How to Turn a WhatsApp Voice Message or Audio Recording Into Text

By Thiago · Updated September 25, 2026 · 3 min read

Sometimes you can't listen to a voice message: you are in a meeting, on the bus without headphones, or you simply want to find what someone said last week. Turning the audio into text solves all of that, and it takes about as long as the recording itself.

Step 1: save the voice message as a file

WhatsApp keeps voice messages inside the app, so the first step is getting the audio out as a file. WhatsApp saves them in the OPUS or OGG format, which our tool accepts directly.

On Android

1. In the chat, press and hold the voice message until it is selected.
2. Tap the share icon at the top (on some phones it is inside the ⋮ menu).
3. Choose where to send it: save it to Files, Google Drive, or email it to yourself.

On iPhone

1. Press and hold the voice message and tap Forward.
2. Tap the share icon in the bottom-right corner.
3. Choose Save to Files, then pick a folder.

On a computer (WhatsApp Web or Desktop)

1. Hover over the voice message and click the small arrow that appears.
2. Click Download. The file goes to your Downloads folder.

Voice memos from the iPhone Voice Memos app are M4A files, and most recorders save MP3 or WAV. All of them work too.

Step 2: turn the audio into text

1. Open Video to text. Despite the name, it accepts audio files as well.
2. Add the file and choose the language that is spoken in it. You can leave it on automatic, but choosing the language gives better results with short messages.
3. Click "Transcribe". It takes roughly as long as the audio: a one-minute message is ready in about a minute.
4. Read the text, fix any word you need right on the page, then copy it or download it as a TXT file.

The limit is 5 minutes and 100MB per file, which covers almost every voice message. For a longer recording, cut it into parts and transcribe them one after the other.

Doesn't WhatsApp do this already?

WhatsApp added its own transcripts for voice messages, but they are only available in some languages and on some phones, and you have to turn them on in the settings first. When they work for you, they are the quickest option. A separate tool is useful when:

• the option doesn't appear on your phone or for the language of the message;
• you want the text as a file to keep, search or paste into a document;
• the audio did not come from WhatsApp: a voice memo, an interview, a class, a phone recording.

Tips for a more accurate transcript

• Choose the language when you know it. Automatic detection can guess wrong on a message of just a few seconds.
• Background noise (traffic, music, other people talking) is the main cause of mistakes. Clear speech close to the microphone gives almost perfect text.
• Names, brands and slang are the words most often written wrong. Read the text once and correct them before you share it.
• Want the text on a video instead? The auto subtitle generator uses the same speech recognition and puts the words on the video.

Common questions

The file I saved has no extension or won't open

Some phones save voice messages with a long numeric name. If the file ends in .opus or .ogg it will work. If you need a common format for another app, convert it with the MP3 converter first.

Can I transcribe a message in another language and read it in mine?

The tool writes the text in the language that was spoken. You can then paste it into a translator.