Apple’s Notes app just got a huge productivity upgrade with iOS 18 thanks to new audio recording, transcription, and summarization tools.
Apple’s Notes app just got a huge productivity upgrade with iOS 18 thanks to new audio recording, transcription, and summarization tools.
On Monday, at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple showcased a variety of different features and OS enhancements. During the event, it was announced that the Notes app would receive audio recording and transcription capabilities, along with summarization made possible by Apple Intelligence.
AppleInsider exclusively revealed the new audio recording, transcription, and summarization features of Apple’s app Notes months before the official announcement. In our reports, we presented an overview of the app’s new features with potential use cases and comparisons to existing products.
Although it was previously possible to add audio recordings to a note after the fact, the latest version of Notes lets users record audio directly within the application. Audio recordings get embedded within individual notes, meaning that users can also add additional material of their choosing, such as images, tables, or text.
When a recording is finished, Apple Intelligence generates a summary, letting users recall the key points with ease. Recording, transcription, and LLM-powered summarization will also be available in the Phone app – while the Voice Memos app has only gained audio transcription.
It’s worth pointing out, though, that Apple Intelligence – and the related summarization features – will only become available later this year, on devices with an A17 Pro or M-series chip.
