# Whisper Notes - Speech to Text — Offline Transcription & Memos

> Offline speech-to-text transcription and memo recording app. (iPhone/iPad app by SmashMelon LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whisper-notes-speech-to-text/id6447090616 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [SmashMelon LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895995887)
- Category: Productivity, Utilities
- Price: $7.99
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 581 App Store ratings · 314 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.0 · 506 MB
- Languages: American English, Arabic, Bangla, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish and 27 more
- Released: 2023-04-04
- Data updated: 2026-09-06
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whisper-notes-speech-to-text/id6447090616/reviews.md

## What is Whisper Notes?

Maybe the best offline transcription app — 70,000+ journalists, researchers, and professionals seem to think so.

Turn meetings, lectures, and voice memos into accurate text with speaker labels — fast, 100% offline, on your device. No subscription. One purchase, yours forever.

■ Core Features
- Record voice memos and capture ideas instantly—from the Lock Screen, widgets, Action Button, or just say "Hey Siri"
- Import audio and video from any app (WhatsApp, Photos, Voice Memos, etc.)—even extract subtitles
- Turn meetings, lectures, and interviews into transcripts with speaker labels—see who said what, rename speakers, no length limits
- 101 languages, auto-detected (optimized for English)—three models (Parakeet, Whisper, SenseVoice), switch freely
- Export as SRT, VTT, or TXT—timestamps and speaker labels included

■ Privacy & Speed
Because everything runs on your device, there is nothing to upload—and nothing to leak. Turn on airplane mode before you record and leave it on: Whisper Notes works exactly the same. That matters when the recording is an interview, a client meeting, or something you would never put on someone else's server.

Transcribing 5 minutes of audio on iPhone 15: ~18 seconds with Parakeet, ~1 minute with Whisper. SenseVoice is much faster than Whisper and strongest for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Each model has its strengths—choose freely based on language and use case. Older devices are slower but work fine.

■ Honest Pricing
Because transcription runs on your device, we have no server costs—so there is nothing to charge you monthly for. Most similar apps charge $100+/year; we charge once.
No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no ads.
Not satisfied? Tap Settings → Request Refund.

■ Common Questions

Does it work completely offline?
Yes. Your audio never leaves your device. Works on flights, in remote areas, anywhere.

Can I transcribe WhatsApp voice messages or videos?
Yes. Share or save audio/video from WhatsApp to Whisper Notes and transcribe offline. Perfect for extracting subtitles without uploading to cloud services.

Is there a recording time limit?
No limit. Record for hours if you want. Longer recordings just take more time to transcribe on your device.

Does it support real-time transcription while recording?
Not during recording, but yes during transcription—after you finish recording, you'll see the transcript appear in real-time as it's being generated.

Do you support speaker labels (diarization)?
Yes—fully offline. Tap the speaker icon on any transcript to see who said what, right on your device. We keep improving accuracy and speed.

Where is my data stored?
Only on your device. We have zero access. Note: If you delete the app, your recordings are deleted too (because we don't keep secret backups). Please export important files regularly.

Can I summarize a transcript?
Yes — copy it into whichever AI tool you prefer. Whisper Notes itself never uploads anything; your audio and text stay on your device.

Why does transcription stop when I switch apps?
iOS limits background GPU usage for third-party apps. Just return to the app and tap "Re-transcribe"—it will restart.

Which devices are recommended?
iPhone 12 and newer. Older devices (iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2nd gen) are not recommended—the app will not function properly on these devices.

What languages are supported?
English, Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, Italiano, Nederlands, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 日本語, 한국어, Hindi, Arabic, Русский, Türkçe, Polski, Українська, Tiếng Việt, Thai, Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia, Svenska, Norsk, Dansk, Suomi, Čeština, Greek, Hebrew, Română, Magyar, Persian, Urdu, and 65+ more languages.

■ Contact
Questions? Email support@whispernotes.app
Learn more: whispernotes.app

## Key features

- 100% offline transcription
- Record voice or import audio/video
- Supports 100+ languages
- Export transcripts with timestamps
- Lock screen widget for quick capture
- Secure, on-device data storage

## Chart rankings

- #6 in Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

## What do users think of Whisper Notes?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Fast and accurate transcription
- 🔒 Offline, private processing
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Affordable one-time purchase
- 🚀 Impressive speech recognition accuracy

**Cons**

- 🐛 Crashes or freezes with longer recordings
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on older devices
- 🐛 Transcription errors or missing punctuation
- 🐛 Inability to edit transcribed text
- 🐛 Lack of batch export/import functionality

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Recordings disappearing after transcription
- Transcription process getting stuck at 1%
- Crashes on certain iOS/iPadOS versions
- Inability to import audio files consistently

**Most requested features**

- Add support for speaker diarization
- Implement real-time transcription mode
- Allow customization of hotkey/shortcut
- Improve integration with Apple Shortcuts
- Provide option to choose transcription model size

## Recent user reviews (10 of 314)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whisper-notes-speech-to-text/id6447090616/reviews.md

### 2/5 — It was great until it keeps crashing

*2026-08-28, version 1.8.7*

Am I the only one experiencing this issue?

### 2/5 — Loses recordings and misses audio

*2026-08-24, version 1.8.7*

The idea here is great the problem is it doesn’t start recording immediately even on default phone audio speaker and sometimes not at all. If that worked we could at least transcribe afterwards. Then it sometimes even loses the audio recording if it was successful leading to minutes of lost time re-recording. It literally is just two things - record and transcribe and if record is broken transcribe will never work. Buyer beware.

### 5/5 — Works great!

*2026-08-23, version 1.8.7*

Simple and just what I needed to capture in person meetings so I can focus on the conversation and get the details later

### 5/5 — Mal wieder eine dieser Apps, in die man sich sofort verliebt

*2026-08-21*

Klar, so ganz neu ist die Idee hinter Apps zum transkribieren von Sprachnachrichten oder Audio-Dateien inzwischen nicht mehr. Allerdings gab es, jedenfalls für mein Empfinden, bisher sowohl hinsichtlich der Transkriptionsergebnisse wie auch hinsichtlich der Bedienbarkeit solcher Apps doch immer noch eine ganze Menge Luft nach oben. Wispernotes setzt hier in beiden Disziplinen eindeutig neue Standards. Da ist die klar strukturierte Oberfläche mit eindeutig beschrifteten Buttons, für mich als vollständig blindem Nutzer ein essentiell wichtiges Merkmal. Weiter geht es mit nahezu selbsterklärenden Dialogen für alle Funktionen. Das entscheidende Highlight aber sind tatsächlich die Ergebnisse. So habe ich ein rund einstündiges Kriminalhörspiel als Audio-Datei absolut fehlerfrei transkribiert erhalten und diesen Text dann anschließend auch noch in mehr als alltagstaugliches Englisch übersetzt bekommen, TAGs zu den Stellen innerhalb der Audio-Datei bei den jeweils anstehenden Sprecher-Wechseln inklusive. Das ist absolut professionell und für den Kaufpreis definitiv nicht zu toppen. Diese App und ich werden ganz sicher sehr gute Freunde werden.

### 5/5 — Great product for simple and local transcripts

*2026-08-19, version 1.8.6*

Easy to use, local creation and tagging with speakers. All without having to send your transcripts to some unknown or unsecured cloud vendor. Well worth the purchase.

### 1/5 — It just doesn’t work

*2026-08-18*

Unless you upload an audio file, it doesn’t work. It can not detect audio from calls in real time.

### 1/5 — 不值得，会闪退

*2026-08-18*

学习会议中录了一堆，没做笔记 回家要翻译成文本，直接闪退所有的内容都用不了了…………

### 5/5 — Speak Your Thoughts

*2026-08-18, version 1.8.6*

Such a great app. Speak your thoughts, organize and analyze them later.

### 4/5 — Apple Watch

*2026-08-17*

Application pratique qui fonctionne bien. L’idéal aurait été qu’elle soit également disponible pour l’Apple Watch.
Paiement unique (très raisonnable), pas d’abonnement 👍🏻

### 4/5 — Good value

*2026-08-15, version 1.8.6*

Great for value, sometime stop recording when we re not responding.  Or record videos. But overall recommended 👌🏻

## Frequently asked questions about Whisper Notes

### Does Whisper Notes work completely offline?

Yes, the app is designed to work 100% offline. Your audio recordings and transcriptions never leave your device, making it ideal for use in areas with no internet connection or for enhanced privacy.

### What languages does the app support?

It supports over 100 languages, which are automatically detected. This broad language support allows for versatile transcription needs across various linguistic contexts.

### How is the app priced?

The app uses a one-time purchase model, providing access to all features on both iOS and Mac devices. There are no subscriptions, in-app purchases, or advertisements.

### Can I transcribe content from other apps like WhatsApp?

Yes, you can import audio or video from other apps, including WhatsApp. This allows you to extract subtitles from videos or transcribe voice messages without uploading them to the cloud.

### Where is my data stored?

All your data, including recordings and transcripts, is stored exclusively on your device. The app developers have no access to your data, ensuring maximum privacy and security.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.8.7 — 2026-08-22

Long notes open instantly

- Opening a very long transcript — an hour or more of recording — no longer freezes the app; it now opens in about a second.
- Browsing a library full of long notes also uses noticeably less memory.

Translate on the spot

- New "Translate to…" menu: translate any note into any of 20 languages with a single tap, without changing your default language in Settings. Useful for two-way translation while traveling — and like everything else, it runs entirely on your device.

Share text and audio together

- New "Share Text + Audio": the transcript and its recording go out in a single share. One email instead of two.

Shortcuts you can rely on

- "Stop Recording and Get Transcription" now reliably stops the recording and returns your text — no more stuck shortcuts or leftover recording screens.

No more silent failures

- If the language you picked isn't supported by the current transcription model, the app now tells you clearly — in Settings and in Shortcuts — instead of quietly producing unusable text.

### 1.8.6 — 2026-08-11

New Features

- Translation — translate any note right inside the app, with the original and translation shown side by side, paragraph by paragraph. Runs 100% on your device — your notes never leave your iPhone. (Requires iOS 18.)
- New Shortcuts action: "Stop Recording and Get Transcription" — end a recording and get the text in one step, perfect for automations.
- Export transcripts as TXT files, with speaker labels included.
- Edit an entire note directly from the transcript view.

Recording & Transcription

- Fixed recordings losing their first seconds when an Apple Watch or Bluetooth headset was connected.
- Spoken punctuation ("comma", "period", ...) now works with every transcription model.
- Fixed the Parakeet model failing to load for some users — it now repairs itself automatically.
- Failed transcriptions now reliably show a Retry button, and the record button no longer gets stuck after an error.

Stability & Fixes

- Widgets no longer stop working after an app update.
- Search filters (date, category) now work on their own, without typing a search first.
- Playback highlighting no longer makes text shift while you follow along.
- Copying multiple notes with timestamps now keeps them in chronological order.
- Stability improvements and crash fixes throughout.

### 1.8.5 — 2026-07-08

New Features

- Speaker Labels — Whisper Notes now labels who said what, automatically splitting any transcript into color-coded speakers you can rename, even across short interjections and quick back-and-forth. Runs 100% on your device, and speaker labels are included in copied text and exported SRT / VTT subtitles.
- Folders — organize your recordings into folders you create. Anything you record or import inside a folder is filed there automatically, with batch move and per-folder search.

Design

- A warmer, easier-on-the-eyes look — soft paper tones instead of stark white, and gentler text in dark mode.
- More refined haptic feedback throughout, and cleaner Share and Export menus.

Reliability

- If storage runs low while recording, you're now warned instead of ending up with a silent, empty file.

### 1.8.4 — 2026-07-06

This update focuses on speed, recording reliability, and transcription quality.

Performance

- Faster app launch — transcription models load about twice as fast, and your notes appear instantly even with thousands of recordings.
- Long recordings with pauses transcribe much faster — silent stretches are skipped instead of processed.
- Recording starts at full speed the moment you open the app.
- Switching transcription models is now smooth, with no freezes.

Recording reliability

- More reliable recording with AirPods and Bluetooth — less audio lost when you connect or remove a headset mid-recording, and faster recovery if it stops sending audio.
- Fixed rare issues with rapid stop-and-restart recording and recordings interrupted by phone calls.

Transcription quality

- Live transcript lines now always appear in the correct order during long transcriptions.
- More accurate timestamps in recordings with long silences.

Stability

- Fixed the most common crash — transcribing while the app is in the background — plus several rarer reliability issues.

### 1.8.3 — 2026-07-01

New Features

- Lock Screen & Control Center playback — play, pause, and skip through your recordings without opening the app.
- New storage management — see what's using space (audio, transcripts, models, cache), empty the recycle bin, and delete downloaded models you no longer need.
- Search now sorts by newest, oldest, or relevance, with clearer match highlighting.

Performance & Recording

- Faster app launch, and large histories now load smoothly as you scroll.
- Fewer freezes opening long transcripts, and better memory handling on older iPhones during long transcriptions.
- More stable recording when switching between the built-in mic, AirPods, and other Bluetooth devices.
- Simpler, more natural default recording settings.

Transcription & Playback

- Improved automatic paragraph breaks, including for Chinese/Japanese/Korean and long text without punctuation.
- More accurate spoken punctuation, and smarter "No text detected" handling with automatic retry.
- More consistent timestamps for playback highlighting and SRT export.
- Tap any line in a transcript to jump to that moment in the audio.

Stability & Fixes

- Added speech-model crash recovery with automatic fallback for more reliable transcription across devices.
- Safer storage cleanup that won't mistakenly remove your recordings; fixed duplicate models and stuck processing items.
- Reduced the chance of losing a message when importing or transcribing right after launch.
- Fixed the "Copied" badge sometimes staying on screen, plus several playback display glitches.

Accessibility

- Added Magic Tap to start/stop recording, plus VoiceOver improvements.

## Apps similar to Whisper Notes

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [AI Note Taker – VoicePen](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai-note-taker-voicepen/id6462815872) | 4.7 (513) | Free | Productivity |
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| [Voice to Text - Speech Note](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-to-text-speech-note/id1124772331) | 4.5 (11,327) | Free | Productivity |
| [AI Transcribe - Meeting Notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai-transcribe-meeting-notes/id6449003263) | 4.2 (171) | Free | Productivity |
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## More apps by SmashMelon LLC

- [Queryable - Photo Search App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/queryable-photo-search-app/id1661598353)
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- [MemeSearch: Reddit Meme Finder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memesearch-reddit-meme-finder/id1668297986)
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- [Do Not Type - Speak and Polish](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/do-not-type-speak-and-polish/id6449760006)

All apps by SmashMelon LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1895995887

## Related topics

[whisper notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/whisper-notes) · [whisper transcription](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/whisper-transcription) · [melons ai](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/melons-ai) · [ai transcription：local whisper](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ai-transcription-local-whisper) · [whisper memos](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/whisper-memos)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-06.*