the US and UK versions along with Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa.
This new feature will be a godsend for students, board members, employees, and secretaries of any organization.
Being able to quickly and easily refer to written documentation of what was said in a meeting or classroom helps users retain information better. It also allows you to summarize key points and separate action items from other information.
It’s also useful to have the original audio to review. Like an audiobook, re-listening to a speech or lecture can add the speaker’s tone, passion, and context to the words, making them come alive in a way that a direct transcript cannot.
Although it’s not always 100% accurate, the script feature can make your notes more valuable to you and easier to share with others. On devices capable of running Apple Intelligence, the Summary feature allows users to generate their own summaries if they wish.
Recording from within the Notes app
When you first open a new note in Notes, you’ll see a plus button in the bottom-right corner of the note, just above the onscreen keyboard. When you tap it, you’ll see a set of tools you can use on your notes.
This includes font controls, bulleted lists, table tools, attachment buttons, drawing tools, and Apple Intelligence buttons (if available).
- Tap the Attach button.
- A menu of options will appear, including “Audio Recording.”
- Tapping this will bring up the “New Recording” screen, just like in the Voice Memos app. Voice Memos is still available as a separate app.
- To start recording, press the red button at the bottom of the screen and make sure your iPhone microphone records your voice.
Three iPhone screens display audio editing, including waveforms, playback controls, and scripts. The final screen displays your saved notes along with the audio text.
You can pause the recording to collect your thoughts and then resume, or record the entire meeting, lecture, or panel yourself.
- To stop recording, press the record button again.
- To the left of the record button is a “speech bubble” button with quotation marks on it.
- Tapping that button will give you a live transcript of the audio.
Add and view scripts, etc.
You can also wait for the recording to complete and click the Done button to the right of the Record button to generate the script. The entire content will then appear in a new window with the first two lines of content along with a grayed-out audio block and a “Play” button.
To add a recording to a note:
- Find the ‘3 dots’ icon in the top right corner and tap it.
- Tap ‘Add Script to Note’.
- You can then edit the record to correct any errors.
The same menu also has another option to copy the script. This allows you to paste directly into other programs, such as word processing apps, blog posts, or other options.
All iPad models that support iPadOS 18 or later can also record audio and convert it to text. Audio transcription in the Notes app is also available on any Mac with an M1 processor or later and running macOS Sequoia or later.
If available on your Mac, you can use Apple Intelligence tools to summarize, proofread, or even rewrite parts of your conversation in a different style.
Apple Intelligence lets you summarize transcripts directly in Notes.
Apple Intelligence is currently available on the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, or iPhone 16 models. You can also use it with the A17 Pro running iOS 18 or later, or an iPad with an M1 chip or later, and a Mac running macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later with an M1 chip or later.
