Hands-free voice memo on the go

On the move — just open and speak.

Even when your hands are full — commuting, cycling, driving — recording starts the moment you open it; just speak, with high-accuracy on-device voice. Your draft is auto-saved on device, and Obsidian gets a local save — so it survives even with no signal. Capture a thought by voice alone, without looking or tapping.

Download on the App Store See setup

By AI ATAKA

⚠ Safety & law (please read)

Holding your phone, calling, or gazing at the screen while driving or riding is illegal and dangerous in Japan (distracted cycling has been penalized since Nov 2024). This feature is designed to work by voice alone — no looking, no tapping, but for safety please: (1) stop in a safe place first, or (2) use hands-free, voice-only, without looking at or touching a mounted phone, or (3) have a passenger operate it. Eyes on the road first, always.

In one sentence

The instant you open the app, voice input auto-starts — so you can capture by voice alone, no looking or tapping. What you say is auto-saved as a draft on device and written to Obsidian as a local file; the email queues offline and sends automatically when you reconnect. So nothing is lost on the move, even without signal.

Four things that make it work on the go

🎙️ Auto-record on open
Turn on "auto-start voice input on launch" and recording begins the instant you open it — no hunting for the mic, no tapping.
🎯 Accurate, on-device voice
Apple's latest on-device recognition (iOS 26): accurate, nothing uploaded, no extra cost. Once the language model is installed, it recognizes offline too.
💾 Draft auto-save
What you speak is auto-saved on device with AES-GCM. App crash or interruption — resume next time. Nothing slips through.
🟣 Obsidian local save (offline OK)
Obsidian integration writes directly to the folder. Even with no connection, it appends to the local note on the spot; iCloud syncs once you're back online. For the fully hands-free path — speaking to AirPods, phone in pocket — see the AirPods → Obsidian guide (Japanese).

Triple-saved offline — so it never disappears

In tunnels, mountains, or basements with no signal, the moment you send, your memo lands in three places. Back online, the email auto-sends and Obsidian syncs via iCloud.

🗣️ Speak (offline) → 💾 Draft (on device) ＋ 📤 Outbox queue ＋ 🟣 Obsidian local
Privacy

Transcription stays on the device; neither audio nor text is uploaded. Drafts, the offline queue, and send history are AES-GCM-encrypted on device. Memo bodies are transit-only and not persistently stored on our servers.

Setup (about 2 minutes)

  • iPhone (iOS 26+, a supported device)
  • An Obsidian vault on iCloud Drive (used for local save)
  • Online once (to fetch the language model)
  1. Auto-start voice on launch
    Settings → Advanced settings → "Auto-start voice input on launch." Recording then begins the instant you open the app.
  2. Choose your Obsidian folder
    Turn on Obsidian integration under Advanced settings and pick your vault folder on iCloud Drive. Direct file writes mean it saves locally even offline.
  3. Prepare the voice model (first time)
    Tap the mic once while online to fetch the language model; after that, recognition works offline.
  4. Put it on your Home Screen / widget
    Place it where it's easy to reach so launching is fastest.
  5. Open → speak → send
    When it's safe, just open and talk. Sending saves to the draft, Outbox, and Obsidian local at once.

Great for these moments

Commuting
Hands full on a packed train? Just speak. Your commute notes flow into your inbox and Obsidian.
Cycling (when stopped)
At a light or a rest stop, open and say a line. Never operate while riding.
Driving (stopped / hands-free)
After safely stopping, or voice-only without looking. Even on a no-signal mountain road, it's saved locally.
Running / walking
Catch a thought mid-run by voice. Organize it later in Obsidian.

FAQ

Can I use it while driving or cycling?

Holding your phone, calling, or gazing at the screen while driving or riding is illegal and dangerous in Japan (distracted cycling penalized since Nov 2024). This works by voice alone, but for safety: (1) stop in a safe place, or (2) use hands-free voice-only without looking/tapping a mounted phone, or (3) have a passenger operate it. Eyes on the road first.

Does it work with no signal (tunnels, mountains)?

Yes. Offline, what you say is (1) auto-saved as a draft on device, (2) queued and encrypted in the Outbox to email automatically when you reconnect, and (3) appended to the local Obsidian note on the spot if you use folder-direct integration. Recognition also runs offline once the language model is installed.

How do I make recording start on open?

Turn on "Auto-start voice input on launch" under Advanced settings. Recording then begins the instant you open the app — no hunting for the mic, no tapping (supported iOS 26+ devices).

How accurate is it? Any extra cost?

It uses Apple's latest on-device recognition (iOS 26) — accurate, with transcription staying on device. Nothing is uploaded and there's no metered API, so no extra cost.

What if I misspeak or get interrupted?

You're covered. What you're entering is auto-saved on device (AES-GCM) as you go, so after a close or crash you resume where you left off. Sending discards the draft.

Never lose a thought, even hands-free
Free to download. Voice input on supported iOS 26+ devices. Please use it safely.
Download on the App Store

Related Pages

From your AirPods, phone untouched The 5-Second Memo (recommended workflow) Voice Input Obsidian Integration Apple Watch × Obsidian Obsidian Voice Input — 4 Ways Draft Auto-save Offline Memo Apps Commute Use Case Note to Email

References

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