hearlog
Why WhatsApp voice notes need transcription
Indians send and receive more WhatsApp voice notes than almost any other country, and each one demands full attention to listen — you cannot skim, search or share the content. hearlog turns any voice note into searchable, shareable text in seconds.
A 3-minute voice note from a family member in Malayalam. A business instruction from a client in Hinglish. A reminder from a colleague in Telugu. Each one is locked inside audio: you cannot Ctrl-F it, forward the key line, or paste it into a document. hearlog, powered by Google Gemini AI, converts the whole thing to text — with an AI summary — so a long ramble becomes a scannable note.
Because hearlog runs entirely in the browser, there is no app to install and nothing to configure. It accepts WhatsApp's own formats — OGG from Android and M4A from iPhone — directly, so there is no conversion step between the chat and the transcript.
How to save and upload a WhatsApp voice note
Two taps to save, one to upload — on either phone.
iPhone
- Long-press the voice note
- Tap Share
- Tap Save to Files
- Upload the file to hearlog.ai
Android
- Long-press the voice note
- Tap Share
- Save to Downloads or your file manager
- Upload the file to hearlog.ai
Supported formats: OGG (Android), M4A (iPhone), MP3, WAV, WebM.
What people transcribe
Family group voice notes
Long Hindi, Malayalam or Telugu messages from parents and relatives — read them as text and translate to English to share with the next generation.
Business instructions in Hinglish
A client sends a rambling Hinglish voice note with three tasks buried in it. Get the transcript and an Action Items summary so nothing is missed.
Colleague voice messages
Long work voice notes that need documenting — transcribe, summarise and paste into your notes or ticketing system.
Religious and puja recordings
Bhajans, shlokas and puja audio shared on family WhatsApp groups — preserved as searchable text alongside the audio.
hearlog vs Google Transcribe vs iOS transcription
| Feature | hearlog ✦ | Google Transcribe | iOS transcription |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | ✅ 200 min/mo | Limited | ✅ |
| Indian languages | ✅ Hindi, Telugu, Tamil | Partial | Limited |
| WhatsApp formats (OGG, M4A) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| AI summary | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
Competitor features change; verify current behaviour on their platforms.
Voice note to text in 3 steps
Save the voice note
Long-press in WhatsApp → Share → Save. Or export a voice memo from your phone.
Upload to hearlog.ai
Open hearlog in your browser — no download — and upload the saved OGG or M4A file.
Get transcript + summary
Pick the language and get your transcript in under 30 seconds, with an AI summary and one-click translation.
Voice note transcription — FAQ
Can I transcribe WhatsApp voice notes for free?
Yes. Download the WhatsApp voice note as an audio file — long-press it in WhatsApp, tap Share, then Save to Files on iPhone or share to Downloads on Android. Upload to hearlog.ai. The transcript is ready in under 30 seconds with an AI summary. Free plan includes 200 minutes per month, no credit card needed.
Which languages does it support for voice notes?
hearlog supports Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Hinglish and 50+ other languages. Mixed Hindi-English voice notes — the most common type in Indian WhatsApp groups — transcribe naturally without any special setup. Select the language when uploading for best results.
How do I save a WhatsApp voice note to upload?
On iPhone: long-press the voice note, tap Share, then Save to Files. On Android: long-press, tap Share, then save to Downloads. Then open hearlog.ai in your browser and upload the saved file. The process takes under a minute from voice note to searchable transcript.
What file format does WhatsApp use for voice notes?
WhatsApp uses OGG format on Android and M4A on iPhone. hearlog accepts both formats natively — no conversion needed. Simply save the voice note from WhatsApp and upload it directly. Other supported formats include MP3, WAV, WebM and MP4 for broader compatibility.
Can I transcribe long voice notes?
Yes. hearlog handles recordings up to 2 hours in a single upload. Long voice messages and audio recordings are processed automatically and returned as a complete transcript with an AI summary in 5 styles. The free plan includes 200 minutes per month across all recordings.
Can I get a summary of a voice note, not just the transcript?
Yes. After transcribing, hearlog generates an AI summary in 5 styles: Key Points for a quick overview, Detailed for a comprehensive record, Action Items for business instructions, Concise for a short recap, and Q&A to generate questions from the content. Choose the style that fits your use case.
Is my voice note data private?
Yes. All audio is encrypted using AES-256 in transit and at rest. Your voice notes are never sold or shared with third parties. You control your data completely — delete any recording permanently from your account at any time. No audio is used for advertising or AI model training.
Does it work for voice memos recorded on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Upload voice memos from iPhone Voice Memos app in M4A format, or from any Android voice recorder. hearlog also accepts recordings from Google Recorder, Samsung Voice Recorder and any app that exports MP3, WAV, M4A or OGG files — no format conversion needed.