Call me biased, but Google Recorder is not only the best app of the year.

It's a bit ridiculous considering that until very recently, voice recording apps that could transcribe on the fly were still rare. Most apps don't bother converting audio to text, and those that do, like Otter for example, charge extra. And if you are not frustrated by these limitations, virtually all software with this feature requires an Internet connection for transcription.

But with the introduction of Google Recorder along with the Pixel 4, everything changed. Not only can Google's app do live transcription, it is extremely accurate, free, and does not require sending the audio to some distant server to spit out the text. It is also smart enough to tag the recording based on contextual information such as what was recorded and where the clip occurred. Finally, the fact that everything you record is searchable via Google Assistant is just the icing on the cake.

Perhaps it's no surprise that Google Recorder has become a favorite app of the Tom's Guide staff. We happen to have several Pixel devices in-house, and writers and editors often ask for a Pixel device just before heading out to cover a story. Thus, my only complaint about the software. It can be sideloaded onto most other Android devices, but whether or not it works depends on the manufacturer that made the device.

Here's hoping Google rolls it out to wide release soon; Recorder is a revolution in note-taking, whether in class, in a meeting, or in an interview.