Writing is an enjoyable activity, especially for me, but sometimes it is nicer to simply pull out my phone and take quick voice notes. Other times, it is even nicer to hang the legs up and take lengthy notes using only voice.
Whether you’re interested in taking voice notes on the go or having your voice notes transcribed to text, the Google Play Store has several voice-to-text apps and here is a list of the best options available for free.
1. Speechnotes
Speechnotes comes with an on-screen keyboard that enables users to easily enter punctuation marks as opposed to having to say them out loud mid-sentence. It also includes emojis and symbols to make messages feel more realistic. Its other features include offline note-taking, automated support for Google Drive backups, a home widget, Bluetooth support, and continuous recording.
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2. Voice Notes
Voice Notes is designed for taking quick, on-the-fly notes by recording quick notes that get transcribed to text, or saving the audio notes for listening in the future. It also offers a reminder for recurring alerts coupled with organizational tools such as coloured tags, import/export, and customizable categories.
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3. Live Transcribe
Live Transcribe is designed for the Deaf and hard of hearing and it is powered by Google’s automatic speech recognition technology which it uses for real-time speech transcriptions in 70+ languages. Its feature highlights include switching between 2 languages and the ability to differentiate between actuall speech and random noises like a barking dog in the background.
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4. SpeechTexter
SpeechTexter uses Google’s database to transcribe text to speech, create SMS, tweets, and emails and it features a custom dictionary for adding custom words, addresses, and mobile numbers. To use it offline, head to your phones Settings > System > Languages and input > Virtual keyboard > Google voice typing and select Offline speech recognition.
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5. Free Speech To Text
Free Speech To Text is popular for its ability to accurately transcribe speech to text in all languages. It has built-in keyboards for all supported languages and a simple UI for quick copy-paste actions.
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6. Voice Notebook
Voice Notebook features a customizable list of punctuation marks, auto-replaced words e.g. brb -> be right back, the ability to import text files from Google Drive and file manage apps, on-screen word and character counters for each voice note and a voice-activated undo command.
In the premium app, users have access to a power-saving modern, Bluetooth support for transferring files, and an option for continuous dictation.
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7. e-Dictate
e-Dictate works as an application for transcribing speech to text as well as a translator application for almost any language. It has the ability to send SMS messages and emails, set reminders, create blog-type content, edit text mid-dictation, simulateanous voice recording with keyboard punctuation, etc.
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8. Speech to text
Speech to text is a lightweight speech to text application for taking long notes e.g. essays and reports without any restrictions on the size of the created notes. It features auto-spacing and custom keyboards for efficiently taking contextual notes.
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9. OneNote
Microsoft’s OneNote is a robust note-taking application with a nifty microphone feature that allows users to create notes by taking voice recordings into the app. It features a microphone widget for easy access from the homescreen.
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10. Google Assistant
Google Assistant is not for taking long notes but it sure does a good job of making reminders, creating lists, and managing applications via voice commands. If you’ve got a smart home, you can use this virtual assistant to conveniently automate several tasks sort of the way you would use Amazon’s Alexa and what’s even cooler is that your Android device shipped with it.
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Congratulations, you’ve made it to the end of the list. Have you found an option that meets your needs? Or perhaps you want to add some recommendations to the list. Feel free to add your comments in the discussion section below.
I can recommend e-Dictate because I tried all ten listed applications, but e-Dictate is far above all in terms of voice recognition quality, ie. speech, speed, and very good options, I point out that the UI is a friendly user.
Awesome