Support
How do I make a voice note?
Tap the green mic button and start talking. Your words appear in the note at each pause. Tap the stop button in the bottom-right corner when you’re done. You can edit the text anytime.
How does the on-device AI work?
Transcriber includes an AI speech model (OpenAI Whisper) that runs entirely on your iPhone. Your voice is turned into text on the phone itself, so it works offline and your voice is never sent to an AI server or the cloud.
Which languages does it understand?
The on-device AI understands around 100 languages, detected automatically, and you can switch between them while you talk. If you always speak one language in a noisy place, choose it with the globe button for better accuracy.
Can I lock my phone while dictating?
Yes. The app keeps listening when you lock your iPhone or switch apps, and shows a timer and stop button on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. The on-device AI runs on your iPhone’s graphics chip, which iOS doesn’t let apps use in the background, so words spoken while the app is in the background are written into your note as soon as you open the app again. Nothing is lost.
Where are my notes stored?
Only on your iPhone, inside the app. They are never uploaded. They are included in your iPhone’s iCloud or computer backup if you use one.
The app says microphone access is off.
Open Settings › Transcriber and turn on Microphone.
I don’t see the Lock Screen controls.
Open Settings › Transcriber and turn on Live Activities.
How do I organize notes into folders?
Notes and Translate each have their own folders. Tap the folder button with the + above your notes or translations and give the folder a name. Tap a folder to see only its notes; new voice or typed notes you make while it’s open go into it. To move a note, swipe it to the right and tap Move, long-press it, or use the ••• menu inside the note. Long-press a folder to rename or delete it. When you delete a folder you can keep its notes (they go back to All notes) or delete them too.
How does live translation work?
Open the Translate tab and tap the green mic. The on-device AI writes down what it hears, in whatever language is spoken, and Apple’s on-device translation turns each sentence into the language selected under “Translate to”: English, Español or 简体中文. You can switch it anytime, even while recording. The first time, the app asks you to download English, Spanish and Chinese once from Apple; after that, translation works offline. Spanish uses words common in Mexico (carro, celular, computadora). Translate needs iOS 26 or later.
What if someone speaks a language that isn’t downloaded?
Those sentences stay in the language they were spoken in, with a notice under the language buttons. When you tap stop, the app offers to download that language from Apple and then translates those sentences in place. Apple translates about 20 languages; a language it doesn’t support (Tagalog, for example) stays as it was heard. You can also manage languages in Settings › Apps › Translate › Downloaded Languages.
How do I copy, share or delete a note?
Swipe a note to the left in the list, or open it and use the ••• menu.