To transcribe voice notes, record them on your phone and forward them to the Potok bot on Telegram. Files up to 2 GB are accepted, and short ones come back as text in the chat. Copy the plain text into your notes, then fix names and any word that looks odd.
Transcribe a recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram
Files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT · speaker labels and timestamps · about 30 languages
Key facts
- Short files return as a chat message, so there is nothing to download and open for a quick thought.
- Plain text is the right output here: you want to search, copy and edit, not to format a report.
- Speaker labels and timestamps are not needed when you are the only voice.
How to do it
- Record one idea per note. A note about a single topic is easy to find later. Speak at a steady pace and finish the sentence.
- Name things out loud. Say names, places and numbers clearly, as these are the likely misses.
- Open the bot. Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram and start a chat with it.
- Forward or send the note. Forward the voice message from any chat, or attach the file from your recorder app.
- Read the reply. A short result appears as text in the chat. A long one arrives as a file.
- Copy to your notes. Paste the text into your notes app, with a title that says what the idea was.
- Tidy and tag. Fix any odd word, add tags, and delete the voice message if you no longer need it.
What the result looks like
[00:00] Speaker 1: Reminder for tomorrow: call the dentist, book the car service and buy a birthday card.
[00:09] Speaker 1: Also, look up the train times for Friday evening.
Sample text written by us to show the layout of a transcript. It is not the output of the recognition engine and not a real recording.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Where it works | Telegram bot @potok_now_bot; large files go through the bot's mini app |
| File size | Up to 2 GB |
| Export | TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT |
| Speakers and time | Speaker labels and timestamps can be switched on |
| Languages | About 30 languages with good published results; a few more with warnings |
| Translation | The transcript is not translated into another language |
| Dictation | A separate Potok desktop app lets you dictate text into any program; it recognises Russian speech |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Rambling over several topics | The text becomes one block that is hard to search. | Record a separate note for each idea. |
| Speaking while walking in wind | Noise swallows words and the text has gaps. | Stop for a moment, shield the microphone, or repeat the key words. |
| Never reading the result | A wrong word in a task or address goes unnoticed until it matters. | Read the text once while the idea is fresh. |
| Keeping only the audio | You cannot search sound, so old ideas are lost. | Keep the text, and delete the audio when you have checked it. |
More
See the full list of languages, the tools and the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Can I forward a voice message from another chat?
Yes. Forward it to the bot and it sends the text back. This works for voice messages and for audio files.
Do short files come back as text?
Yes, a short result arrives right in the chat. A long result comes as a file you can open.
Is a transcript of my own voice always right?
No. Names, places and numbers are the usual weak points. Give the text a quick read before you rely on it.
Do I need speaker labels for voice notes?
No. With one voice, labels add clutter. Leave them off and export plain text.
Which format should I choose?
TXT keeps it simple. MD works if your notes app reads Markdown, and DOCX if you plan to edit longer notes.
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- Voice recorder (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- Voice Memos (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
Try it on your own recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram