Record and transcribe lectures with your phone
To record and transcribe lectures, ask your instructor for permission, set your phone near the front, and record the class in Voicence. Afterward, choose the language and tap transcribe to get the text, a summary, and a PDF you can study from. Recording works offline, and transcription needs internet.
Free to start. For Android and iPhone.
Who agreed to check the sales numbers?
Deadline to check the sales numbers
Thursday
Step by step
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Get permission and set up
Ask the instructor before class. Put your phone on the desk, as close to the front as you can, with the microphone uncovered.
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Record the lecture
Start recording when class begins. Pause during breaks and resume when the lecture picks up again.
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Pick the language and transcribe
When you are back online, select the language of the lecture and tap transcribe. The text arrives within a few minutes.
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Review the summary and add notes
Read the summary, tap a topic to hear that part again, and write your own Notes on the recording.
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Export a PDF
Choose what goes in: transcript, summary, notes. Share the file or save it with your course materials.
Before class: permission and placement
Ask before you record. Many schools have a policy on recording lectures, and some instructors don't allow it. A short email or a word before class is enough. If you have a disability accommodation, your school's disability services office can usually arrange recording permission for you.
Where the phone sits matters more than anything else you do. A phone in a backpack or a pocket records mostly rustling.
- Sit near the front, on the side where the instructor stands most of the time
- Lay the phone flat on the desk with the microphone facing the front
- Keep it away from your laptop keyboard, which is louder than you think
- Turn on Do Not Disturb so calls and alerts don't interrupt
- Check that you have enough battery and free storage for the full class
During class: let it run
Once you start recording, leave the phone alone. Pause at the break and resume afterward so you don't spend coins transcribing ten minutes of hallway noise.
Keep taking your own notes while it records. A lecture recorder captures what was said, not what was on the board, and your notes are where diagrams, formulas, and page numbers go. Student questions from the back of the room may be faint or missing in the recording.
After class: transcript, summary, lecture notes
The transcript separates speakers, so you can rename one as the instructor and tell the lecture apart from questions. Tap any line to hear that moment again, at a speed from 0.5x to 2x.
The automatic summary is free and gives you a short paragraph, Key points, Action items such as assigned readings and due dates, and Topics. With Premium you can pick the Lecture template and a Concise, Balanced, or Detailed length.
Automatic transcription gets names and technical terms wrong more than anything else. Correct the terms that matter for your course before you export the PDF or study from it.
Online classes and video lectures
If your school gives you the class recording as a file, import it. The app accepts MP3, M4A, WAV, and OGG/Opus audio and MP4 video, and uses only the audio from a video.
If the lecture is on YouTube, paste the link and the app imports the audio. The free plan allows 3 YouTube imports per day.
How to record and transcribe lectures longer than 60 minutes
On the free plan, each audio you transcribe can be up to 60 minutes long. For a 90-minute or three-hour class, record it in parts: stop at a natural break and start a new recording for the next part.
Give each part a clear title, such as the course name, the date, and Part 1 or Part 2, and put them in the same category so they stay together. Premium allows longer audio per transcription if you would rather keep each class in one recording.
Frequently asked questions
Am I allowed to record a lecture?
It depends on your school's policy, your instructor, and local law. Ask for permission first, and keep the recording for your own study unless you are told you can share it.
Can I record a lecture without Wi-Fi?
Yes. Recording and listening work offline. You need an internet connection later, when you ask for the transcription.
How much does it cost to transcribe a lecture?
Transcription costs 1 coin per minute of audio, so a 50-minute class uses 50 coins. You earn coins by watching video ads or buy them in the app. The summary doesn't use coins.
Will it get technical terms right?
Not always. Specialized vocabulary, names, and acronyms are where automatic transcription makes the most mistakes. You can edit any line to fix them.
Can it tell the professor apart from students?
The transcript separates speakers, and you can rename each one. Voices far from the phone may not be picked up clearly.