Fact · Dictation in your apps
Microsoft says an uploaded file is transcribed in a time that depends on your internet speed, and can take up to about the length of the audio file, so a long recording may take as long as the recording itself.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“Transcription may take a while depending on your internet speed, up to about the length of the audio file.”
Transcribe your recordings (Word for Microsoft 365), Microsoft Support, n.d., Upload an audio file section.
Open the original- What it measures
- This sentence is in the steps for uploading an audio file. Microsoft also tells you to keep the Transcribe pane open while the transcription runs.
- What it does not show
- Microsoft gives an upper estimate in words, not a measured time. Actual time depends on the file and the connection.