Voicemail has been a staple in communication since the late 1970s. The process has seen massive improvements with the coming of the Digital Age, including automatic transcripts, which are great for casual use. However, for commercial, legal, or professional purposes, human transcription services providers are the better option for transcribing voicemail.
In this article, you’ll learn how:
- Android and iOS users can enable and disable voicemail transcription features.
- Voicemail transcription allows users to read their voicemail instead of listening to them.
- Professional human transcribers offer superior alternatives to automated means.
Voicemail Transcription Defined
Voicemail transcription is the process of converting recorded voicemails into text. Typically, voicemails are saved in a separate inbox, and the process of archiving and availability depends on the type of phone, operating system, and carrier.
Currently, devices running Android and iOS support voicemail transcription for select providers and carrier settings. Voicemail transcription may save users time by allowing them to access text transcription that is faster to digest, increasing productivity.
How Do You Set Up Voicemail Transcription on an iPhone?
iOS has a live voicemail transcription feature that creates transcripts for all voicemails you receive. To use this feature, go to the Phone app>Voicemail tab.
Once there, your phone will present your saved voicemails. You can pick and choose which voicemail you want to transcribe. Additionally, you can access this feature via their visual voicemail interface.
Several third-party programs are also available in the App Store. While there are a few different ways to get voicemail transcription on your iPhone, their accuracy, quality, and rates vary depending on the tool.
Additionally, iOS has a live transcription service that displays live transcripts so you can read the voicemail you just received.
How Do You Get Voicemail-To-Text On Android?
There are several “how to transcribe voicemail messages on Android devices” articles on the Internet, and I could easily reference any single one of them. However, I think it’s best to get information straight from the source—Google.
According to the “How to check your voicemail,” Help Center article, voicemail transcripts are available only for selected providers like:
- Charter—Verizon
- Comcast—Xfinity
- Freedom
- O2
- T-Mobile—Pixel
- Tracfone—T-Mobile and Verizon
- Visible—Verizon
The process of turning on voicemail transcription in Android is fairly simple. The steps are:
- Open the Phone app
- Tap More options> Settings > Voicemail
- Turn on Voicemail transcription.
Once that’s done, you can go to your Voicemail settings, and any voicemail you receive will be transcribed. This feature only supports English and Spanish. Voicemails in other languages or those with extreme background noises will have a tag: “Transcript not available.”
Is Turning On Voicemail Transcription The Only Option?
While automated solutions are quite convenient for casual uses, like everyday recordings and reminders, they’re not fit for more professional settings. The main reason for this is that automated voicemail transcription uses artificial intelligence and automated speech recognition software.
Despite AI technology advancing rapidly in the last few years, automated transcription has yet to reach acceptable accuracy rates. Here’s a quick graph that visualizes just how accurate human transcription is.
*Note: Apple’s reported accuracy rate is from unverified sources and may not reflect actual accuracy rates. Data for Microsoft, Google, and other AI Transcription Providers is from Statista (Speech-to-Text transcript accuracy rate among leading companies worldwide in 2021).
As you can see, the highest verified and reported accuracy rate for AI transcription is 86%. Microsoft Voice-To-Text and Google Voice and Video reach approximately 83 and 84%, respectively.
When You Need Accurate And Professional Voicemail Transcripts?
There are times when Android and iPhone voicemail transcriptions won’t cut it. For example, voicemails sometimes need to be used as evidence in court. If that’s the case, the voicemails must be transcribed and certified. At Ditto, our transcribers certify transcripts for use in court- your phone can’t do that.
You can use voicemail transcription providers like Ditto Transcripts to get 99% accurate and professionally produced transcripts.
With Ditto’s voicemail transcription service, you no longer have to depend on inaccurate built-in voicemail transcription. You don’t need to do it yourself or use third-party voicemail transcription apps.
Here’s our process:
| Step | Description |
| 1. Voicemail Recording | The process begins when a voicemail is left on a phone system. This audio recording is the raw material for transcription. |
| 2. Voicemail Uploaded to Ditto | Your voicemail file can be uploaded to our website and our secure server. |
| 3. Audio File Processing | The audio file is processed to adjust for clarity, volume, and background noise reduction to improve transcription accuracy. |
| 4. Transcription | The processed audio is then handed to one of our expert human transcribers for conversion. Depending on the transcription type, the result can be verbatim or lightly edited for clarity. |
| 5. Review and Correction | Every completed transcript is reviewed and proofread to maintain 99% accuracy throughout. |
| 6. Delivery | The final text transcription is delivered to the client. This can be through email or our web platform. It is then archived in our systems for future reference. |
How To Save Important Voicemails For Transcription
Here are the steps for saving voicemails in Android and iOS:
iPhone
Apple phone users can save and share voicemail messages. (Note: Older iOS versions may have different user interfaces.)
- Tap the Phone App.
- Tap Voicemail.
- Locate the voicemail you want to save and tap the Share button.
- Choose either “Add to Notes” or “Save to Files.”
- Once done, you can upload your saved voicemails through our secure platforms.
Android
Unlike iPhones, different providers manufacture Android phones, so the steps in saving voicemails may vary. You can check your manufacturer’s website for more information if the steps here don’t work.
- Look for the voicemail button in your Phone app or open your Voicemail app.
- Locate the message you want to save and tap and hold to display the menu.
- From the selection, choose Save. Indicate the save location and press OK or Save.
- Again, you can upload your saved voicemails through our secure platforms once you are done.
Benefits Of Accurate Voicemail Transcription
Accurate transcription services like ours offer the most benefits for voicemail, so you don’t have to sit and rewrite any errors you encounter. Here are some other advantages:
Improved Documentation
Voicemails don’t have a hard limit on length (as different providers have different standards), but most experts advise that people keep their voicemails between 20-30 seconds long.
Now, 30 seconds is perfectly fine if your message is just “Hey, it’s me. Call me when you get this.”
However, that message won’t fly in professional settings like medical clinics, law firms, business offices, and law enforcement agencies. There may be instances when voicemails have to be longer or contain important information. In this case, the caller might have to leave multiple voicemails to get their message across.
In these cases, having voicemail transcripts can immensely help. Not only do transcripts make voicemails digitally searchable, but you can also seamlessly export them to different word-processing programs for better documentation. Multiple voicemails can be provided in one user-friendly, readable, text-based document, ensuring you never miss anything.
Convenience And Efficiency
Voicemails always come in audio files, meaning you must listen to them to get what they’re about. This comes in very handy for many people on the go. However, not all environments are appropriate for listening to important voicemails.
Furthermore, we must consider the time it takes to listen to voicemails instead of reading them. People speaking at a moderate pace usually can say between 60 and 75 words every 30 seconds. On the other hand, adults can read an average of around 120 words in 30 seconds.
Now, I understand this is a very granular approach to measuring efficiency. However, even just expanding the duration to one minute means you can read two voicemails in the time it takes to listen to one.
Privacy
You don’t get to choose when you get voicemail or if the particular voicemail is important, like a call for a job interview. Circumstances may also require you to listen to voicemails in public or the presence of other people. Reading voicemail transcripts offers more privacy than playing audio out loud, so you don’t have to miss anything important just because you’re in an inconvenient location.
Why Choose Ditto To Transcribe Voicemail
Looking for a reliable transcription provider can be difficult. Thankfully, you already have the best provider here. With Ditto, you’ll get:
- Fast turnaround times,
- 99% accuracy on every project guaranteed
- Competitive and transparent pricing
- Customization according to your specific requirements
- Entirely U.S.-based for quality & security
- 100% human transcription
- Dedicated support with industry-specific knowledge
- FINRA, HIPAA, and CJIS compliance for privacy and security
- Translation and typing services
Stay Connected With Ditto’s Voicemail Transcription
Don’t get tangled up with all the ways to transcribe voicemail. Ditto’s professional voicemail transcription services have all the advantages without the pitfalls. Get our free trial, or contact us to learn more about our services.
Ditto Transcripts is a Denver, Colorado-based transcription services company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcripts for individuals and companies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote, and ask about our free five-day trial.
