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In meetings, lectures, or when thinking aloud, there's often no time to take notes. The Notes app takes care of exactly that: It records audio directly into a note, creates a searchable transcript in real time, and summarizes what was said if desired. What began with iOS 18 is now also available in German – and becomes noticeably more accurate with iOS 27.
The Notes app was long a simple place for snippets of text and a few images. Over the years, it has evolved into a versatile tool that recognizes handwriting, allows sketching, and, since iOS 18, also records and transcribes audio. However, for the smart summaries, Apple Intelligence must be set up – recording and transcription alone works without it. How the three components – recording, transcription, and summarization – interact, which devices and languages they require, and what changes iOS 26 and iOS 27 bring, can be explained step by step.
Requirements: Devices, languages, and Apple Intelligence
The requirements warrant a closer look, as recording, transcription, and summarization have different requirements.
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Audio recording in a note | iPhone, iPad or Mac with the latest Notes app |
| Automatic transcription (without Apple Intelligence) | iPhone 12 or later, supported iPad models, or Mac with M1 (or later) |
| Supported languages | German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) |
| AI Summary | Additionally, an Apple Intelligence-enabled device with Apple Intelligence activated. |
It's important to distinguish between transcription and summary: The transcription itself runs on an iPhone 12 and doesn't require Apple Intelligence. Only the additional summary requires an AI-enabled device. The device language is also crucial – transcription only works if it's set to a supported language. This support for German-language devices was introduced with iOS 18.4; since then, transcription also works in German. If the transcript icon doesn't appear, the device either doesn't meet the requirements or doesn't recognize a supported language. The AI summary, on the other hand, uses the language settings provided by Apple Intelligence, which may differ from the transcription list.
How to record audio and convert it to text – step by step
Here's how to record and convert the spoken words directly into text:
- Open the Notes app and create a new note or open an existing one.
- Tap the attachment icon (paperclip) and select "Record audio".
- Start recording using the record button. While it's running, you can display the live transcript via the transcript icon.
- End the recording with the stop button. The recording and transcript will be saved directly in the note.
You can then do quite a few things with the finished transcript:
- Jump to a specific point: Tap on a section of text in the transcript, and playback will start right there.
- Search: The menu option "Search in Transcript" allows you to search for specific terms.
- Add to note: Using "Add transcript to note" or "Copy transcript" moves the text to the note or the clipboard.
- Save or delete: The recording can be saved or removed – if the audio recording is deleted, the transcript also disappears.
On a Mac, it works almost identically; there, recording can also be paused and resumed.
Summarize the recording
On an Apple Intelligence-enabled device, the Notes app goes beyond simply transcribing the audio and summarizes what was said. This is especially useful during long meetings or lectures when you don't want to read through the entire transcript. To do this, press and hold the audio recording in the note; the summary option will then appear in the menu. Similar to summarizing web pages, Apple Intelligence distills the key points. In Germany, both the German-language transcript and the summary have been available since iOS 18.4.
Where this processing takes place is a legitimate question, especially in confidential conversations: Most Apple Intelligence tasks run directly on the device, while larger requests are routed through Apple's secure servers. The article on Apple Intelligence data privacy explains how this interaction works in detail.
Call recording: not available in Germany
Not to be confused with recording within a note is the call recording feature from the Phone app, which, since iOS 18.1, records a conversation and saves it as a transcript in the "Call Recordings" folder of the Notes app. This feature is unavailable throughout the EU—including Germany and Austria; Apple simply does not enable call recording there. This is due to EU regulations and, in Germany, Section 201 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes recording conversations without the consent of all parties involved. Switzerland is not affected by this restriction. In Germany, phone calls can therefore only be recorded via... other methods such as third-party apps, which bring their own legal and technical hurdles.
What iOS 26 and iOS 27 bring for Notes
The recording and transcription feature dates back to iOS 18, but the Notes app has since evolved. With iOS 26, support for Markdown was added: notes can be imported and exported in the widely used plain text format, making it easier to exchange notes with other writing apps.
iOS 27 focuses primarily on transcription: Thanks to improved, locally running models, automatic transcription is noticeably more accurate – a significant benefit, especially for longer recordings. Furthermore, pasted Markdown text is automatically converted to formatted text, and on an iPhone 15 Pro or later, Siri AI can create notes with generated content instead of just transcribing dictation. For anyone who works extensively with audio, the more accurate transcription is the real advancement.
The notes app is becoming a note-taking tool
Record, transcribe, summarize – the Notes app covers the entire process from spoken idea to searchable text, without the need for an additional app. Transcription itself already works on many devices and is now available in German, while summarizing requires an AI-enabled iPhone. Those who regularly record conversations or lectures will save themselves the tedious typing – and with iOS 27, they'll get a more reliable transcript.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Apple Notes – Audio and Transcription
Yes. Using the attachment icon in a note, you can directly start a recording with "Record audio", which will be saved in the note.
Yes. German is a supported language; for German-language devices, transcription in Notes was introduced with iOS 18.4.
An iPhone 12 or later, supported iPad models, or a Mac with M1 (or later). The device language must be set to a supported language.
No. The transcript works without Apple Intelligence. Only the additional summary requires an AI-enabled device with Apple Intelligence activated.
Most Apple intelligence tasks run directly on the device; only more computationally intensive requests go to Apple's secure servers, where no data is stored.
The Phone app's native call recording feature (including transcripts in the Notes folder "Call Recordings") is unavailable in Germany and the entire EU – Apple has blocked it there. It works in Switzerland. Recording audio directly within a note functions normally, regardless.
It delivers good results with clear speech, but accuracy decreases with background noise or multiple speakers. With iOS 27, improved models made transcription noticeably more precise.
