Voice Recording & Transcription

Ayumi lets you record voice memos and automatically transcribe them into journal entries using the Gemini API.

Recording Audio

From the App

1. Navigate to the recording view
2. Tap the Record button to start
3. A timer shows the recording duration
4. Tap Stop to finish recording

Microphone & Input Device

Ayumi shows which microphone is active as a badge above the recording controls, both on the ready screen and while recording. External accessories — Bluetooth, USB, wired, and car audio — are preferred automatically over the built-in mic, matching how iOS routes audio.

Bluetooth microphones such as the DJI Mic are supported. If a device pairs or disconnects, the badge updates in real time, so you can confirm the right mic before you start.

Input Level Meter

A segmented level meter fills as you speak, turning from blue to orange to red as the input approaches clipping. Use it to confirm the mic is picking you up and to keep your level out of the red. The meter also appears on the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen Live Activity.

Quick Action (iOS)

Long-press the Ayumi app icon and select Record Audio to start recording immediately.

Recording Status (iOS)

When recording starts — especially from a Shortcut — Ayumi shows a status screen with the active input device and elapsed time. Tap Open Recorder to jump to the full recording view, or Hide to collapse it to a compact banner that floats at the bottom of the journal list. Tap the banner any time to return to the recorder.

Dynamic Island (iOS)

While recording, a Live Activity appears in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen showing the recording status, input device, input level, and duration. A distinct Starting… phase is shown while the audio session warms up, before the timer begins. You can stop recording directly from there.

Technical Details

• Audio format: AAC encoding at 44.1 kHz (mono)
• Files are stored in the entry’s assets folder

Transcription

After recording, the audio is queued for transcription via the Gemini API.

Note

You need to configure your Gemini API key before using transcription. See Gemini API Integration.

Transcription Presets

Ayumi includes 3 built-in prompt presets:

Preset	Description
Clean Transcript	Produces a clean, readable transcript of the audio
Meeting Summary	Generates a structured summary with key points
Journal Reflection	Creates a reflective journal entry from the recording

You can also create custom prompt presets with your own instructions.

Prompt Variables

Prompts — both presets and the per-recording Prompt Override field — can include variables that are filled in with context when the recording is submitted for transcription. Use the Insert Variable menu next to the prompt field to add them at the cursor.

Variable	Expands to
{{recent_entries}} / {{recent_entries:N}}	The full text of your latest journal entries (default 3, up to 10)
{{recent_summaries}} / {{recent_summaries:N}}	One-line summaries of your latest entries (default 10, up to 30)
{{file:name.md}}	The contents of a Markdown file you pick via Insert Variable, or a path relative to your journal folder
{{today}}	Today’s local date, e.g. 2026-06-20 (Saturday)
{{now}}	The current local date and time in ISO 8601 format

Tip

Variables are resolved at the moment you submit the recording, so {{recent_entries}} reflects your journal as it was right then. Retries reuse the same resolved text.

Note

{{file:...}} can reference Markdown files outside your journal folder. Pick the file through Insert Variable and Ayumi keeps secure access to it. Files with the same name are kept separate, so a recent pick is never shadowed by another file.

Transcription Queue

Transcription tasks run in the background. You can:

• View the status of pending, running, and completed tasks
• Retry failed transcription tasks
• Delete tasks from the queue

On iOS, tasks continue processing in the background even when the app is not in the foreground. When a transcription finishes, Ayumi posts a Transcription Complete notification — tap it to open the resulting entry directly.

Transcription Results

Each transcription produces:

• Summary — A brief overview of the content
• Transcript — The full text transcription
• Response — The AI’s response based on your selected prompt
• Language — The detected language of the audio

iOS Shortcuts Integration

See iOS Shortcuts for recommended Shortcut workflows, including background recording, Action Button triggers, and using Apple’s native transcription.