Record on your iPhone
Record a meeting or a voice note on your iPhone. The audio is saved on your iPhone first, so nothing is lost if the connection drops, the credit runs out or a call comes in.
When you open Gelim, Recordings shows your list as you last saw it, and updates it within a moment. A recording deleted on another device leaves the list once it has updated.
What you need
- Gelim for iPhone, signed in.
- Microphone access (iOS asks the first time).
- Credit in your Gelim Account for live text. Without it, Gelim still records and saves the audio.
1. Start recording
Open the drawer and tap + next to Recordings, or open Recordings and tap Record. New recording opens:
| Choice | What it does |
|---|---|
| Microphone | Tap Change to choose Automatic or a microphone that's connected, such as AirPods or a headset. Automatic uses a headset when one is connected, otherwise the iPhone's own |
| Live translation | A translation under each passage as it's transcribed, charged to your Gelim Account. Translate to sets the language |
Tap Start recording. Gelim keeps your choices for your next recording: live translation as you last set it, and the microphone you chose whenever it's connected.
The Record widget, the Control Center button and "Start recording in Gelim" start straight away, with those same choices.
2. Watch it work
The recorder shows a timer, the level, and three cells: Capturing, Saved on this device, and Live text on. The transcript fills in as people speak; grey text is a draft that may still change.
3. Keep using your iPhone
Tap the chevron to minimise the recorder. Recording continues; a pill in Recordings and a clock in the drawer bring you back. Only Pause and Finish recording stop capture.
4. Finish
Tap Finish recording. You'll see four steps: Saved on this device · Audio sent · Transcript · Actions. You can leave now; the transcript appears in Recordings, and on your Mac, when it's ready.
Record offline
Tap Offline in Recordings, choose the microphone, and tap Start recording to record without sending anything. Afterwards, the recording waits under Offline files. Tap Queue for transcription when you're ready; that's when credit is used.
Choose when audio is sent
| Setting | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Upload over Wi‑Fi only | Settings → Recordings, or the recorder's More | Waits for Wi‑Fi. Off by default. Send now over mobile data sends one recording anyway |
| Keep audio on this iPhone | Settings → Recordings | Keeps a copy after sending, so you can play it here |
| Translate live recordings | Settings → Recordings | A translation under each passage, as you record. Your account's default: New recording starts from it until you change it there |
| Show titles on the Lock Screen | Settings → Recordings | Shows the title in the Live Activity and widgets |
When something interrupts
| You see | What happens |
|---|---|
| No connection — recording continues. | Everything is saved on your iPhone; live text and the upload resume by themselves |
| Live text paused · the connection to Gelim dropped. | Recording continues on your iPhone; live text resumes by itself |
| Upload stopped. | Nothing is lost: the parts that haven't reached Gelim are safe on your iPhone. Tap Retry upload |
| Slow connection. | Choose Continue offline or Stay live |
| Out of transcription credit. | Recording continues; transcription waits for credit |
| Paused by a call. | Tap Resume after the call |
| Recording interrupted. | Open Settings → Recordings → Retry upload, then Finish recording to send what was saved |
Import audio
Tap the import icon in Recordings and choose Audio or video file or Video from Photos. From a video, only the sound is kept. A file can be up to 4 hours long, with no size limit beyond the space on your iPhone; a longer one is refused before anything is copied, and your original is unchanged. Pause import keeps your progress.
Next steps
- Recordings: transcripts, actions, translation and sharing.
- Widgets and Shortcuts: record from the Lock Screen.
- Troubleshooting: offline recordings that wait.