# Capture and transcribe a voice note

**Category:** [Notes](https://help.totalctrl.app/hc/totalctrl/totalctrl-help-center/en-US/categories/notes-1)
**Updated:** 2026-08-19

## What voice notes are

In addition to typed notes, Notes supports **voice notes** — recorded audio that is automatically transcribed and summarized by AI. Voice notes are typically captured in the TotalCtrl mobile app and then appear in Notes alongside your text notes.
## How a voice note is processed

After a recording is uploaded, it moves through several stages, shown as a status badge on the note:

- **Pending transcription / Transcribing** — the audio is being converted to text.
- **Pending summary / Summarizing** — the AI is generating a summary using your chosen template.
- **Transcribed & Summarized** — processing is complete.

If something goes wrong, the note shows an **error** status so you can retry.
## What you get

A finished voice note contains the AI **summary**, **action items**, and **key topics**, plus the full verbatim **transcript**. You can edit the typed-notes section, change the template and re-summarize, and play back the original audio.
## Audio retention

To save storage, original audio files are automatically purged after they expire; the transcript and summary remain on the note. Plan to keep anything you need from the audio before it is removed.
## Export options

When exporting a voice note (see [Summarize and export notes](summarize-and-export-notes)) you can choose to include the summary, your notes, the transcript, or any combination.

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## Related Articles

- [Notes overview](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/notes-overview-1)
- [Voice Notes and AI Transcription](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/voice-notes-and-ai-transcription)
- [Summarize and export notes](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/summarize-and-export-notes)
- [Notes Overview](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/notes-overview)
- [Share a note with your team](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/share-a-note-with-your-team)

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