Place the iPhone where it can hear both speakers and make a short test recording. Record the interview in Transcribe Audio to Text, then tap Stop to create the transcript locally. Use playback to check quotations, names and numbers. Add speaker names yourself if you need them; the app does not identify different speakers.
Where should I put the iPhone?
Place it where both voices are clear. Avoid leaving it beside a rustling notebook or a keyboard: handling noise close to the microphone can drown out a voice across the table. Keep the microphone uncovered and leave the phone still during the conversation.
Record a short exchange from the seats you will use, then play it back. Listen particularly to the quieter person. If you struggle to hear their words, move the phone before starting the interview.
How do I start and finish the recording?
Have the engine ready before the interview, so the first setup does not interrupt the start of your conversation. Choose the spoken language if you know the interview will stay in one language.
- Tap Record, choose the spoken language and then Start recording.
- Tap Start recording and check that the recording is running.
- Let each person finish before the other answers where practical.
- Tap Stop at the end and keep the app open while it transcribes.
- Replay the opening and ending to check that you captured the full conversation.
How do I check a quotation?
Scroll to the passage, tap a word to replay it and use Edit text to correct the paragraph. Listen to a little before and after the quote so you keep the context. Check names, figures and small words such as “not” that can change the meaning.
Add speaker names manually in your working document. Paragraph breaks don’t tell you who spoke. If a word remains unclear, mark the uncertainty in your notes rather than filling the gap from memory.
Which version should I export?
Use Transcript for the recognized spoken wording, then check it against the audio. DOCX suits a draft you will keep editing; PDF gives you a fixed document to read or share. Add speaker labels and any time references you need in the working document.
On a compatible Apple Intelligence device, Highlights can pick original passages and Clean read can turn the speech into readable prose. Check the selected passages for context. For a direct quotation, return to Transcript and the audio rather than quoting a rewrite.
Questions you may have
Will the app add each speaker’s name?
No. Listen back and add speaker names yourself where your document needs them.
Will I see the words during the interview?
The recording is saved first. The full transcript is created after Stop, so plan to review it after the conversation.
What if we switch between two languages?
Choose the main spoken language. Language changes can be misheard, especially inside one sentence. Replay passages in each language and correct isolated errors manually. For separate recognition in another language, prepare a separate clip in another app and import it with that language selected.
Can I quote a sentence from Clean read?
Check the exact wording in Transcript and the recording first. Clean read is a rewritten draft and may phrase the thought differently.