Voice input goes way beyond the old days of opening a blank document and dictating. Once I had my first taste of mobile speech-to-text writing, I became obsessed with how I can become a free-range, post-QWERTY writer forever.

Unfortunately, when I first got interested in speech-to-text writing, I had a hard time figuring out where to start.

So, if you're ready to liberate yourself from devices with mobile voice input, here are my favorite tools to get started.

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Tool #1: AudioPen for Beginners Who Want Automagically Refined Text

For beginners, I recommend starting with AudioPen.

This tool allows you to press record and watch your unstructured verbal recording transform into refined text—all within one app.

Whether it's jotting down ideas in the middle of the night or while taking a walk, AudioPen is brilliant for cleaning up a quick voice note on the go, without the need for additional editing. Whether you recorded a project checklist or a formal email, it's easy to adjust the output length and writing style within the app.

Recordings are limited to 3 minutes for the free version and 15 minutes for the paid version, and you have to keep your screen on and stay on the app.

I was an early customer in this up-and-coming startup, so I got grandfathered into AudioPen Prime. Now the paid version costs $99 per year, but the free version is also incredibly useful.

Tool #2: Ultimate Brain Voice Notes for Content Creators Using Notion

The second tool I've used most is Ultimate Brain Voice Notes, which integrates directly with Notion. I've probably spent hundreds of hours using it.

It requires more initial setup but is fantastic for reducing administrative burden and digital overwhelm. You can also set up Zapier automations to send the other apps to Notion, but Ultimate Brain might be a better fit, especially if you create content.

Just hit record on your phone and start talking. An accurate, AI-polished transcription automatically appears in your Notion space with an AI-generated title, summary, and follow-up items. Unlike AudioPen which limits recordings to 15 minutes, there are no length limitations with Ultimate Brain Voice Notes.

Ultimate Brain Voice Notes requires a $30 per month paid PipeDream account, plus about 40 cents per hour for voice recordings. If you use it with the Ultimate Brain System for Notion (a digital brain for content creators), it’s an additional $129.

Tool #3: Otter - My Favorite All-In-One Solution for Monologues and Conversations

The third tool I recommend is Otter.

Designed for conversations, Otter transcribes meetings in real-time, extracts action items, and generates summaries.

What I love most about Otter is its versatility.

Whether for meeting notes or monologues, you can see your transcript in real-time or turn off the screen and keep recording.

Unlike AudioPen, Otter allows you to multitask—switching between apps while still recording.

For example, I'm using Otter to write this post.

I'm recording my voice but taking long pauses in the middle of the recording to look up prices and features and just think about what I want to say.

Then, I switch back to the app and can see everything I'm saying transcribed in real-time.

In fact, I'm even using Otter with a group to create a course simply by showing up to the meetings and using the meeting transcripts plus a little bit of AI cleaning.

Our work is practically done for us—our meeting transcripts are basically making the course write itself. Conversations transform to content with minimal effort.

Otter Pro is $16.99 per month, but the free version works well for most needs.

Tool #4: Gboard for Mobile Dictation

The last tool I'll share is Gboard, a keyboard app for your phone.

It's excellent for dictating in real-time for small tasks like texts, filling out forms, writing short emails, or leaving quick comments.

It’s basic but does a great job, automatically adding punctuation and detecting new sentences or questions.

I use Gboard to practice voice input and reduce how much I use my keyboard on my phone. Ultimately, I think that will be the way we interface with most technology.

Final Thoughts

The information I'm sharing is the result of thousands of hours of trial and error, research, and finding out what works best. There are more tools, but these are the ones I've used the most.

For me, it's not about the tool—it's about changing my mindset.

Every time I have an idea, I don't need to pull out a screen or a keyboard when it's easier just to communicate conversationally.

You don't need to stare into a screen or have your hands glued to a device anymore. We can all be free range writers—it just takes a little practice.

By the way, I wrote and edited this entire article while lounging by the pool and talking to myself. To get a 90% completed draft, I recorded 30 minutes (20 minutes to draft, 10 minutes to edit). Now you're reading it.

If you try one of these tools, let me know how it goes for you.

I'm creating a FREE crash course on speech-to-text writing. Subscribe here to join the waitlist: www.mic2pen.com

The Best Tools to Get Started with Speech-to-Text Writing

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