Missing calls can cause a domino effect and disrupt your daily routines, and professionals often fumble through lengthy recordings or waste time trying to capture essential details from rambling voicemails. Although forward-thinking professionals use transcription companies to transcribe voicemails, many still face mounting pressure to stay connected.
The need for instant access to messages has never been more critical, especially with 35% of US employees working remotely in 2025. Many professionals can’t afford to put their work on hold every time a voicemail notification pops up, making transcribing voicemails a go-to solution for many.
So, what are the factors you should be aware of before transcribing voicemail, and is there a better option than doing it yourself?
In this article, you’ll learn how:
- Most modern phones (iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel, and more) have built-in voicemail transcription features to convert voice messages to text.
- For better manual transcription results, use quality headphones with noise cancellation and create a dedicated quiet workspace – this helps catch minor details.
- Instead of perfecting transcription in one go, a multi-pass approach works better—capture the message, go back to fix unclear parts, and then clean up grammar or wherever needs to be fixed.
What Is Voice Mail Transcription?
Voicemail transcription converts voice messages into written text documents that you can actually read.
With voicemail transcriptions, you can forget about frantically fumbling with your phone’s volume buttons to just read to hear what someone said. Usually, transcription takes all the spoken words (including filler words like “ahhs” and “umms”) and writes them down into documents you can skim through, like morning emails.
I said “usually” because sometimes, clients opt for a clean verbatim transcription where you eliminate all the filler words but maintain the meaning of the texts.
So, if your boss leaves a long-winded message that sounds like it was recorded inside a spinning laundry machine while you’re at your brother’s wedding, you can have the voicemail transcribed and deal with it later with much-needed clarity.
Voicemail Transcription Features by Common Devices
Since many professionals prefer to record or send voicemail messages using cellular phones, here are some common transcription tools and features of our most commonly used phones.
| Device/Platform | Transcription Features |
| iPhones or IOS | Visual Voicemail converts messages to readable text right in the Voicemail app. Free with most carriers and supports multiple languages. |
| Samsung Galaxy | Built-in voicemail-to-text in Phone app with message sorting and search features. Works with most major carriers. |
| Google Pixel | Real-time transcription with spam filtering and 90-day message storage in Phone app. |
| OnePlus | Built-in transcription on newer models with message starring and smart categorization. |
| Huawei | Basic transcription through EMUI with multi-language support and AI-assisted accuracy. |
| Xiaomi | Automatic conversion in MIUI with cloud backup and message filtering through Mi AI. |
| Android (Stock) | Varies by carrier and model, available through Phone app or Google Voice with smart formatting. |
Step-by-Step Guides for Transcribing Voicemails
If you aim to convert voicemails to text messages (transcripts) using your phones, simply follow these streamlined steps.
- Check your phone’s built-in transcription features: Most modern phones include this functionality in their default settings. Access your voicemail settings and then find out if transcriptions are enabled.
- Start transcribing: Once enabled, access your voicemail inbox, then select the message you want to transcribe. Most systems will automatically begin transcribing new messages as they arrive, but for older messages, you may need to choose the specific voicemail to initiate transcription.
- Use alternative methods if needed: For messages that aren’t automatically transcribed, or if you need more accurate results, consider using a dedicated transcription app. Download a third-party app from your device’s app store. These apps often offer features like custom formatting and the ability to edit transcriptions.
The Weakness of Automated Transcription
Voicemail transcription can be caused in various ways for businesses, including compliance, record-keeping, client management, systems integration, and more. I know I’ve said this before, but this bears repeating: the consequences of inaccurate transcription are heavy, far-reaching, and unpredictable.
Miscommunications, legal ramifications, loss of credibility, misinformation, operational errors, medical errors, negative financial consequences, damaged relationships, and time and resource waste are some potential effects of incorrect transcripts.
For all its speed, automated solutions from your built-in system still cannot transcribe with acceptably accurate results. Most platforms and solutions are only about 61.92% accurate.
AI transcription work is at the mercy of background noise, overlapping speakers, different accents and dialects, and poor audio file quality. It cannot identify nuance and utilize context to create a more accurate verbatim transcription — things that come naturally to experienced human transcriptionists.
Ditto: A Better Way To Transcribe Voicemails
So, why don’t you let the professionals do the heavy lifting? That way, you can save time or focus on the more critical aspects of your daily tasks—not sitting for hours trying to polish the jumbled transcript cause speech recognition is unreliable.
Choosing Ditto comes with many benefits; here are some of what you can expect:
Accuracy
We guarantee 99% accuracy in every transcription project. All you have to do is focus on creating valuable recordings, and we’ll transcribe them flawlessly—the first time.
Human Transcriptions
Our team isn’t filled with robots—let’s keep those for the movies. We have professional transcriptionists who understand accents, the subtlety of multiple speakers, or the technical jargon. They’ll convert audio or video files into texts that reflect your conversation’s natural flow.
Turnaround Time
We understand time is money, so ensure you deliver your transcripts within the agreed-upon timeframe. You can also choose the turnaround time. You can opt for a rush project or a standard one.
Security
Audio or video recordings aren’t created equal; we understand that some may contain sensitive information. For that reason, Ditto Transcripts is HIPAA, CJIS, and FINRA compliant. You can sleep well at night knowing that your content is secured with us.
Affordability
We acknowledge that official audio recordings can be highly valuable for organizations, and transcribing them can be costly. So, we offer high-quality transcription services that won’t break the bank. We have options to fit any budget without sacrificing a single bit of quality.
24/7 Customer Support
Humans run our customer service process—not chatbots. We take the time to understand your requirements and will gladly assist you with technicalities or answer any questions.
Customizability
Our transcription services aren’t just about accuracy and meeting the client’s requirements. Do you need a verbatim transcript that captures every “um” and “uh”? Do you have a specified template? Or do you need a polished version for a blog post? We can modify the transcript to satisfy your needs and ensure you get exactly what you need to reach your goals.
Ditto Can Produce Voicemail Transcripts With Absolute Accuracy
At Ditto Transcripts, we provide professional voicemail transcription services that leading companies rely on. Our expertise delivers rapid turnaround on searchable transcripts you can reference for years.
Not convinced? Call us for any questions, or take advantage of our free trial to experience what it’s like working with the best.
Ditto Transcripts is a FINRA, HIPAA, and CJIS-compliant 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.