How to transcribe video to text on iPhone and iPad

Need a written version of a lecture, meeting, interview, or presentation? A transcript makes it easier to review what was said, search for specific information, and share notes with others.

Documents by Readdle can transcribe supported video files directly on your iPhone or iPad. It identifies spoken English, distinguishes between different speakers, and saves the transcript as a TXT file.

Download Documents from the App Store to get started. Video transcription requires a Documents Plus subscription.

Before you transcribe a video

Here are a few things to know about video transcription in Documents:

• Supported video formats include MP4, MKV, and MOV.
• Transcription currently supports spoken English.
• The video must be stored locally in Documents.
• An internet connection is required.
• Documents must remain open while transcription is running.
• The transcription model is downloaded to your device and processes the video locally.
• The resulting transcript is saved as a TXT file beside the original video.
• The feature may not be available on some older iPhone and iPad models.

Transcription works best with clear spoken content. Background noise, music, and overlapping voices may affect the accuracy of the result.

How to transcribe a video from Photos

If the video is saved in your Photos library, you can send it directly to Documents and start transcription:

1. Download Documents if it isn’t already installed.
2. Open the Photos app and select the video you want to transcribe.
3. Tap the Share button.
4. Select Save to Documents. If you don’t see it, swipe through the available actions or tap More.

1. Select Transcribe to Text from the available actions.
2. If this is your first transcription, follow the onscreen instructions to enable the feature and download the transcription model.

1. Tap Start.
2. Keep Documents open while it extracts the audio and transcribes the speech.
3. Once transcription is complete, open the TXT file saved beside the imported video.

 

You can read the transcript, rename it, move it to another folder, or share it with someone else.

How to transcribe a video already saved in Documents

If your video is already stored in Documents, you can start transcription from its file menu:

1. Open Documents and find the video.
2. Tap the three-dot button beside the file.
3. Select Transcribe to Text.

1. Tap Start and keep Documents open during transcription.
2. When the process is complete, open the TXT transcript saved in the same folder as the video.

How to transcribe a video from cloud storage

Videos stored in Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or another connected cloud service must be downloaded to Documents before they can be transcribed.

1. Open Documents and tap the + button.
2. Connect or open your cloud storage service.
3. Find the video and download or copy it to a local folder in Documents.
4. Tap the three-dot button beside the local video.
5. Select Transcribe to Text, then tap Start.

You can also use the built-in browser in Documents to download a video when a website provides a direct download option. Only download videos you own or have permission to save and transcribe.

Download Documents to transcribe and manage videos on your iPhone or iPad.