Ryan McLean

February 17, 2022

Just Press Record

A recent article on The Verge talks about a cloud transcription service and some of the potential privacy implications of using such a service.

Starting in iOS 13, Apple made APIs available to developers that allow for on-device voice-to-text transcription. There is no subscription cost, no need for an internet connection, and nothing going to the cloud (if you want). What you do need is an app that supports it.

There are probably dozens of apps out there that facilitate this. The one I have used for years is called Just Press Record. $4.99 one time purchase. No in-app subscriptions or updates required. Includes an app for Apple Watch. They also include support for both widgets and Apple Watch complications, giving you multiple ways to Just Press Record.

Important note: By default Just Press Record does sync your recordings between devices via iCloud - so there is still potentially some possible privacy implications (although I would wager less surface area for exposure than a service like Otter). If this is a concern, you can disable the iCloud syncing and still use the recording and transcription features of the app. 

I think the native "Shortcuts" app also has a way you can record and transcribe if you want to do a little legwork yourself. For now, I continue to be happy with Just Press Record.

Missed opportunity: I should have dictated, rather than typed, this post.