Whether your phone can turn a voice memo into text by itself depends on its recorder app. On a Pixel, Google's Recorder app creates transcripts. On a Samsung Galaxy with Galaxy AI, the Voice Recorder app has Transcript assist. Both are documented for recordings made in that app. For any other audio file (a recording from another app, a download, a voice message you saved), you need an app that imports audio files and transcribes them.
| Your situation | Best route |
|---|---|
| Pixel phone, recording made in Recorder | Google Recorder's transcript |
| Galaxy phone with One UI 6.1 or higher, recording made in Voice Recorder | Samsung Transcript assist |
| Any other phone, or an audio file from somewhere else | An app that imports audio, such as Retexta |
| You want notes, a summary or an email, not a raw transcript | An AI dictation app with writing goals |
On a Pixel: Google Recorder
Google's help pages describe the Recorder app for Pixel phones. You can create transcripts of your recordings and edit them. According to the help page "Create, edit & manage transcriptions" (checked September 25, 2026):
- Real-time transcription is listed for Pixel 3 to Pixel 5a and for Pixel 6 and later. The languages depend on the model. Pixel 6 and later add languages such as Spanish, Italian, Hindi and Mandarin Chinese to the English variants, French, German and Japanese.
- Choose the language (Pixel 6 and later): open Recorder, tap the user icon, then Recorder settings, select your transcription language and tap Detect language.
- See the text: open a recording and tap Transcript.
- Transcribe again: open a recording, tap More, then Transcribe again, and choose a language. Google notes that this "may process audio files on Google servers."
- Summaries are available on Pixel 8 and later for some languages. Google says the summary feature runs "in the cloud" and is AI-generated.
The help page does not describe importing audio files from other apps.
On a Samsung Galaxy: Voice Recorder and Transcript assist
Samsung's help page "Use Voice Recorder with Galaxy AI on Galaxy phones or tablets" (checked September 25, 2026) says the features are "available on select phones and tablets running Android 14 with One UI 6.1 or higher" and that "certain languages may not be supported." The steps:
- Open Voice Recorder and tap Record. Tap Stop when you are done, then Save.
- Select the recording.
- Tap the Transcript assist icon (the four stars) at the top of the screen.
- Tap Transcribe. Galaxy AI shows the transcript.
From the same icon you can Translate or Summarize the recording. To get the text out, select the transcript, tap More options (three dots), Share, and choose Text file.
Samsung lists these Transcript assist languages: English (US, India, Great Britain, Australia), Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain, Mexico, US), Chinese (Simplified, Hong Kong), French (France, Canada), Korean, German, Italian, Japanese, Thai, Polish, Arabic, Hindi, Vietnamese, Russian and Indonesian. On cost, Samsung says: "Galaxy AI basic features provided by Samsung are free. Any Samsung enhanced AI features and all third party AI features are subject to different terms and may be subject to fees."
The help page covers recordings made in Voice Recorder. It does not describe transcribing audio files from other apps.
On other Android phones
Recorder apps differ between manufacturers. Open yours and look for a transcript or "speech to text" option in a recording's menu. If there is none, or your audio file comes from somewhere else, use an app that can import audio files.
Transcribe any audio file with Retexta
Retexta is a cloud voice to text and AI writing app for Android. It imports audio files through Android's own file picker, so it works with recordings from any app, as long as you can save them as a file on your phone or in your cloud drive.
- Save the recording as a file. In your recorder app, use its share or export option and save the audio to your files or cloud drive. In Samsung Voice Recorder, Share lets you choose Voice file. The exact steps depend on the app.
- Open Retexta and tap New task.
- Under What do you want to do?, choose what you want back:
- Transcript only (under More templates): the plain transcript, no AI rewrite.
- Summarize a meeting: a summary with decisions and action items.
- Take notes (under More templates): structured notes, task lists or shopping lists.
- Write a message: an email or message built from what the memo says.
- Under Add your input, tap Import audio. Android's file picker opens and shows your audio files.
- Go to where you saved the memo and select it.
- Retexta transcribes the audio on its servers and, if you chose a writing goal, writes the result. With a writing goal, you can switch the text type, language or length on the result screen.
- Read the result before you use it. Retexta marks AI results with "AI-generated. Check important details."
Importing audio is part of Retexta Pro, and so is every goal except Transcript only. Retexta is free to try: new users get a few free Pro results to view in the app. Copying, sharing and exporting need Retexta Pro or credits, and so does everything after the free results, Transcript only included.
Recorded someone else?
Retexta is a cloud service: the audio you import is uploaded and processed on servers, not only on your phone. If the memo contains other people's voices, make sure they agreed to the recording and would be fine with it being transcribed. Our guide on meeting minutes has more on recording and consent.
Example: a voice memo turned into notes
We wrote this example ourselves to show the idea. It is not real app output, and your results will look different.
The voice memo, as a plain transcript:
Okay, notes after the call with the landlord. So the plumber comes Thursday, between eight and twelve, I need to be home or leave the key with Mrs. Ortiz next door. He said the heating check is included, but the new faucet is extra, about eighty dollars, he'll confirm. Oh, and I need to send him photos of the leak under the sink before Wednesday. And remind Sam to move the bike out of the hallway.
As notes (Take notes, Structured notes):
Plumber visit
- Thursday, 8:00 to 12:00
- Be home, or leave the key with Mrs. Ortiz next door
- Heating check included
- New faucet costs extra (about $80, to be confirmed)
To do
- [ ] Send photos of the leak under the sink by Wednesday
- [ ] Remind Sam to move the bike out of the hallway
The transcript tells you what was said. The notes tell you what to do.
Tips for voice memos that transcribe well
- Speak close to the phone and away from wind, traffic and music.
- One topic per memo. Short memos are easier to find and to turn into something useful.
- Say names and numbers clearly, and check them in the text.
- Name the file when you save it, so you can find it again in the file picker.
What to do with the text next
A memo from a meeting can become proper minutes: see how to write meeting minutes. A memo that needs an answer can become an email: see how to dictate an email on Android. For voice messages you received in WhatsApp, read how to convert a WhatsApp voice message to text. More about the app: Retexta, voice to text for Android.
Sources
Checked by FLAME Apps on September 25, 2026.
- Pixel Phone Help, Create, edit & manage transcriptions: devices, languages, language detection, transcribe again, summaries.
- Pixel Phone Help, Use the Recorder app on your Pixel device.
- Samsung US Support, Use Voice Recorder with Galaxy AI on Galaxy phones or tablets: requirements, steps, languages, cost note, sharing.
- Retexta: names of goals, input options and plans as shown in the app and on its Google Play listing.
