Transcription of voice notes in iOS 18
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Later this year, Apple hopes to implement real-time audio transcription and summarization. is available system-wide on many of its devices as the iPhone maker looks to harness the power of artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of several of its core apps, AppleInsider has learned.
People familiar with the matter tell us that Apple is working on AI-powered summarization and vastly improved audio transcription for several of its next-generation operating systems. The new features are expected to significantly improve the productivity of users of Essential Notes, Voice Memos, and other apps.
Apple is currently testing these features as additions to several app updates planned for release in iOS 18 later in 2024. They are also expected to appear in their respective apps in macOS 15 and macOS 15. iPadOS 18 too.
The default Voice Memos app that Apple includes in its portfolio of devices will be one of the first to receive the updated capabilities. Early versions of the app provide a running transcript of each audio recording, working similarly to the company's recent Live Voicemail feature.
Transcriptions occupy the central part of the application window, replacing the larger graphical representation of recorded audio that is available in the existing version of the application.
Transcription will also be included in the next version of Notes. Preview versions of both apps feature a dedicated speech bubble transcription button, according to those familiar with the software. Tapping the new speech bubble will display a transcription of the audio recorded in the app.
Play transcriptions of voice notes in Notes in iOS 18
The transcription tool will work hand in hand with — and provide new context — upcoming audio recording features in Notes, which AppleInsider first detailed in April. Specifically, the update will add AI-generated summarization of recorded audio, which instantly provides a basic text summary of key moments and actions.
The AI summarization feature, combined with the new in-app audio recording feature and real-time transcription options, is expected to make the built-in Apple Notes app a true powerhouse. The three functions will be useful for a wide range of practical applications, taking on the heavy lifting of processing large amounts of data down to key points. All this provides convenience and clarity for users.
Students will be able to easily record lectures and classes without relying on third-party tools. When writing from the new Notes app, you have the option to include transcription and summary in your note, along with other media such as images, links, and data structures such as tables.
These features will also pay dividends for professionals who regularly attend teleconferences, virtual business meetings or seminars as part of their work. These events often reveal large amounts of information, various statistics, detailed business plans, dates and schedules, which Apple's artificial intelligence technology analyzes and reorganizes into properly structured summaries.
The same applies to classes or lectures at more advanced levels, which often include a variety of information such as definitions, explanations of complex ideas or theoretical principles, visual examples, and more.
At the same time, journalists will gain an extremely efficient way to transcribe and summarize long interviews. Creative people like authors and screenwriters can easily record key ideas and review them later, without having to play back and listen to most of the recordings just to highlight key data points.
Although Apple has gone to great lengths to ensure that its transcription and summarization features produce accurate results, errors are inevitable. Thus, storing the original audio along with the transcript and AI-generated summary ensures that no original information is lost during the transcription or summarization process.
Summation is just part of Apple's larger artificial intelligence efforts.
The new transcription and summarization features will be part of Apple's broader artificial intelligence efforts this year. Similar summarization features are expected to come to Safari 18 via Smart View and the built-in Messages app — thanks to integration with Apple's on-device AI software.
The use cases and overall goal of AI summarization features in Safari and Messages are completely different. While Notes will give users the ability to summarize meetings, conference calls and lectures, Safari will allow users to summarize web pages, and Messages will offer a condensed version of message content.
Apple's AI software can also serve to protect user privacy, as some AI features are expected to run entirely on the device. However, in the case of audio transcription and advanced AI summarization, server-side processing may be required at this time.
By incorporating audio summarization and transcription into its system applications, the company aims to demonstrate some of the best benefits of using AI to solve real-world scenarios. The goal of Apple's artificial intelligence efforts is to provide developers with features that promise to enable customers to perform their daily tasks more efficiently and successfully.
At the same time, the company hopes to better position itself against the proliferation of competing third-party apps that now use artificial intelligence technology, some of which are seeing high adoption rates as consumers weave them into their digital lives. .
The Otter app, for example, is another Apple Editors' Choice award winner. It offers functionality similar to the features discussed in this article. With it, users can record, transcribe, and summarize meetings using generative artificial intelligence—all in one app.
Microsoft's OneNote also offers support for recording audio as voice notes, another potential competitor to Apple's Notes and Voice Memos apps.
It's worth emphasizing, however, that not all software features that Apple tests in preview builds of software make it into the existing release cycle. Apple has been known to cancel projects or delay features for subsequent operating system and app releases at the last minute, so ultimately there are no guarantees regarding timing and availability.
However, new AI summarization and real-time transcription features still appear to be on track for an expected unveiling alongside Apple's next-generation operating systems at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. These are expected to be joined by improved Calendar and Calculator apps, among others.
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