Voice notes · WhatsApp Web

Read WhatsApp voice notes instead of playing them

Kaption adds a transcribe button to every voice note in WhatsApp Web. The text appears under the message, in the chat, in the language it was recorded in. Unlimited for your first 60 days.

How do I transcribe WhatsApp voice notes on a computer?

Kaption is a browser extension for WhatsApp Web in Chrome and Edge that adds a transcribe button to every voice note, in the language it was recorded in, across dozens of languages. Add it from the Chrome Web Store, open web.whatsapp.com and click transcribe on a voice note: the text appears under the message.

Every account starts with 60 days of Business, unlimited; then Free continues with limits on voice notes. Lifetime local AI (US$79 once, US$99 after your first 60 days): unlimited on your computer. Pro (US$11.99 a month) and Business: unlimited Turbo and Smart transcription, in the cloud or on your device.

Updated

WhatsApp’s own transcripts are phone-only

WhatsApp transcribes voice notes on Android and iPhone, in a short list of languages per device. WhatsApp Web has no transcript setting, so on a computer you either download the audio and upload it to another tool, or play it out loud. Kaption puts the transcript on the voice note itself.

How to transcribe a voice note

  1. 01

    Add Kaption to Chrome or Edge

    Open the Kaption listing in the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. On Edge, use the Edge Add-ons listing. No card, no account needed to start.

  2. 02

    Open WhatsApp Web

    Go to web.whatsapp.com and reload the page. Kaption appears inside your chats. Pin it from the puzzle-piece icon so it stays one click away.

  3. 03

    Click transcribe on a voice note

    The control sits on the voice message. The text appears under it, with the sender and time still around it.

  4. 04

    Use the text

    Copy it, summarize it, or translate it into your language. Long notes get a short summary so you know if the full text is worth reading.

The details

Dozens of languages

English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese and many more, in the language each note was recorded in. Live translation covers 36 languages.

Smart transcription

On Pro, transcription learns the names and brands you use, so the words that matter most come out right.

Follow along word by word

As a voice note transcribed in the cloud plays, each word lights up. Click any word to jump to that moment. On every plan.

A backup engine

If the main transcription engine is down, a backup engine takes over on its own, so your voice notes still turn into text. On every plan.

Rate a transcript

Give any transcript a thumbs up or down, and mark what was wrong. After a rating, a Share button lets you send that one voice note to Kaption to help improve transcription. It asks each time and never shares anything on its own. The privacy policy explains what happens to a shared voice note.

What leaves your computer

Only the audio you choose to transcribe, without your name, number or contacts. It is discarded once the text comes back, and it is never used to train AI models.

On the desktop app too

The Kaption desktop app for Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows 10/11 transcribes voice notes the same way, and on a Mac with macOS 26 it can transcribe on the computer itself. When the computer can't transcribe a note's language, the app sends that note to the cloud, unless you turned cloud fallback off or your plan has no cloud transcription; then it tells you the language can't be transcribed on this device.

On your phone

Kaption Transcriber for iPhone and Android transcribes voice messages on the phone. It is part of Pro.

Where it struggles

Background noise, crosstalk and unusual names. When a number or name really matters, play that part of the audio to check.

Plan and limits

Every account starts with 60 days of Business, unlimited. After that, Free continues with limits on voice notes. Lifetime local AI is one payment for unlimited transcripts and translation on your computer. Pro adds unlimited Turbo transcription in the cloud, smart transcription, unlimited summaries and translation, and the mobile app. Business adds a second WhatsApp number and call recording; Business Agent is coming in November. See plans and prices

Questions

Can WhatsApp Web transcribe voice notes on its own?

Not today. WhatsApp’s help page says transcripts on the web are “only available on certain devices” and offers no setting. On a computer you need a separate tool or an extension like Kaption.

Is it really free?

For your first 60 days, yes: every account starts with 60 days of Business, unlimited, with no card. After that, Free continues with limits on voice notes. Lifetime local AI is one payment for unlimited transcripts on your computer, and Pro and Business add unlimited Turbo transcription in the cloud.

Does it work on WhatsApp Business?

Yes. Kaption works with personal and WhatsApp Business accounts in WhatsApp Web, and in the desktop app.

Which browsers are supported?

Chrome, Edge and other Chromium-based browsers. Firefox and Safari are not supported.

Can I transcribe voice notes I sent?

Yes. Kaption transcribes any voice note in the chat, sent or received.

Stop playing voice notes out loud

Add Kaption to Chrome, open WhatsApp Web and click transcribe.

Transcribe one audio now