TranscribeMyNotes

WhatsApp voice message transcripts not working?

Updated

Short answer: check the feature is on and set to the language of the note, update WhatsApp, and try again. If it still won't transcribe, forward the note to a transcription bot instead.

WhatsApp added voice message transcripts in November 2024: your phone turns a voice message into text, without the audio leaving it. When it works, it is the quickest way to read a voice note. But it works in the transcript language you choose, launched with a few select languages, and sometimes just shows "Transcript unavailable". Here is how to turn it on, why it fails, and what to do then.

How to turn on WhatsApp's voice message transcripts

  1. Open WhatsApp and go to Settings, then Chats.
  2. Turn on Voice message transcripts and choose the language your voice notes are in.
  3. In a chat, long-press the voice message (on Android, select it and open the menu) and tap Transcribe.

The text appears with the voice message. WhatsApp says transcripts are made on your device, so no one else, not even WhatsApp, can hear or read the message.

Why it says "Transcript unavailable" or shows no Transcribe option

  • The feature is off. Check Settings, Chats, Voice message transcripts.
  • The note is in another language. Transcripts use the language you chose in settings, so a note in a different one may not transcribe until you change it.
  • The language hasn't downloaded. Your phone may need to download the language before it can transcribe.
  • It hasn't reached you yet. WhatsApp rolled it out over several weeks, starting with a few select languages: update the app and check again.
  • The audio is hard to hear. Wind, music, a quiet speaker or a poor microphone can leave too little to recognise.

Fixes to try

  1. Update WhatsApp from the App Store or Google Play, then restart it.
  2. Open Settings, Chats, Voice message transcripts: make sure it is on and the language matches the note.
  3. If your phone needs to download the language, give it time, then try again.
  4. If the note mixes languages or you get them in several, switch the language for each one, or use a bot that detects it.

When it still won't work: forward it to a bot

A transcription bot is a WhatsApp number you forward the voice note to; it sends the text back in the same chat. It doesn't depend on your phone's settings, so it works when the built-in transcripts don't. With Transcribe My Notes:

  • Any of 56 languages, detected for each note, with no setting to change.
  • A short tl;dr after the text for notes over 2 minutes.
  • Any phone, plus WhatsApp Web and Desktop; forwarded videos and audio files too.
  • 4 minutes free, no card, then one monthly plan (see pricing).

The trade-off is privacy: WhatsApp's transcripts never leave your phone, while a bot has to receive the audio. Ours processes it and then discards it.

Questions about WhatsApp transcripts

Common reasons: the voice note is in a different language from the transcript language chosen under Settings, Chats, Voice message transcripts; the language has not finished downloading on your phone; or the audio is too noisy or quiet to recognise. Check the language first, then try again.

The feature is off, your WhatsApp is out of date, or it has not reached you or your language yet: WhatsApp rolled it out over several weeks, starting with a few select languages. Update WhatsApp, then look for Voice message transcripts under Settings, Chats.

You choose a transcript language in WhatsApp’s settings, and Xataka reports that it works with one language at a time. If your voice notes come in several languages, a transcription bot such as Transcribe My Notes detects the language of each note instead, with nothing to switch.

Yes. WhatsApp says transcripts are generated on your device, so neither WhatsApp nor anyone else hears the message. A bot works differently: the note is sent to it to be transcribed (Transcribe My Notes discards the audio afterwards).

Its voice message transcripts give you the full text, not a summary. Transcribe My Notes sends the full text and, for notes over 2 minutes, a short tl;dr after it.

Sources, checked : WhatsApp's announcement, 21 November 2024; Xataka, how to turn on and use voice message transcripts (in Spanish).