iOS 17 Audio Message Transcriptions: How Well Do They Actually Work?

Apple’s Release of iOS 17 and its Transcription Feature

Apple released iOS 17 on September 18, bringing several fun and useful features to iPhones, including Live Stickers and offline maps. One of the notable new features is the transcription of audio messages, also known as voice notes, in Messages.

Audio messages were introduced by Apple with the release of iOS 8 in 2014. They are short audio recordings sent through Messages, which have become a popular means of communication. According to a YouGov survey conducted by Vox earlier this year, 62% of Americans surveyed said they had sent an audio message, and around 30% said they use audio messages on a weekly basis. Among people aged 18 to 29, approximately 43% reported using audio messages at least once a week.

While it may be easier to dictate a message rather than type it out, audio messages require the recipient to be in a quiet environment to listen to them. Without headphones or earbuds, audio messages may be overheard by others nearby. The transcription feature in iOS 17 allows you to read the content of audio messages without having to listen to them. However, how effective is this feature?

To test the transcription feature, I had a conversation with my wife using exclusively audio messages. Some of these messages included background music, while others did not. I also read excerpts from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of the Ring” to assess the accuracy of the feature with uncommon words and unique names.

How to Use Audio Message Transcriptions

Audio message transcriptions are automatically enabled after downloading iOS 17. Once you send a message, the transcript will appear below the audio bars.

If you receive a long audio message, the transcript may be cut off. In such cases, you will see an arrow that you can tap to access a new screen with the full transcript.

Results of Testing Audio Message Transcripts

During my testing, there were occasions when my iPhone understood and transcribed everything correctly, while other times it completely distorted what I said.

In one conversation with my wife, I sent a message asking about having chili for dinner, and my phone transcribed it perfectly. However, when I tried to say, “I’m good, but I appreciate it though,” my iPhone heard it as “I’m goodbye I appreciate it though.” Although decipherable with some effort, it would take a moment to understand the intended meaning.

When I read an excerpt from “The Fellowship of the Ring,” most of it came through accurately, but one of the names was mistaken. This is understandable considering that without certain TV series, like Game of Thrones, it would be challenging to pronounce the names of some fantasy characters. Let’s be honest, you probably didn’t know how to pronounce Daenerys Targaryen correctly when you first encountered it.

Even an excerpt from “The Fellowship of the Ring” without proper nouns experienced significant errors. The transcript introduced the name “Shelby,” turning the passage into gibberish. When I read the excerpt more slowly and deliberately, the transcript captured most of it correctly but still confused some ‘a’s with ‘of’s.

Interestingly, the audio message transcriptions seemed unaffected by loud music. In one message I sent, with Outkast playing in the background, the transcription was accurate and did not include any of the lyrics. While I cannot vouch for concert-level noise, everyday noise levels should not significantly impact transcriptions.

Notably, attempts to use Spanish in an audio message resulted in transcription only when my iPhone’s language was set to English. Setting my iPhone’s language to Spanish and using Spanish in an audio message did not generate any transcription. The same applied when I attempted to send a message in English while my iPhone was set to Spanish. I had similar results with German.

Final Thoughts on Audio Message Transcriptions

Audio message transcriptions generally work well enough to be understood in most cases, although there is room for improvement. Proper nouns may pose a challenge for your iPhone, and speaking quickly might result in transformed or combined words. Furthermore, if you have an accent or English is not your first language, the transcription feature may have difficulty accurately transcribing your speech. It is worth noting that this feature only functioned for me when my iPhone’s language was set to English, and expanding it to other languages would be beneficial for Apple.

If you encounter problems with transcriptions, I recommend speaking slowly and enunciating each letter to help your iPhone better transcribe your message.

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