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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Apple Intelligence can transcribe your voice memos totally free.
- The transcriptions are straightforward to entry and pretty correct.
- The Otter.ai various is $17 per thirty days.
While you hear of AI options on smartphones, you usually consider the flashiest, agentic AI options that would perform duties for you with out you having to elevate a finger. Nonetheless, I’m a agency believer that the litmus take a look at as as to whether an AI function is value it needs to be whether or not it’s returning actual worth to your life, whether or not that be time or cash, and in the very best case, each. This transcription function in Voice Memos does simply that.
As a reporter, my job includes recording interviews. These interviews require transcribing to not solely make it simpler to drag quotes but additionally to parse via prolonged interviews. Ever since undergrad, I’ve relied on providers similar to Otter.ai, which additionally got here in helpful for different makes use of, similar to transcribing conferences, lectures, and conferences.
That mentioned, the Apple Intelligence Voice Memo transcription function solved a serious difficulty I had with the transcription service, and I’m doubtless by no means going again — and this is why you should not both in case you are an Apple consumer who values a bang to your buck.
Otter.ai jail
Earlier than I clarify what makes the Apple intelligence function so good, I want to elucidate the largest difficulty with its extra common competitor, Otter.ai. The transcription service used AI to offer high-quality transcriptions lengthy earlier than the expertise exploded in recognition.
Whereas Otter.ai has a free subscription tier, it solely permits three lifetime audio/video file imports and 300 month-to-month minutes, that are straightforward to fly via in the event you’re utilizing it frequently, as one assembly, interview, or lecture alone will be 60 minutes lengthy.
Nonetheless, I used to be prepared to take care of that, as more often than not, I simply logged on from completely different emails every time I hit a restrict, and the transcriptions have been largely correct, with a handy and straightforward interface.
Being despatched to Otter.ai jail was my final straw.
Basically, in case you are on a free plan, Otter.ai solely allows you to view your 25 most up-to-date conversations. Any older conversations over 25 are archived and inaccessible. That is particularly problematic if, like me, you require entry to your recordings months later, both for sophistication, learning, or an article.
The worst half is that you could’t export the audio, even in the event you recorded it within the app. The one strategy to entry it’s to improve to Otter Professional for $17 per thirty days. As soon as that occurred, I knew I needed to discover an alternate: Apple’s Voice Memo.
Apple Voice Memo Transcriptions (and the way to entry)
Since my day by day driver is an iPhone 16 Professional, I already file most of my voice memos on the app. From protecting Apple Intelligence extensively, I knew there was a transcription choice, so I made a decision to provide it a strive.
After months of utilizing it, I’ve discovered the transcriptions to be correct. Most significantly, not solely is it free to entry, however this can be very straightforward to take action natively with out having to export information. All you want is iOS 18.0 or afterward an iPhone 12 or later, which makes it one in every of Apple’s extra accessible options. The broader suite of Apple’s AI options is out there solely to telephones with the A17 Professional chip or greater, which incorporates the iPhone 15 Professional or later.
Then, to entry the transcripts, click on on the icon that appears like a citation mark inside a thought bubble whereas recording to see a dwell transcript. Or, you possibly can see the textual content after the actual fact. Like with Otter.ai, in the event you click on on the textual content, it’s going to play the corresponding audio, which I usually do to confirm the accuracy of the transcription or seize some phrases it could have missed.
Whereas it lacks some instruments that Otter.ai has, similar to the power to focus on or add feedback, you possibly can choose content material and duplicate it to a different app or doc, and it’s also possible to select to repeat the whole transcript and import it elsewhere. I’ve finished this earlier than and imported it right into a Google Doc in order that I can extra simply spotlight or make notes. The most effective half is realizing that my audio messages will not be going to be locked behind a paywall at any time.
If you need step-by-step directions on the way to provoke a recording within the Voice Memos app or the way to entry the transcripts, you possibly can comply with Apple’s step-by-step information. However as talked about above, the method is fairly intuitive.
My favourite a part of this function? A reminder that AI options will be easy to be good.
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