# Why is my recording locked or not transcribed?

> What the Locked and Not transcribed states mean on the free plan, and how upgrading unlocks the transcript automatically.

Updated: 2026-08-16 · Canonical: https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/locked-recordings/

A recording shows **Locked** or **Not transcribed** when you've used your free plan's 100 transcription minutes for the month. Your audio is safe either way — upgrading to Pro unlocks it without re-recording anything.

## What's the difference between Locked and Not transcribed?

- **Locked** — the recording that crossed the limit was still transcribed, but the transcript is hidden until you upgrade. You'll see "You've used your free minutes this month. Upgrade to Pro to unlock this transcript — and keep everything unlimited."
- **Not transcribed** — recordings after that aren't transcribed while you're over the limit. You'll see "You're out of transcription minutes. Upgrade to Pro and this recording transcribes automatically."

In both states the audio is stored and plays back normally. Nothing is deleted.

## How do I unlock a recording?

1. Open the recording and choose **Upgrade to unlock**, or open **Plan & billing** in settings.
2. Upgrade to Pro (or join a Team plan).
3. Locked transcripts appear immediately, and untranscribed recordings are transcribed automatically — you don't need to resubmit them.

## When does the free limit reset?

Allowances reset at the start of each calendar month. The free plan includes 100 min / mo of transcription; see [What are the free plan limits?](https://usecanto.com/help/billing/free-limits/) for the full list.

## Troubleshooting

### I upgraded but the recording is still locked

Transcription of blocked recordings starts within a few minutes of upgrading. If a recording stays locked, open **Plan & billing** and use **Restore purchases** to refresh your plan, then reopen the recording.

### My recording failed rather than being locked

A failed state isn't a quota issue — see [My transcription is stuck or failed](https://usecanto.com/help/troubleshooting/transcription-stuck/).

Related articles:

- [What do Free, Pro, and Team include?](https://usecanto.com/help/billing/plans/)
- [What happens when I hit a limit?](https://usecanto.com/help/billing/what-happens-at-limit/)
- [Upgrade to Canto Pro](https://usecanto.com/help/billing/upgrade-to-pro/)