"No speech was detected" and other recording problems
Updated 3 September 2026
“No speech was detected”
Memo could not find words in the recording. Common causes:
- the microphone was covered or facing away from the speaker,
- the room was noisy and the voice too far from the phone,
- the recording was very short.
Record again with the phone within arm’s reach of whoever is speaking. Imported files that are mostly music or noise give the same message.
The transcript has gaps
Overlapping speakers, strong accents in a language the model is less sure about, and long distances from the microphone all reduce accuracy. Try the other engine on the same recording: On-device AI and Cloud AI use different models, and one may do better for your language.
The recording stopped early
A phone call, a Siri request or another app taking the microphone interrupts recording. Memo keeps the part recorded before the interruption. Check that Memo is not being closed by Low Power Mode or by force-quitting the app.
Still wrong?
E-mail support@withmemo.app with your iPhone model, iOS version, the app version from Settings and which engine you used.
Related questions
Why does my memo say no speech was detected?
The recording was silent or too quiet for the speech model to pick up words. Record again closer to the microphone and check that nothing covers it.
Does Memo keep recording when I switch apps?
Yes. Recording continues in the background while you use other apps or lock the phone.
What happens if a call comes in while I am recording?
iOS pauses the recording for the call. Memo keeps what was recorded before the interruption.
Still stuck?
E-mail us with your iPhone model, iOS version and the app version from Settings.