Quick answer: You can get a free transcript by turning on Live Captions (Settings → Accessibility) and copying the text while your memo plays — but it’s unstructured and error‑prone. Sharing the memo to Brain Dump is still the fastest way to get clean Markdown without paying.
Option 1 — Live Captions (built‑in, no install)
This captions any audio that plays on your iPhone. Turn it on at Settings → Accessibility → Live Captions.
How to use it:
- Play the memo and copy text from the caption bubble.
- Paste into Notes/Docs and clean up.
Pros: free, on‑device, quick in a pinch.
Cons: rough punctuation, no headings or lists, availability varies by device/region/language.
Option 2 — Share to a free web tool (zero install)
You can export the memo (••• → Share → Save to Files) and upload to a browser‑based transcriber that offers free minutes. Expect limits on length/quality and a queue.
Pros: free minutes, works from the browser.
Cons: upload time, privacy trade‑offs, limits, mixed accuracy.
Option 3 — Share to Brain Dump (free tier, clean output)
••• → Share → Brain Dump — Import & Transcribe. You’ll get instant Markdown with headings, lists, and quotes — plus optional summary or action items when you enable AI polish. Prefer one tap? Install our Shortcut from /shortcuts and pin it to the Share Sheet.
Pros: clean Markdown, on‑device privacy, works offline, fast copy/export to Notes/Obsidian.
Cons: installs an app (free tier available).
Related: /blog/iphone-offline-dictation-airplane-mode, /blog/privacy-on-device-ai, /learn/shortcuts-automation
A simple decision rule
- If you need it once and don’t care about formatting → try Live Captions.
- If you want accuracy and structure you can paste anywhere → share to Brain Dump.
Tips for better results anywhere
- Speak short sentences with a tiny pause.
- Hold the phone ~15–25 cm from your mouth.
- Add a short title first; it reduces mess later.
- Add names/terms to a custom dictionary once (/learn/custom-dictionary-jargon).