Voice transcription in Telegram groups is free for everyone — no Doublegram subscription needed to transcribe. The trade-off on the standard tier is a shared hourly limit. Group premium removes that cap and also unlocks AI for the whole group.
This guide focuses on transcription limits in Telegram groups with @DoublegramScribeBot. AI access is covered in the groups guide; premium activates both together.
Standard group tier (free)
When @DoublegramScribeBot is added to a Telegram group, it auto-activates in free mode. Any member can send voice notes and get transcriptions immediately.
- 50 voice transcriptions per hour — shared across all members in the group
- Free — no subscription required for transcription
- No AI — mentioning the bot for questions does not work on this tier
- Auto-replies (
/reply) work independently of premium
How the hourly limit works
- The counter is per group, not per person — if ten members each send five voice notes in an hour, the group hits 50.
- The window resets each UTC hour — when the hour bucket changes, the count starts fresh.
- Each voice message that Scribe processes counts toward the limit, whether or not speech was detected.
When the limit is reached, Scribe replies with a message like:
Free limit reached: 50 transcriptions per hour in this group. Try again later, or a subscribed member can lift the cap.
Wait for the next hour window, or activate group premium to remove the cap.
Tip for busy groups: If voice notes are constant, group premium avoids hourly interruptions for the whole team.
Group premium (unlimited transcription)
Group premium removes the 50/hour cap and enables AI for members. For transcription specifically:
- Unlimited voice transcriptions — no hourly counter
- Available to all members who send voice notes
- Activated by a member with an active Doublegram subscription
How to activate
- A group member with an active subscription sends
/upgradein the group. - Tap Activate premium for the group.
- Scribe confirms — unlimited transcription starts immediately.
Only one premium activation is active per group at a time. If premium lapses (activator's subscription expires), the group returns to the free tier: 50 transcriptions/hour and no AI until someone reactivates with /upgrade.
Standard vs premium at a glance
| Feature | Free group | Group premium |
|---|---|---|
| Voice transcription | 50/hour (shared) | Unlimited |
| Subscription needed to transcribe | No | No (activator needs one) |
| AI (mentions, replies) | No | Yes |
| Activation | Auto on bot add | /upgrade by subscribed member |
Private chat comparison
Your private Telegram chat with @DoublegramScribeBot is different: transcription requires a personal subscription and has no hourly cap. Telegram groups are the only place where free unlimited transcription exists — via group premium.
Troubleshooting
- Quota message but group should be premium — Premium may have lapsed. A subscribed member runs
/upgradeagain. - Transcription works but AI blocked — Normal on free tier. Premium unlocks both.
- Bot ignores voice notes — Group may not be activated. Re-add the bot or check that Scribe was not removed.
- Limit hit early in the hour — Remember the cap is shared. A burst of voice notes from many members adds up quickly.
Quick reference
- Free groups: 50 voice/hour, shared
- Premium: unlimited transcription + AI
- Activate:
/upgradein group - Resets: each UTC hour (free tier)
Related: learn how @DoublegramScribeBot auto-titles forum topics in Automatic Topic Titles in Private Telegram Chat.