WhatsApp voice message transcription not working? How to fix it
Short answer
If WhatsApp's Transcribe option is missing or fails, update WhatsApp, turn on Settings → Chats → Voice message transcripts, and choose the language actually spoken in the notes. On iPhone, "Hey Siri" must be on; on Android, the language pack must download. Then press and hold a note and tap Transcribe.
WhatsApp can turn a voice message into text right inside the chat, but plenty of people open the menu and find no Transcribe option, or get "Transcript unavailable" instead of text. Almost every time, the cause is one of a handful of settings: the feature is off, the language doesn't match, Siri is off on iPhone, or the app needs an update.
Below are the fixes in the order worth trying them, the differences between iPhone and Android, and what to do when WhatsApp's transcript isn't the right tool, like a 15-minute note.
Get WhatsApp transcripts working in 3 steps
- 1
Update WhatsApp and your phone
Install the latest version of WhatsApp and any pending system update. The feature rolled out gradually starting in November 2024, and older versions simply don't show it.
- 2
Turn transcripts on and pick the language
Go to Settings → Chats → Voice message transcripts, switch it on and choose the transcript language. Pick the language people actually speak in your voice notes, not necessarily your phone's language.
- 3
Transcribe a note
In a chat, press and hold a voice message and tap Transcribe. The text appears under the audio. Transcripts aren't created automatically for every message; you request them one at a time.
Why the Transcribe option doesn't appear
- The setting is off. It's off by default; turn it on in Settings → Chats → Voice message transcripts.
- WhatsApp is out of date, or the rollout hasn't reached your account yet. Update and check again in a few days.
- On iPhone, Siri is off. WhatsApp's help center says "Hey Siri" must be turned on for voice message transcripts to display.
- On Android, the language pack hasn't downloaded. Transcripts run on your phone using a language pack WhatsApp downloads the first time you turn the feature on, so you need a connection and some free storage.
- Your language isn't supported on your phone yet (see the table below).
iPhone vs. Android: which languages work
Transcripts are created on your phone, so the available languages depend on the phone's own speech recognition. English and Spanish work on both.
| Phone | Languages (as of launch, late 2024) |
|---|---|
| iPhone, iOS 16 or later | English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, Arabic |
| iPhone, iOS 17 or later | Also Danish, Finnish, Malay, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew, Thai |
| Android | Fewer languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian at launch, with more being added |
Why you get "Transcript unavailable" or gibberish
- The note is in a different language from the one you picked. A Spanish note read with English selected comes out as nonsense. Change the language in Settings and try again.
- The note mixes two languages. Only the selected language comes through; Dolcenota, below, detects English and Spanish automatically, though accuracy can vary in the switched passages.
- The audio is noisy, very quiet or full of crosstalk, so speech recognition can't make out enough words.
When WhatsApp's transcript isn't enough
WhatsApp's transcripts are free and private, and for a short note they're often all you need. They're limited by design: one note at a time, inside the chat, with no summary and no way to export the text as a document.
For long notes, a thread of notes you want as one text, or a note mixing English and Spanish, export the audio and transcribe it instead. Save the voice note out of WhatsApp (on iPhone: Forward, then the share icon, then Save to Files; on Android: the share icon), open Dolcenota in your phone's or computer's browser and upload it. Nothing to install, and the .opus files WhatsApp uses work as is.
You get the text with speakers separated and a timestamp on every line, a short summary, and the option to ask questions about what was said. Several notes can be combined into one transcript: up to 3 on the free plan and 20 on paid plans.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the voice message transcripts setting?
In WhatsApp, go to Settings → Chats → Voice message transcripts. It's the same path on iPhone and Android.
Can I save or export the transcript?
Not as a document: the transcript stays in the chat, under the voice message. If you need the text in a file, transcribe the exported audio with a tool that exports it, such as Dolcenota (TXT, PDF or Word).
Can the sender see my transcript?
No. According to WhatsApp, transcripts are created on your device and the sender can't see them.
Is it free?
WhatsApp's transcripts are free. Dolcenota's free plan includes 60 minutes a month with every feature, no card needed.
Transcribe the notes WhatsApp can't
Upload long or mixed-language voice notes from your browser and get the text, a summary and answers to your questions. Free to start.
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