Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
The Potok Telegram bot @potok_now_bot transcribes a WhatsApp voice message into text: save the recording as a file, send it to the bot in a private chat, and it returns the text. A short recording comes back as text right away, a long one as a file. 60 minutes of recognition per month are free. The bot recognizes 100+ languages (the language is detected automatically), and there is no translation.
A WhatsApp voice message can be turned into text with a third-party tool. The fastest way is the Potok Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: it takes an already saved recording and sends the transcript to the chat. You can send the file directly in a private chat, and nothing extra needs to be installed.
A WhatsApp voice message to text, step by step
The path to the finished text is short: first the recording is saved as a file, then it is sent to the bot.
- Save the voice message as an audio file. This can usually be done with the tools of the app where you received it.
- Open Telegram and find the bot @potok_now_bot in search.
- Press Start (the /start command) if you are writing to the bot for the first time.
- Send it the saved file in a private chat, as an attachment, as an ordinary document or audio.
- Wait for the reply: a short recording comes as text right in the chat, a longer one as a separate file.
- The file format (TXT or DOCX), timecodes and speaker labels can be set with the /settings command even before you send the recording.
What comes back
- the bot sends the finished text of a short recording right away in the same chat message;
- it sends a long transcript as a separate file, TXT or DOCX, depending on what was chosen in advance;
- the Summary button collects the main points of the recording and distributes tasks among the participants of the conversation;
- the Tasks and deadlines button pulls out of the text separately who must do what and when;
- the Ask button answers a specific question about the content of the recording without retelling all of it;
- the Other format button gives the same text in Markdown, PDF or in the subtitle files SRT and VTT;
- when there are several voices and labeling is on, the lines are marked not with names but with numbers: "Speaker 1", "Speaker 2".
The difference between such a transcript and ordinary voice input of text is explained on the page transcription and voice input: what is the difference.
| Service | Free | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Potok bot and web version | 60 minutes per month | 7 days: 249 ₽, 30 days: 449 ₽, one year: 2 890 ₽; included in the Potok app subscription |
| Transkriptor | 10 minutes on sign-up, limited to 2 min/day (according to the localized Russian site transkriptor.ru); the international site transkriptor.com states a free trial (up to 90 minutes according to secondary sources; the official pricing page could not be opened directly because it timed out) | 490 ₽/one-time (Start, 150 minutes (transkriptor.ru)); 790 ₽/one-time (Pro, 700 minutes (transkriptor.ru)); 1900 ₽/one-time (Premium, 2100 minutes (transkriptor.ru)) |
| Transkribator (@gotranscribeai_bot) | 3 transcriptions per month | — |
| Fireflies.ai | limited storage and AI credits | — |
| Voicy (@voicybot) | free; on the Wit.ai engine, recordings of up to 50 seconds | — |
| SaluteSpeech Bot (Sber) | free; voice messages, audio and video notes | — |
| TurboScribe | 3 files a day, each up to 30 minutes | $20/mo (Unlimited, monthly) |
When the bot will not fit
A recording in another language works too, the bot understands 100+ languages (the language is detected automatically), but it does not translate. It also will not insert the real names of the participants of the conversation, only the numbers "Speaker 1" and "Speaker 2" instead. The bot does not produce text right during a conversation: it needs an already finished recording sent as a file. The bot accepts links to Instagram (Reels and posts with video) and TikTok, as well as YouTube, VK Video and RuTube. Of the video platforms, YouTube, VK Video, RuTube, Instagram and TikTok are supported, plus direct files. A broader overview of transcription services is in the comparison of transcription services. The bot itself is a cloud service: it does not work without internet access, and voice is processed on servers in Russia.
Frequently asked questions
It can, but by numbers: with speaker labeling turned on in the settings these are "Speaker 1" and "Speaker 2", and the bot does not know names.
Yes, the Other format button exports the text also as SRT and VTT, which are subtitle files, alongside TXT, DOCX, Markdown and PDF.
How to turn a WhatsApp voice message into text. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For How to turn a WhatsApp voice message into text you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to turn a WhatsApp voice message into text. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For How to turn a WhatsApp voice message into text you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to turn a WhatsApp voice message into text. Versions are available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the default hotkey is Ctrl+Space; there are no mobile versions. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. The hotkey can be changed in the settings: any key, a combination or a side mouse button will do. Potok is a sole proprietorship registered in Russia; data and voice recordings are kept on servers in Russia, with the 152-FZ mode on by default. For How to turn a WhatsApp voice message into text you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to turn a WhatsApp voice message into text. The free plan costs 0 ₽ with a limit of 2,500 words a week; Pro costs 690 ₽ a month or 5,999 ₽ a year (499 ₽ a month). Here is how Potok works: hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), speak, release — and the finished text is inserted into the active field of any app. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For How to turn a WhatsApp voice message into text you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Recording to text
Send a recording to Potok's Telegram bot or upload a file of up to 2 GB in the bot's mini app. The first 60 minutes of every month are free.
Open @potok_now_bot in TelegramPrimary sources: core.telegram.org · www.ixbt.com · developers.sber.ru · t.me
Transcribe a recording in Telegram
Voice messages, video notes, audio and video are transcribed by Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: forward it a voice message from any chat, or send a file or a YouTube, VK Video, RuTube, Instagram or TikTok link. A short recording comes back as text in the chat, a long one as a file; timestamps and speaker labels can be turned on. The buttons give a short summary, tasks and deadlines, an answer to a question about the recording and export to TXT, DOCX, PDF or SRT. Large files, up to 2 GB, are easier to upload in the bot's mini app, via the Upload button next to the input field. The bot recognizes 100+ languages (the language is detected automatically); 60 minutes per month are free.