Record voice notes with the iPhone Action Button

Voicen provides a Control Center recording control and a recording action for Shortcuts. Add the control to start or stop a voice note from Control Center. On an iPhone with an Action Button, you can also assign a shortcut to that button. Once you stop, Voicen transcribes the saved audio and optionally polishes the text using your current settings.

Complete one recording in the app first

Voicen requires iOS 18 or later. Open it once, allow microphone access, and grant speech recognition permission if the system asks. Prepare any system models needed for your Apple Speech language while the app is open, then record a short note and confirm it saves and transcribes.

First-time permissions and some system states may require opening the app. Do not assume every recording can start entirely in the background. The Action Button route also requires an iPhone with that physical button; Control Center is an alternative when your device does not have one.

Add Voicen to Control Center

1. Open Control Center on your iPhone, enter edit mode, and choose Add a Control.
2. Search for Voicen and add its recording control somewhere easy to reach.
3. Leave edit mode and tap the control to begin recording. Open the app or complete permissions if prompted, then confirm the recording timer has started.
4. To finish, tap the control again or use the stop control inside Voicen.

The control switches between starting and stopping according to the recording state. Test one complete recording after setting it up, rather than tapping repeatedly without checking the state.

If you cannot find Voicen, confirm it is installed and has been opened, then return to Add a Control. You can also use the system Shortcuts control with a shortcut containing Voicen’s recording action. Apple documents running shortcuts from Control Center.

Assign a recording shortcut to the Action Button

1. Open Apple’s Shortcuts app and create a shortcut.
2. Search for Voicen and add its recording action. Name the shortcut Voicen recording. Choose the recording action, rather than only an Open App action.
3. Open Settings → Action Button, select Shortcut, and choose your saved shortcut.
4. Press and hold the Action Button, then confirm that recording begins. Running the same recording shortcut again while recording stops it.

The Action Button is activated by pressing and holding. Option names can vary by system version; refer to Apple’s Action Button instructions.

How do I know recording has started?

Check the recording status and timer in Voicen. On devices with Dynamic Island, its recording display can also show status when that setting is enabled. Voicen’s audio settings include information about Action Button and Control Center access, as well as a Dynamic Island display switch.

The entry point does not change your transcription settings. Cloud services still need a network connection and valid credentials. A successful recording does not mean the transcript has finished processing.

Find the note after stopping

Open the note list and check the new note’s processing status. Once it is ready, read the text and replay the audio. If processing fails, open the note, review the error, fix its cause, and retry.

Read how to record and transcribe Chinese on iPhone for provider choices and troubleshooting, or try spoken reading notes for a practical note-taking workflow.