# Rename speakers in a transcript

> Give a speaker a real name from any transcript line. The name applies to every line they speak, for everyone with access, and can be reset.

Updated: 2026-08-16 · Canonical: https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/rename-speakers/

You can rename any speaker directly from the transcript. The name applies to every line from that speaker in the recording — not only the line you started from — and everyone with access to the recording sees it.

## On iOS

1. Open the recording and switch to the transcript.
2. Tap the speaker's name above any of their lines (it has a small pencil next to it).
3. In the **Speaker name** dialog, type the name and tap **Save**.

The dialog notes exactly what happens: "Name this speaker. Applies to every line they speak."

## On Android

1. Open the recording and switch to the transcript.
2. Tap the speaker's name above any of their lines.
3. In the **Speaker name** dialog, type the name and save.

## On the web

1. Open the recording and click a speaker's name in the transcript.
2. Choose **Rename speaker**.
3. Type the name and confirm. The dialog states: "The name applies to every line from this speaker, for everyone with access."

## Who sees the new name?

Everyone with access to the recording — you on all your devices, members of any Space the recording is shared in, and viewers of a public share link. The name is also used everywhere the transcript is rendered: exports, copied text, and AI answers that quote the transcript. There is no per-viewer name.

Renaming requires edit access: the owner and Space members can rename speakers; someone viewing through a public link cannot. See [Who can see and do what?](https://usecanto.com/help/sharing/permissions-reference/)

## How do I undo a rename?

Reset the speaker to its automatic name:

- **iOS / Android** — tap the speaker's name again and choose **Reset to auto** in the **Speaker name** dialog.
- **Web** — open the speaker's menu and choose **Reset to auto name**.

Resetting restores whatever Canto had before your manual name: the AI-inferred name if there is one, otherwise the numbered fallback like **Speaker 1**. See [How does Canto tell speakers apart?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/speaker-separation/) for where those automatic names come from.

## Troubleshooting

### The rename changed lines that belong to a different person

Names attach to a *detected* speaker, not to lines. If Canto merged two people into one speaker during transcription, renaming that speaker labels both people's lines — and there's no way to reassign individual lines. See [Speakers are mixed up or mislabeled](https://usecanto.com/help/troubleshooting/speakers-mislabeled/).

### The same person appears twice under two names

The opposite case: one voice was split into two speakers. Rename both labels to the same name; the lines stay separate turns but read correctly.

Related articles:

- [How does Canto tell speakers apart?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/speaker-separation/)
- [Speakers are mixed up or mislabeled](https://usecanto.com/help/troubleshooting/speakers-mislabeled/)
- [Who can see and edit what?](https://usecanto.com/help/sharing/permissions-reference/)