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Cleft - For Verbal Thinkers

Cleft - For Verbal Thinkers

Speak. Capture. Clarity.

67 ratings
50 reviews
🔧 Utilities
📊 Productivity
Free
In-App Purchases

Details

  • Released
  • Updated

Features

Developer

Cleft AI
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About

This app is designed for verbal thinkers to capture their thoughts out loud, without typing. It offers real-time transcription, offline functionality, and smart organization. Ideal for those who prefer speaking their ideas, it provides a frictionless way to record and manage notes.

✓Live transcription
✓Offline-first functionality
✓One-tap voice capture
✓Smart organization
✓Markdown export
✓Apple Watch support
✓On-device transcription
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What users say

Summarized from real user reviews of Cleft. Based on 67 reviews and a 4.7/5 average, it highlights the 5 positives and 3 negatives reviewers mention most about this Utilities app.

Positive things

  • 🚀Excellent transcription quality
  • 👍Intuitive and easy to use
  • 💡Helpful summarization and formatting
  • 🚀Seamless cross-device experience
  • 👍Responsive and helpful support team

Negative things

  • 🐛Unreliable recording and syncing issues
  • 🐛Glitchy and unusable after recent update
  • 🐛Inconsistent performance and frequent errors
See all reviews

What's New in Cleft

1.14.3

July 3, 2026

1.14.3 focuses on capture reliability. Changed - Account details stay private on screen. Your name, email, and App User ID stay hidden until you reveal them. When you need help, copy your App User ID so we can find your account without your email being visible. - Settings stay in the right place. Your preferences keep following you through iCloud, while device-specific choices stay on the device they belong to. Fixed - Recent-note widgets show the right note. Your widget keeps showing your latest note instead of slipping back to an older snapshot. - Abandoned widget starts stay abandoned. If you back out of a Lock Screen or widget recording launch, Cleft will not start that recording later by surprise. - Apple Watch note lists look right. Recent notes on your Watch show the correct summary, date, archive state, tags, and account. - Apple Watch recordings finish more reliably. A recording that already reached your iPhone can keep moving after you reopen Cleft or reconnect. - Apple Watch styles are respected. Watch recordings keep the style you chose on your Watch when they first sync. Later rewrites on iPhone, iPad, and Mac use your current style setting. Full release notes: https://cleftnotes.com/changelog/1.14.3

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Subscription plans

Annual Plus Plan

Access to all Plus features

$39.991 Year
Price Updates
August 1, 2026→$39.99
November 29, 2025→$39.99
December 22, 2024→$39.99
December 10, 2024→$39.99
December 5, 2024→$39.99
November 27, 2024→$29.99
September 28, 2024→$89.99
How to cancel Cleft subscription ⁉️

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Love

It's hard to connect the word "love" with a piece of digital technology, but Cleft somehow gets me excited to wake up first thing in the morning and to record my first journal. From the animation that reacts to the sound of my voice to the different writing styles that I can summarize to the local storage, it's a beautiful app that keeps things simple, doesn't charge too much for the service that it offers, and keeps me engaged with developing a journal that I'm going to come back to years later.

If you're thinking about downloading a voice recording app, don't look any further than Cleft. I'm excited about all the additional features that they work on because the app is a little bit bare, and it could use some more development. That's my only complaint, and it's a small one.
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EllisJames22EllisJames22

So cool

This app is so cool it really is for verbal thinkers.
Big_Bad_Wolf_!!Big_Bad_Wolf_!!

Best around

I’ve been using this app since it first began, and before was even released on the App Store. It’s amazing with constant updates and a developer who truly believes in it. I have Parkinson’s and this app has changed my life and how I use my phone.
tacogy3tacogy3

Response from developer

Delighted to hear this @tacogy3 - thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review. We're proud to hear ❤️ Anything you need, please reach out to us! - Jonny

Frustrated with Bugs

I’m a paying Cleft subscriber and the recent updates have introduced numerous bugs to iOS 18. It will attempt to start a recording automatically and then tell me it needs to be at least three word. When I attempt to view it and back out, the whole interface turns white and I have to force quit the app. I also can’t reliably get my audio to sync. And every time the app opens it shows me the most recent update patch notes.
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WriteTheCheckWriteTheCheck

Response from developer

Hey WriteTheCheck, sorry about the experience - NOT the experience you should have had, sorry about that. We've shipped three updates since v1.11 that address the auto-recording trigger, the white screen crash, and sync reliability. v1.12.3 is live now: https://learn.cleftnotes.com/changelog#march-22-2026. Would love for you to update and let us know if things improve. If not, email us athello@cleftnotes.com and we'll sort it out. - Jonathan

Life Saver

Cleft is my favorite tool. I’m at the hospital with my mom, and I’m about to record a message to recap everything the doctors have said this morning. So helpful to me and to the family members who will get the link. Grateful to have the specific support of Cleft.
AmyAnnettelyAmyAnnettely

Response from developer

Some feedback stops me with feels, and this was one of those @AmyAnnettely. thank you sooo much! Glad Cleft could help during a tough time. Wishing your mom well!! If you need anything, be sure to drop us a line! - Jonathan

See 45 more reviews

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

4 issues

Recording stops working after initial use

Bug

Inability to append to existing notes

Bug

Manual sync never works as expected

Bug

Lack of support for non-English languages

Bug
✨

Requested Features

6 requests

Increase maximum recording time

Feature

Improve editing and toggling between modes

Feature

Add ability to retry processing failed summaries

Feature

Allow custom storage locations for notes and audio

Feature

Enhance integration with Obsidian and other tools

Feature

Expand Shortcuts and automation capabilities

Feature

FAQ

What does Cleft do?

Cleft is a voice-to-text note-taking application designed for individuals who think verbally. It allows users to capture their thoughts by speaking, offering real-time transcription and offline functionality. The app aims to provide a frictionless experience for recording ideas without the need for typing.

What are the key features of Cleft?

Key features include live transcription that displays your words in real-time, offline-first operation for use without internet, and one-tap capture to quickly convert voice to text. It also offers smart organization for structuring thoughts, markdown export for editing, Apple Watch support for wrist recording, and widget support for quick capture.

How much does Cleft cost?

Cleft offers a freemium model. While basic functionality is available for free, there is a subscription service called Cleft Plus, priced at $6.99 per month or $39.99 per year. This premium tier unlocks features like longer recording limits, custom processing instructions, and integrations with other note-taking and automation services.

Is Cleft available on different devices?

The description mentions Apple Watch support and Home Screen widget support, indicating compatibility with Apple devices. It also highlights on-device transcription and encrypted storage, suggesting a focus on privacy and potentially a robust mobile experience. Specific operating system compatibility is not detailed but implied for Apple ecosystems.

What are common use cases for Cleft?

Cleft is useful for capturing a wide range of content, including meeting notes, creative ideas, article drafts, to-do lists, project documentation, daily journals, and quick thoughts. Its design caters to users who want to quickly record spoken ideas without interrupting their thought process.