Turn a Voice Note Into Text, Right From Chrome
An idea is easy to lose between having it and typing it up. The ScreenApp Chrome extension records your microphone, the audio playing in a browser tab, or both, then turns that recording into a summary and a transcript you can search later, instead of leaving you with a raw audio file to relisten to.
The extension records from screen, window, browser tab, microphone and camera, with system audio, so a voice note works the same way as a lecture playing in another tab or a call you want a record of.
What you get:
- AI notes: a summary of what you said, generated from the recording
- A transcript with speaker labels, in 100+ languages
- search across recordings by name or transcript
- Ask AI questions about a note and get an answer that points to the moment it was said
- Free plan: 2 transcriptions of recordings up to 45 minutes each, with AI chat
- Downloading the original audio needs a paid plan (Paid plans only)
How to Take Audio Notes in Chrome
- Add the extension: Install ScreenApp from the Chrome Web Store. The icon sits in your toolbar and needs no separate setup to start recording.
- Record the note: Click the icon and pick your microphone, a browser tab, or both. Speak naturally, and pause or resume as you go.
- Read the summary: Stop the recording and the AI notes and transcript are ready in your ScreenApp library a few minutes later, searchable from any device where you sign in.
A clear microphone close to you gives the best transcript; a noisy room or a note recorded far from the mic leaves gaps. See how we measure accuracy.
Audio Note Taking Chrome Extension vs Other Apps
| Feature | ScreenApp | Otter.ai | Audionotes | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free recording | 2 transcriptions, up to 45 min each | 300 min/month, 30 min per conversation | Unlimited notes, 1 min per note | Needs Plus ($15.99/year) |
| Chrome extension | Chrome extension that records tab, screen, mic and camera | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| AI summary and chat | Included | Pro, $8.33/month billed annually, or $16.99 monthly | Included | No AI summary |
| Languages | 100+ | 6 | 99+ | Not stated |
| Paid plan | $19/month annual | $8.33/month annual | $129.99/year | $15.99/year |
Sources, checked 2026-09-17: ScreenApp Chrome extension, screenapp.io/accuracy#languages, ScreenApp pricing, otter.ai/pricing, audionotes.app, notability.com/pricing
- vs Otter.ai: Otter’s free plan caps you at 300 minutes a month and 30 minutes per conversation, with no Chrome extension for capturing tab audio. ScreenApp’s extension records from screen, window, browser tab, microphone and camera, with system audio.
- vs Audionotes: Audionotes limits a free note to 1 minute and has no Chrome extension, so it cannot capture audio from a browser tab. ScreenApp’s free plan covers 2 transcriptions of recordings up to 45 minutes each from the browser itself.
- vs Notability: Notability is a handwriting and note-taking app. Audio recording and transcription need the Plus plan at $15.99 a year, and there is no AI summary or Chrome extension. ScreenApp is built around the note and the transcript, from any Chrome tab.
Who Takes Audio Notes in Chrome
Students record a lecture playing in a browser tab or their own spoken summary after class, then read the AI notes instead of typing while listening.
Professionals capture a quick voice note between browser tabs, a thought before a meeting, a to-do before it is forgotten, and get it back as searchable text.
Researchers record a thought or an interview clip playing in the browser, then search the transcript later instead of scrubbing through audio to find a quote.
Content creators talk through an idea for a script or an outline, then work from the transcript instead of the recording.
