WhatsApp's built in transcripts compared with InkSaid
WhatsApp's built in transcripts are good and private. They are also limited to one app, one note and one language at a time.
WhatsApp introduced voice message transcripts in November 2024, and WhatsApp says they are made on your phone. If you mostly get short notes in one language, they may be all you need. Here is an honest comparison.
What WhatsApp transcripts do well
- Free and already there. Turn them on in Settings, Chats, Voice message transcripts.
- On your phone. WhatsApp says nobody else, including WhatsApp, can hear or read the message.
- Quick for a single note. Long press, tap Transcribe, read.
Where they stop
- One app. Notes from Signal, Telegram or iMessage need something else.
- Chosen languages. You pick a transcript language from a supported list. A note in another language, or a mix, may not come out well.
- The text goes nowhere. It sits under the note. There is no record per person, no search across notes, no summary and no list of what was agreed.
Side by side
| WhatsApp transcripts | InkSaid | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your phone | Your Mac, with the iPhone share button |
| Apps | WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, iMessage and more | |
| Languages | A supported list, chosen in advance | 99, detected by itself |
| Name spelling | No | Teach it names once |
| Copy for a reply | Copy text | Copy with a reply prompt |
| Summaries and reply drafts | No | Rolling out to founding members first |
| Who promised what, with the moment | No | Rolling out to founding members first |
| Every note kept and searchable, by person | No | Pro, rolling out to founding members first |
| Price | Free | Free and unlimited on Mac. Pro, $79 a year, keeps every note |
Who should use which
Use WhatsApp's transcripts if your notes are casual and in one language. Use InkSaid if voice notes are part of how you work: clients, suppliers, teams across countries, or anything you need to find again later.
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.