How to turn Telegram voice messages into text
Telegram's transcription button is handy if you pay for Premium. If you do not, or you would rather the audio stayed with you, there is another way.
Telegram has a transcription button on voice messages. Free accounts can use it only a few times a week, and unlimited use needs Telegram Premium. The transcription is done by Telegram rather than on your phone.
Option 1: Telegram's button
Tap the small A icon beside a voice message to see the text. It is the quickest route if you have Premium and are comfortable with Telegram processing the audio.
Option 2: transcribe on your Mac with InkSaid
- In Telegram Desktop, right click the voice message and save it.
- InkSaid picks it up from Downloads on its own, or drop it on the window.
- The words appear in a few seconds, transcribed by your Mac's own chip. The audio copy is deleted straight away.
On iPhone, hold the voice message, tap Share, then InkSaid. On the same wifi it goes straight to your Mac and the text comes back. Anywhere else it can travel through your own iCloud Drive, and the words wait in Files, InkSaid, Words.
Option 3: the InkSaid Telegram bot (coming)
We are building an InkSaid bot you can forward voice messages to, with the words sent back in the same chat. It is quicker, but it runs through our server, so it is labelled Cloud on every card. The audio is erased as soon as the text comes back.
Which to choose
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| The odd message, with Premium | Telegram's button |
| No subscription, audio kept on your device | InkSaid on Mac |
| Notes from Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal together | InkSaid |
Try InkSaid on your Mac
Every voice note in writing, kept and searchable on your Mac. 99 Founding Pro seats at $39 a year, half the price of Pro.