Voice notes
Voice notes are notes whose body is (or includes) an audio recording. The app records via the device microphone, uploads to Hilal’s transcription service, and attaches both the audio and the transcript to the note.
In this guide:
- Record a voice note
- Play back recordings
- Read and edit the transcript
- Use a voice note as the body of a regular note
Prerequisites
- Microphone permission granted (the app prompts on first record).
- Internet connection for transcription (recordings can be made offline; transcription happens when reconnected).
Step 1: Record from a new note
Open a new note (FAB → Notes → +). Tap the microphone icon.
- Record — start.
- Pause — temporarily stop; tap again to resume the same clip.
- Stop — finish; the clip attaches.
- Cancel — discard the clip.
Multiple clips per note are fine. Each becomes its own attachment.
Step 2: Play back a recording
In the note’s edit / detail view, tap any audio chip. A mini-player slides up:
- Play / pause.
- Scrub to a specific time.
- See total duration.
Multiple clips play sequentially if you tap them in order, or independently if you tap a single clip.
Step 3: Read and edit the transcript
When the note opens, each audio clip has a transcript directly under it. The transcript is editable — tap to fix mis-heard words or add punctuation.
Edits to the transcript are saved with the note; the original audio is unchanged.
Step 4: Use a voice note as the note body
If the recording is the whole point of the note, leave the body empty and let the transcripts speak for themselves. The note’s title (which you still need to type) and the transcripts together are searchable.
Recording quality and limits
- Format — saved as M4A on iOS, MP4/AAC on Android. Quality is voice-grade (16 kHz / mono / ~64 kbps); good for speech, not for music.
- Per-clip max — 10 minutes. Longer recordings are split automatically.
- Per-note max — 10 clips. (More on the roadmap.)
- Storage — counts against your subscription’s storage allowance.
Transcription
- Engine — Hilal’s transcription service (OpenAI Whisper-equivalent backend).
- Languages — auto-detected; supports the major languages Hilal Software’s web product supports.
- Lag — usually 30 seconds for a 1-minute clip; longer for longer files.
- Failures — very low-quality audio or untranscribable noise leaves the transcript empty. You can retry from the audio chip’s menu.
Coming soon: voice-to-note quick capture
A floating “press and hold” capture button that records and transcribes in one motion, without you needing to navigate into Notes first. → Voice-to-note quick capture (coming soon)
Troubleshooting
- “Microphone access denied”. Open device Settings → Hilal → Microphone → Enable.
- Recording cuts off. Some Android phones aggressively manage background audio. Keep the app in foreground while recording.
- Transcript is gibberish. Likely loud background noise or low microphone level. Re-record closer to the mic, or in a quieter setting.
- “Couldn’t transcribe — retry”. Tap retry. If failure persists, the recording itself may be corrupt; record a new clip.