I wrote half this article on Apple Watch, thanks to this under-the-radar iOS 18 feature

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

I wrote about half of this article on my Apple Watch. Seriously. It's easy and efficient. If you keep reading, I'll show you how you can turn your Watch into a powerful writing assistant.

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This is new. It's made possible by the iOS 18 and MacOS Sequoia updates. The key is the Voice Memos app, which iOS and MacOS can now automatically transcribe. First, I'll explain where this can fit into your writing workflow, and then I'll walk you through the step-by-step process to use it every day.

My new Voice Memo writing workflow

We've had the Voice Memos app for quite some time, but getting the text transcribed involved listening to the audio and hand-typing what you said in the memo. That was just way more work than it was worth, especially for day-to-day use.

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But this new ability to record a memo and then just cut and paste the text transcription right into your writing is a huge time saver. It removes a tremendous amount of tedium, substantially boosts productivity, and possibly increases the quality of your writing.

That last paragraph was dictated into my Watch. I brought it into this article, gave it a quick edit, and now it's in the article just as if I'd written it using a keyboard while sitting in front of my computer.

I think about my articles for quite some time before I hit the keyboard and start putting down words on the screen. During that pre-writing time, elements of the article tend to flow in and flow out of my head.

I do try to rush back to my computer if I have a really good idea that I want to write down, but it doesn't always happen. As a result, a lot of good and useful thoughts for my articles wind up forgotten.

Using the Watch with Voice Memos is a great asset because it helps me record all those thoughts, so when I sit down at the keyboard to write the article, I have a lot to get started with.

Using a Watch this way is a huge bonus for my workflow and productivity. It's also a really good justification for keeping the Watch on my wrist at all times. It's probably one of the best justifications I have found so far since I strapped my first Apple Watch to my wrist (a Series 2) way back in 2017. For the record, I'm currently wearing a Series 9, which is my third Apple Watch.

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The power of Voice Memos is that I can dictate them at any time or location and know that I don't have to worry about transcribing them when I'm ready to use them. All I do is record a paragraph like the one you're reading right now into my Watch, and know that I will later be able to cut and paste it right into my document and use it as part of my article. This paragraph was recorded while I was taking a walk in Oregon's beautiful Inspiration Garden.

And yes, I have dictated article snippets while sitting on the porcelain throne. I have some of my best thoughts there. 

The only thing I have to remember is to transfer the dictation from my Watch to the various notes documents that I keep for pending articles. Otherwise, it's possible I might forget that there is existing material already recorded for transcription.

I'm working on getting into the discipline of checking my Voice Memos daily so that if something hasn't yet been transcribed, I can have the computer transcribe it. After that, I file it in the appropriate pending article note, where I can work with it later.

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So, next, let's look at how you can put this tool to work.

How to access Voice Memo transcriptions

To start with, you'll need an Apple iPhone with iOS 18, an Apple Watch with WatchOS 11, and if you want to cut and paste dictated notes on your desktop machine, a Mac running MacOS 15.

Voice Memos is built into WatchOS, so you don't need to install it. Later, I'll share some quality-of-life customizations you might choose to set up.

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To record a memo, launch Voice Memos, click the big red circle, and talk. When done, hit the square.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

That's it for the dictating part of this process. Repeat any time you have an idea you want to take down. 

Now, on your iPhone or your Mac (I'm showing the Mac), open the Voice Memos app. Recordings are labeled by number when they're first created. You can click on the name and give a more descriptive name if you wish, but only on the Mac or your iPhone. You can't change the name of the recording on your Watch (which is where it would be most useful).

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To get a transcription, click the tiny little quote icon in the upper right of the screen. On the left side of the screen is a list of your other voice memos. If the quote icon exists, there's a transcription. If there's no quote icon, it has not been transcribed. If an older memo hasn't been transcribed, tap its name, then once again hit the tiny icon in the upper right of the screen.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Once the transcription is complete, click the Edit button and copy the text. Paste it into whatever tool you're using to do your writing.

And you're done. Getting a transcription is that easy.

Add one-tap access to Voice Memos

To launch the Voice Memos app on your Watch, you need to click the Digital Crown and then scroll around until you can find the Voice Memos app.

There is a better way. You can install a complication on your Watch face and access Voice Memos with one tap. Here's how mine looks.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

I'm using the Modular face, and since I'm sitting here typing, my Post-Workout heart rate shows as "—". Rest assured, I do have a heart, and it does beat when I work out.

The Voice Memos complication is at the top on the left. One tap of that, and you can record. 

To set it up for your Watch, launch the Watch app and click on the watch face you want to modify. You'll need to choose a watch face that has at least one complication available.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Next, you must assign the Voice Memos app to a complication slot. Here, I've set the Top Left complication to Voice Memos.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

And that's all there is to it. Exit the Watch app and enjoy your Apple Watch with voice transcription.

I am super-stoked by this fairly under-the-radar feature. I've been using it almost every day. Let us know in the comments below if you've tried out this transcription trick and what you think.

You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly update newsletter, and follow me on Twitter/X at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.