Key Takeaways
- Voicepop is an iPhone app that converts WhatsApp voice messages into readable text, directly within WhatsApp.
- Voice messages under 3 minutes can be transcribed for free; longer messages require a one-time in-app purchase costing €7.99 per month.
- Voicepop also works with standard iPhone voicemail — open the voicemail in the Phone app, tap the share arrow, and choose Voicepop to get an instant transcript.
- The transcription is not 100% perfect but is accurate enough to understand the message, and you can always replay the audio if needed.
- Voicepop can transcribe any voice message from any app, not just WhatsApp — wherever you have a voice message, you can open it in Voicepop.
- As an alternative to receiving voice messages, the iPhone's built-in dictation function lets you speak and have your words converted to text before sending.
- To activate dictation on iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Keyboard and enable the dictation option.
- German language dictation is processed locally on the device and is not sent to external servers.
Introduction
Nice to have you with us again for another episode of Digital4Productivity and today a small but very nice tip. I've already pointed out that I don't really like voice messages. And in this context, I have already recommended the Voicepop application.
Voicepop - convert voice messages to text with this app
Voicepop, and as always the link to the application in the show notes, is a small but excellent iPhone application that can convert WhatsApp voice messages into text messages. And I've tried several different ones. I really like this one the best because all I have to do is take a WhatsApp voice message and use the forward button to open it in Voicepop and then it opens it directly within WhatsApp so that I can read it. Anything that's within 3 minutes, so it's shorter than 3 minutes, you can use that in the free version. And if you have messages that are longer than 3 minutes, then you can unlock it once with an InApp purchase. It then costs €7.99 per month. Personally, I have to be honest and say it's worth it to me.
I recently tried out whether the whole thing also works with voicemail messages. And - it works! This means that even if you are on the iPhone and receive a voice message, you have the voicemails in the Phone app and now you can go to the voicemail accordingly and instead of playing it back, you can simply go to the outgoing arrow on the voicemail and then say you want to open it in Voicepop. Then you'll see the Transcribing message and then the whole thing immediately appears as a window, really within the telephony app, as a transcript. And of course it's not 100% perfect. But you know who has called if it is an addressee from your address book. And, to be honest, it's not 100% perfect, but you can easily understand it and, if in doubt, you can always listen to it again. But Voicepop can not only be used for WhatsApp voice messages, it can also be used for messages on your normal mailbox. This means that wherever you have a voice message in a program, you can open and convert it in Voicepop. As I said, it costs nothing up to 3 minutes. Over 3 minutes it costs €7.99 per month. I think that's really great.
A little tip: If you want to be really nice, you can also talk and the other person can read directly. To do this, use the dictation function. To do this, go to the settings of your iPhone and go to General and then Keyboard. You will then find this tick "Activate dictation function" relatively far down. The good thing, by the way, is that everything that is German is already purely local on the iPhone or iPad, i.e. not sent to America. And if you're in WhatsApp, for example, you simply don't have to go to this microphone, which is right next to the line, but type into the line as if you were typing something. Then the keyboard opens and you'll see a microphone icon at the bottom right. And when you tap on it, it's recorded until you tap on it again and then it's converted pretty well.
Incidentally, you can also add, correct or mix the whole thing with text. In other words, I always try to explain this dictation function to my colleagues who like to work with voice messages. And if they do get it as a voice message, then Voicepop helps. And not just for WhatsApp voice messages, but also for voice messages that you receive via the normal voicemail function.
Conclusion
A small but, in my opinion, very nice tip on the subject of voice messages. Yes, with this in mind, I look forward to seeing you again next week when it's Digita4Productivity.
Yours, Thorsten Jekel
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Voicepop and what does it do?
Voicepop is a small iPhone application that converts voice messages into text. It works with WhatsApp voice messages and standard iPhone voicemail, displaying the transcript directly within the respective app.
Is Voicepop free to use?
Voicepop is free for voice messages up to 3 minutes long. For messages longer than 3 minutes, you can unlock the full functionality with an in-app purchase, which costs €7.99 per month.
How do I transcribe a WhatsApp voice message with Voicepop?
To transcribe a WhatsApp voice message, tap the forward button on the voice message inside WhatsApp and choose to open it in Voicepop. The app then displays the transcription directly within WhatsApp so you can read it without leaving the chat.
Can Voicepop transcribe iPhone voicemail messages?
Yes, Voicepop can also transcribe standard iPhone voicemail messages. Open the Phone app, navigate to your voicemail, tap the outgoing share arrow on the message, and select Voicepop to receive an instant transcript within the Phone app.
Does Voicepop work with voice messages from apps other than WhatsApp?
Voicepop works with voice messages from any app, not only WhatsApp. Wherever you have a voice message and can use the share or forward function, you can open and convert it in Voicepop.
How accurate is the Voicepop transcription?
The transcription is not 100% perfect, but it is accurate enough to understand the message in most cases. If anything is unclear, you can always listen to the original audio recording again.
What is the iPhone dictation function and how does it help with voice messages?
The iPhone's dictation function lets you speak instead of type, converting your speech into written text before you send a message. This means colleagues or contacts who prefer reading can receive a text message instead of a voice message, avoiding the need for transcription entirely.
How do I activate the dictation function on iPhone?
To activate dictation on iPhone, go to Settings, tap General, then tap Keyboard, and scroll down to enable the "Activate dictation function" option. Once enabled, a microphone icon appears on the keyboard and you can tap it to start dictating.
Is the iPhone dictation function private — does it send data to external servers?
For German language dictation, the processing happens entirely locally on the iPhone or iPad and is not sent to external servers such as those in the United States. This makes it a privacy-friendly option for converting speech to text.
Can I combine dictation with typed text in a message?
Yes, the iPhone dictation function allows you to mix dictated speech with typed text within the same message. You can dictate a portion of the message, stop recording, then continue typing or correct parts of the text before sending.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
- iPad – Dictation works locally on iPhone and iPad for German language input
- Voicepop – iPhone app for transcribing WhatsApp voice messages and standard voicemail (link in show notes)
