# Whisper Notes - Speech to Text — user reviews > 311 indexed App Store user reviews of Whisper Notes by SmashMelon LLC, rated 4.70/5 from 581 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whisper-notes-speech-to-text/id6447090616/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whisper-notes-speech-to-text/id6447090616.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 491 · 4★ 37 · 3★ 22 · 2★ 5 · 1★ 26 ## 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 ## Newest reviews (12 of 311) ### 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* Great for value, sometime stop recording when we re not responding. Or record videos. But overall recommended 👌🏻 ### 3/5 — Sehr gute Sprechererkennung, aber Worterkennung auf iOS aktuell nicht praxistauglich für mich *2026-08-08* Ich würde die App gern beruflich zur Transkription von Gesprächsprotokollen (Interviews von Verkehrspsychologischen Explorationen mit starkem Dialekteinschlag) nutzen. Die Sprechererkennung ist die beste, die ich bisher in einer App gesehen habe, und die synchrone Wiedergabe beim Korrigieren (Text antippen, direkt an die Stelle im Audio springen) ist richtig gut durchdacht und macht das Nachbearbeiten sehr angenehm. Da merkt man, das jemand wirklich den Endnutzer im Kopf hatte. Ein Wunsch bleibt jedoch und macht die App am Ende aktuell noch nicht für mich nutzbar: Auf iOS läuft offenbar ein komprimiertes Whisper-Modell (ca. 600 MB), während für Mac laut FAQ explizit Whisper Large V3 Turbo angeboten wird. Bei stark dialektgefärbter, spontaner Sprache führt das bei mir auf dem iPhone 17 zu spürbar mehr Fehlern als auf dem Desktop mit dem größeren Modell. Mein Vorschlag: eine optionale, klar gekennzeichnete Einstellung für ein größeres Whisper-Modell auf iOS, gerne mit Warnhinweis und Geräte-Check, damit Nutzer mit leistungsfähigeren Geräten auf eigenen Wunsch mehr Genauigkeit gegen etwas mehr Rechenzeit tauschen können. Wenn das möglich ist, wäre es perfekt. Insgesamt ein sehr durchdachtes, komplett lokales Tool mit fairem Einmalpreis. Mit größerem Modell auf iOS wäre es für professionelle Anwendungsfälle wie meinen noch überzeugender. **Developer response:** Vielen Dank für dieses ausführliche Feedback — gerade der konkrete Berufskontext hilft uns sehr. Zu Ihrem Wunsch: Das Modell auf iOS ist bewusst kompakter, weil es vollständig auf der Neural Engine des iPhones laufen muss. Ein größeres, optional wählbares Modell für leistungsfähige Geräte ist genau die Richtung, an der wir arbeiten — einen Termin können wir noch nicht versprechen, aber wir bleiben dran. Was bei starkem Dialekt sofort etwas bringt: 1) in den Einstellungen die Sprache fest auf Deutsch stellen statt automatischer Erkennung; 2) in den erweiterten Einstellungen den Initial Prompt nutzen und dort Fachbegriffe und Eigennamen eintragen — bei Fachjargon ist der Effekt deutlich spürbar; 3) die anderen Modelle gegentesten, die Genauigkeit unterscheidet sich je nach Sprecher. Schreiben Sie uns gern an support@whispernotes.app — dann melden wir uns, sobald es hier Neues gibt. ### 3/5 — Misplaced needs more refining *2026-08-06* I purchased the app for accurate Hindi and English lecture transcription. Despite using Whisper Large V3 Turbo and Accurate mode with the appropriate settings, the transcripts contained frequent mistakes, missed words and inaccurate sentences. The app did not work satisfactorily for the purpose for which I purchased it, so I have applied for refun. Kindly don’t get discouraged by my review it is no doubt a very viable and economic option but it needs more refining or else its a perfect app **Developer response:** Thank you for such a fair and constructive review — that is genuinely appreciated. One thing worth trying before the refund goes through: lectures that mix Hindi and English in the same recording are the hardest case for these models, because automatic detection keeps switching languages mid-recording and accuracy drops at every switch. In Settings, set the language manually to Hindi instead of automatic, and put the lecture's recurring terms and names into the Initial Prompt in the advanced settings — on academic audio that usually makes a visible difference. We will keep working on accuracy for Hindi and for mixed Hindi-English speech; no promises on timing, but it is on our list. If it still falls short, the refund is completely fine — and a note to support@whispernotes.app about the subject and language mix would help us target this directly. ### 3/5 — Не удовлетворен *2026-08-03* Через стандартную библиотеку Parakeet довольно плохо транскрибирует русскую речь из mp3 - очень много ошибок по тексту. Попытка загрузить модель whisper в настройках ни разу не была успешной. Все время прерывается с сообщением failed **Developer response:** Обновление: мы работаем над надёжностью загрузки моделей — возобновление докачки после обрыва, автоматические повторы и понятное сообщение об ошибке вместо простого «failed». Сроков пока назвать не могу, но задача в работе. Что помогает прямо сейчас: попробуйте другую сеть (другой Wi-Fi или мобильный интернет) и проверьте, что на устройстве есть свободное место. Также стоит обновиться до последней версии — в ней исправлена загрузка моделей для части пользователей. Если не получится — напишите на support@whispernotes.app, разберёмся вместе. ### 5/5 — Like it alot *2026-07-16, version 1.3.3* I really like this app so far –very accurate. The only strange thing –it keeps posting "no audio detected" –but it actually is recording and then prints my dictation as spoken. The Price is Right, –much obliged. Much more accurate than Apple or Google for voice typing. ### 4/5 — Thank you for the privacy *2026-07-13* This is great, but I wonder why at some points it switches to bits of English ! (I mainly use it in French) ! What I miss very - Indication of voices (even simple voice 1 / 2 / 3 - we could input the number of people talking at the start. That’d be so useful to scroll through the meeting and locate specifically what one said something in particular - because usually you can remember WHO said something, but you want to make sure what he/she said precisely. - If it could mark new paragraphs then for each voices, but even if this is not implemented, at least when there are pauses. **Developer response:** Thank you for the thoughtful review! Good news: speaker labels are already built in. Update to the latest version, open a transcript, and tap the person icon at the top right — speaker detection runs on demand (it takes extra processing, so it's a separate step), splitting the text into color-coded speakers you can rename. Labels are included in copied text and exported SRT/VTT subtitles too. On the English bits: that's automatic language detection getting confused — set French manually in Settings and it should stay in French. We've also been improving automatic paragraph breaks, including at pauses. Thanks for the suggestions! ### 5/5 — Excellence *2026-07-12* Retranscrire les enregistrements oraux en texte et suivre en même temps le texte oral pour les éventuelles corrections. Très bonne application. **Developer response:** Merci beaucoup pour ce retour ! Ravi que la retranscription et le suivi du texte pendant la lecture vous soient utiles. ### 5/5 — Good app for dictating *2026-07-12, version 1.8.5* Good app for dictating ### 5/5 — this is just what i need *2026-07-06, version 1.8.3* I've been looking for this kind of app for a long time! Chatgpt recommended this app to me. and I wonder if this app available on the Apple Watch? ### 4/5 — Works great but… *2026-07-04* would love to be able to see my notes as I’m dictating. Would help a ton with keeping track of my thoughts. **Developer response:** Thanks for the kind words. Right now transcription runs after you finish recording — it streams the text in as it processes — so live text while you're still speaking isn't there yet. Seeing your notes appear as you dictate is a request we're actively evaluating. Appreciate the feedback. ### 5/5 — Like it alot *2026-07-01, version 1.3.1* I really like this app so far –very accurate. The only strange thing –it keeps posting "no audio detected" –but it actually is recording and then prints my dictation as spoken. The Price is Right, –much obliged. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 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………… ### 1/5 — It’s a disaster *2026-08-03* Just does the opposite of what it promises. Can’t recognize language from speech. Writes unrecognisable text. Cannot work offline. The app has to be always on the foreground for it to work. Money wasted. **Developer response:** Sorry to hear this — but one thing needs correcting for other readers: Whisper Notes runs 100% on-device and works fully offline (feel free to verify in Airplane Mode; no audio ever leaves your phone). What likely happened: the default Parakeet model covers 25 European languages — for Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil and other languages please switch to the Whisper model in Settings → Transcription Model (99+ languages). Keeping the app open during transcription is how on-device processing works. If it still doesn't fit your needs, you can request a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com — and I'm happy to help at support@whispernotes.app. ### 1/5 — unreliable *2026-07-22, version 1.8.5* drops segments of speech labeling them as "silence, skipped" when there is clearly talking ### 1/5 — Absolute Rip Off, List of Problems *2026-07-18, version 1.8.5* I read online that this was supposed to be one of the top rated speech to text translation apps and good for transcribing speech as well. Unfortunately, there are too many problems with it. First, it does not even transcribe properly, everything said no matter which of 5 languages (French, Italian, English, Mandarin, Russian) I have tried, have not been written properly. Second, it does not translate correctly. Even after downloading the language packs it still fails. Third, you cannot select the language and it does it automatically. Perhaps that is why it keeps turning Italian and Mandarin into Spanish. Fourth, it does not even color code the different speakers like it said it would. Note: these are only the issues I have found so far. What a waste of money! This app is a great idea, IF THEY CAN GET IT TO WORK. ### 1/5 — Waste of money *2026-07-16, version 1.8.5* Total waste of money. When I selected Gujarati language, it was typing in Hindi language. Very bad app. I will be asking for refund ### 1/5 — Transciption errors constantly *2026-07-10, version 1.3.3* Anything over a few seconds of audio gets transcription errors. Essentially rendering this app useless. ### 1/5 — Don’t waste your money *2026-06-27* Bought it for recording long, 1-1.5 hour sessions. Records things short things around 3 minutes just fine. When I tried to get a transcription for the 2 one hour sessions, it kept failing to transcribe! You press the button, and it gets upto 1%, and says transcription interrupted. I tried again and again, uninstall, reinstall, across two devices. This app is not capable of long transcription! Wish there was a try before you buy. **Developer response:** Sorry for the trouble. The most likely cause: iOS doesn't let apps use the GPU in the background, so transcription pauses if the app is sent to the background or the screen locks. For a long 1–2 hour file, please keep Whisper Notes open in the foreground with the screen on until it finishes — don't switch to another app or let the screen sleep. If it does get interrupted, reopen the app and you can resume it. If you'd prefer a refund: Settings (gear, top right) → Request a Refund. And if it still fails while staying in the foreground, email support@whispernotes.app and I'll help directly. ### 1/5 — Won’t transcribe anything over a short sentence *2026-05-21* Initially the app worked great and appeared to be fantastic! Now it won’t transcribe anything beyond a sentence or two at the most, sometimes nothing at all. It freezes and or crashes and has become useless. I’ve tried every fix including completely re-installing the app. It’s very disappointing. I can relate to the frustration others have mentioned. **Developer response:** I'm sorry about this. Could you email us at support@whispernotes.app with your device model and iOS version? We'd like to investigate and fix this for you 🙏 ### 1/5 — Déçu pour le moment *2026-05-09* C’était une bonne idée sur le papier. Malheureusement, la qualité de la transcription n’est pas au rendez-vous. Des mots non retranscrits, des erreurs de mot, des mauvaises compréhension, des pronoms masculins féminisés et vice versa. Je suis en mode Parakeet. Est-ce que le mode Whisper est plus précis ? **Developer response:** Merci pour votre retour. La précision peut varier selon le modèle utilisé. Nous vous conseillons d'essayer les deux modèles disponibles (Parakeet et Whisper) dans les réglages pour comparer les résultats en français. Nous travaillons continuellement à améliorer la précision. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 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. ### 5/5 — Speak Your Thoughts *2026-08-18, version 1.8.6* Such a great app. Speak your thoughts, organize and analyze them later. ### 5/5 — Awesome app! *2026-08-14* Works perfectly. Very convenient to use shortcut with side button for dictation notes anytime. Privacy. Speed. Accuracy. Polished interface. Just amazing. Thank you so much, Developer, for keep updating and adding features! ### 5/5 — This application quickly evolves *2026-08-13* Thanks to developer for adding automation and expanding settings for different use cases! I like record my thoughts and save it in Obsidian as text, and this application allows me to automate it. Waiting supporting models best for certain languages, e.g. GigaAM for russian language ### 5/5 — شكر وطلب *2026-08-11, version 1.8.6* نشكركم على هذا التطبيق الرائع والمتميز ونتمنى إضافة تحويل النص إلى صوت وشكرا ### 5/5 — Top-Notch Transcriptions *2026-08-10, version 1.3.4* I have tried several transcription apps, and WhisperNotes is the by far the most accurate. A rough estimate is that for my sermons it is 100% accurate in the words, and 95% accurate for the punctuation. It was quite refreshing to find great results with WhisperNotes after being constantly frustrated during multiple attempts with other transcription apps. ### 5/5 — Nothing but a good experience *2026-08-04, version 1.8.5* Frequent updates, good interface, does what you need, and new features added frequently. A must-have for any voice recording/interviewing. ### 5/5 — Excellent app *2026-07-23, version 1.8.5* Excellent app works better and is more accurate than others. Awesome to see speaker recognition has also been added. Great job! ### 5/5 — Unbelievably GOOD! *2026-07-18, version 1.3.3* Simply the best speech to text app! --- *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 2026-08-29.*