Quick voice notes

A quick voice note starts in a second, even when the device is locked and the vault is closed. It is sealed to the vault’s public identity as soon as you stop, and becomes a note in the Inbox notebook the next time you unlock the vault.

Turn it on

1. Open and unlock the vault that voice notes should go to.
2. Open Settings ▸ Audio & Transcription ▸ Quick Voice Notes and turn on Quick Voice Notes.
3. Optional: change the Notebook they land in (the Inbox by default) and Transcribe Voice Notes (on by default).

The widgets, Lock Screen control and Action button cannot record while Live Activities are off for Sempere (iOS ends a recording that shows none), and nothing records without the microphone. If either is off, Quick Voice Notes in Settings says Live Activities are off or Microphone access is off, why that stops voice notes, and has an Open Sempere’s Settings button to the system Settings.

Record

iPhone and iPad

• Widget: add the Voice Note widget to the Lock Screen or Home Screen. Tap to record, tap again to stop.
• Control Center and the Action button: add the Sempere Voice Note control.
• Siri: say “Record a Sempere voice note”. Phrases must include “Sempere”, and Siri must be allowed for Sempere in the system Settings.

While it records, a Live Activity on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island shows the time and Stop and Save.

Mac

• The menu-bar item (Settings ▸ General ▸ Show in Menu Bar, on by default): Quick Voice Note, then Stop Voice Note.
• File ▸ Start Voice Note (⇧⌘M), Siri or Shortcuts.

Where it goes

When you stop, the audio is sealed and written to the inbox/ folder of the vault’s copy on this device, and your sync targets carry it to your other devices like any other file. If the vault cannot be reached, the note is kept, already encrypted, on the device (“Saved on This Device”) and delivered when the app next becomes active or opens the vault. If the app is force quit or crashes while recording, it saves what was recorded the next time it starts (“Interrupted Voice Note Saved”). The next time you unlock the vault, each voice note becomes a note titled “Voice note” with the date and time, in the Inbox, with the recording on its first page and its transcript, if one was made.

What to know

• Recording works without unlocking the vault: the device seals the audio to the vault’s public identity. It keeps only that public identity and a capture key that can add voice notes; it cannot read any note.
• That also means anyone holding your locked device (after it has been unlocked once since starting) could add a voice note to your inbox. They cannot listen to your notes or other voice notes. See the security limits.
• Voice notes go to one vault per device. If they are on for another vault, the settings page says “Voice notes go to” and its name.