Transcribe Android voice recorder files, dated from their file names
Copy your recorder folder off an Android phone, zip it and upload it: every recording is transcribed and sorted by the date and time in its file name or inside the file. AMR and 3GP files from older phones work alongside M4A, MP3, OGG and OPUS. Recordings of up to 15 minutes in total are free in full; more cost $5, paid once, for up to 6 hours in total.
- Accepts .m4a, .mp3, .amr, .3gp, .ogg, .opus and .wav, up to 200 files or one ZIP
- Reads dates in names like "Recording_20240502_081400" or "Voice 2024-05-02 08.14"
- Subfolders inside the ZIP are fine; hidden files are skipped
- Each recording under a dated heading, oldest first
- A merged document, a CSV and a TXT plus SRT per recording
Getting the folder off the phone
- Open a file manager app and find the folder your recorder app saves to; the recorder's settings often show where that is
- Select the folder and choose Compress or Zip if your file manager offers it, then upload the ZIP from the phone browser or send it to your computer
- Or connect the phone to a computer with a USB cable and copy the folder across
- Or select recordings inside the recorder app and use Share to send them to a cloud drive or your email
Dates from file names
Many Android recorder apps write the date and time into the file name, though the exact pattern differs from app to app. When a name like "Recording_20240502_081400" is found, the time is used exactly as written, so the order matches what the phone showed. A name with only a day, like "Meeting 2024-05-02", puts the recording on that date and leaves the time out of its heading.
Apps that number files instead, such as "Voice 007", leave the date to other sources: the recording time stored in the file, if the app saved one, or the date each file carries inside your ZIP. Copying files in ways that reset their dates can shuffle numbered recordings, so zipping the folder on the phone is the safer route.
Older phones: AMR and 3GP
Older Android phones and basic recorder apps often saved speech as .amr or .3gp at low quality to save space. These files are accepted as they are, with no conversion step. Audio recorded that way sounds thin, so soft voices, distant speakers and noisy rooms are harder to make out, and unclear words are marked [inaudible] instead of guessed.
How the tool works, what it costs and how your files are handled is on the Voice Memos to Text page; prices for every tool are on the pricing page.
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Questions and answers
Can ChatGPT transcribe my Android recordings?
It can handle one short recording you attach, and for a quick note that is often enough. A folder of recordings means uploading each file separately, and the dates in the file names do not carry over into its answers.
How much does it cost to transcribe a recorder folder?
Up to 15 minutes in total is free in full. A larger folder is $5, paid once, for up to 200 files and 6 hours of audio. Unlimited costs $19 a week and allows 12 hours per job.
My recorder saves AMR files. Do I need to convert them?
No. AMR, 3GP, M4A, MP3, OGG and OPUS files are all accepted directly, in the same upload.
Does it work with Samsung and Pixel recorder apps?
Their recordings are accepted like any other audio file. Whether the date comes from the name or from inside the file depends on how the app names and saves its recordings.
Can I upload one ZIP with several subfolders?
Yes. Audio files are taken from every folder in the ZIP, then sorted together by date.
Are my recordings private?
Only you can open your job. The audio is sent to an AI model provider only to be transcribed and is not used to train models. Jobs started without an account are deleted after 7 days, and you can delete a job at any time.