# HEARD - the Plan B for memory > Capture audio from the recent past with a simple tap. (iPhone/iPad app by Faalsa Labs.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heard-the-plan-b-for-memory/id615420427 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Faalsa Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/615420490) - Category: Productivity, Lifestyle - Price: $0.99 with in-app purchases - Rating: 3.16/5 from 25 App Store ratings · 87 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 10.0 · 7 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2013-06-20 - Data updated: 2026-10-29 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heard-the-plan-b-for-memory/id615420427/reviews.md ## What is HEARD? Let's admit it, we don't have perfect memories, and for the most part that's a good thing :) But there are many situations when we wish we did have perfect memory. HEARD is a practical way to have a backup of anything important you hear. When you hear something worth remembering, tap a button to preserve it for later reference. Its that simple :) Featured by: TechCrunch, PCMagazine, LifeHacker, USAToday, FoxNews, and 100s of other publications. HEARD is a ground-breaking app that lets you capture sounds from up to 5 minutes in the past. **** Diverse uses as reported by our users: - Office Productivity: Focus on the conversations, capture audio highlights, then synthesize notes offline, stress free! - As a back up for our short term memory, especially but not exclusively for the elderly - Improves grades in the classroom: similar to office productivity, but also as a work around for when we zone out for a while during say a late afternoon session and something important gets said. Also as an aid for students with disabilities such as dysgraphia - Musicians can capture gems in practice sessions - Law enforcement. Let's leave it at that :-) - Bird watching - Capture kids cute words, or a joke at a party. .... and many many more !! --------- Note: Now the base version gives you a 1 min buffer. An In-App purchase is needed to buffer up to 5 mins. Limitations: Just like any app that uses the MIC on iOS, while HEARD is listening in the background: - you will notice a red bar at the top of the screen - some notifications get silenced by the OS when the MIC is ON. Although the important stuff such as Phone calls, Calendar alerts and Clock alarms will continue to make sounds - Recording 'regular' cell phone calls is not allowed by iOS. But the app should work fine with VoIP calls such as Skype and Viber (when on speaker) Privacy: We take user's privacy very seriously, and we go the extra mile to make sure we protect it: - Nothing gets saved to permanent storage until the user tells us to do so. This means, what gets 'recorded' is completely in the user's control. After a few mins (equal to the length of the buffer) there is no trace left of the audio HEARD listened to - User's recordings never leave the device unless the user wants them to e.g via email or FB post. -------- How many times have you been in a meeting, playing with the kids or just hanging out with friends and family…and wished you could have recorded what just happened? Unless you’re a mind reader, there’s never been a way to see into the future and anticipate all those save-worthy sound bites. Until now. With HEARD installed on your iPhone, you have a powerful time-shifting app that lets you customize how far back you want to go so you can grab that otherwise missed audio. The HEARD app runs silently (and seamlessly) in the background and ‒ with a simple tap ‒ the instructions / driving directions / jokes / stories / first words / laughter you would have previously missed are now saved and stored on your iPhone. You probably never go anywhere without your iPhone, right? Now, with a quick download, HEARD lets you travel back in time from a few seconds (for free) to as much as five minutes (with the one-time, in-app upgrade). With HEARD, the length of the audio clip(s) you save are completely up to you. The interface is easy to navigate and you only keep what you “tap-and-tell” the app to go back and capture as soon as you’ve heard it. Every saved sound bite is stored in your personal library…and then the fun really begins! You can: • Replay previously-recorded audio clips • Associate each clip with an appropriate photo from the camera roll • Share via e-mail (using Quicktime) • Post to Facebook (where permission and privacy settings are up to you) It’s time to stop wishing you could have recorded it – and save it even after you’ve HEARD it. ## Key features - Capture audio from the past - Background recording - One-tap saving - Customizable buffer length - Diverse use cases ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: $0.99. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Bigger Audio Buffer (up to 5 mins) | $4.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of HEARD? Reviews of HEARD are mixed: the Productivity app is rated 3.2/5 from 25 App Store ratings. What users like most: innovative concept for capturing past audio, useful for note-taking and idea generation. Top complaints: red status bar is intrusive, mutes notifications and other app sounds. Summarized from real user reviews. **Pros** - 💡 Innovative concept for capturing past audio - 👍 Useful for note-taking and idea generation - 👍 Great for musicians and songwriters - 👍 Helpful for those with learning disabilities - 👍 Captures unexpected conversations - 👍 VoiceOver compatible - 👍 Clear audio quality - 👍 Intelligent design **Cons** - 🔴 Red status bar is intrusive - 🔇 Mutes notifications and other app sounds - 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for full functionality - 💸 Deceptive pricing/bait and switch tactics - 🐌 Outdated UI - 🔌 Issues with exporting/sharing recordings - 🚫 Background recording unreliable - 🔋 High battery consumption - 🪲 App stops working after iOS updates - ❓ Lack of clear documentation/prompts **Commonly reported bugs** - Cannot export recordings - App mutes notifications - Background recording stops working - App does not allow sending recordings to other apps - Paid purchase not recognized - App shuts off unexpectedly - Flashing red bar when running - App gets removed when another app runs in background - Recording becomes unplayable after emailing - App crashes when accessing menu - App stopped working after iOS update - Stopped working with new iOS versions - App crashes after purchasing longer buffer - Audio plays through speakers instead of headphones - Requires force-quit to stop recording - Emailing recordings results in null error - App needs to be open to work - Red bar drains battery - Speaker not strong enough - Red banner interferes with other apps - Mutes phone functions - Cannot record phone calls - Red bar fades in and out - Text messages, emails, keyboard clicks are silent when app is running - App crashes immediately after pressing hamburger menu - Recording stops at 30 seconds in free version - App stopped working on iPad - Cannot listen through speakers on iPad - Audio continues to play through speakers when headphones are plugged in - App requires force-quit to stop recording - Audio becomes unplayable after emailing - App crashes after purchasing longer buffer - App stops working after updating iOS - App shuts off unexpectedly - App gets removed when another app runs in background - Flashing red bar at top of screen - App needs to be open for it to work **Most requested features** - Allow export of recordings - Longer buffer options (hours) - Ability to choose microphone - UI update - Lock screen control/save button - Integration with Apple Watch - Trim audio clips - Save clips to camera roll - Option to hide or move the red status bar - Improve background recording reliability - Add documentation - Allow recording phone calls - Add a stop recording button - Open In functionality for audio files - Combine pre-recorded and live audio into one file - iPad version of the app - Share clips via MMS/SMS - Seamless background recording start - Save clips to Dropbox - Sound editing features ## Is HEARD safe? Not enough ratings yet to assess HEARD. ## Is HEARD legit? HEARD - the Plan B for memory appears to be a legitimate app. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for HEARD is 83 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data. ## Recent user reviews (10 of 87) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heard-the-plan-b-for-memory/id615420427/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Can Not Export *2024-06-04* It requires quick time to export your recordings. QuickTime has been discontinued by Apple. Have found no way to get my recordings off my phone. ### 3/5 — Decent *2024-01-05* The app works well but it’s ridiculous how you already have to pay for the app at first and then you have to pay extra if you want the buffer size longer than 1 minute. Additionally, the UI looks horrible and like it was made in 2008 for an Iphone 4. No offense to the developer. ### 1/5 — Mutes notifications *2023-10-17* Useless app that sells you on background recording which doesnt actually work after a few minutes while also silencing all notifications. ### 4/5 — Needs longer buffers *2023-01-16* Very useful but I’d like to have much longer buffer choices in settings, as the app is useful in situations where a record of a long event is needed. 1, 2…even 8 hours. There’s plenty of storage space available. Thanks. ### 2/5 — App needs to be updated *2022-12-24* This app does not allow you to send your recording to other apps on your device. Also, I wish I could choose which mic the app uses. ### 5/5 — Still the only one of it’s kind on the App Store *2022-10-17, version 1.1.4* I gave this app 5 stars 9 years ago and I am giving it 5 stars again now. I see many low rating because I think many users have based their rating for the app on mistaken expectation. This is NOT an app for secret recording. Many other recording apps allow you to keep recording even in the background. What this app allows you to do is to keep it running perceptually in the background to capture unexpected occurrences like things that your growing kids have said(which I was able to do plenty of times as mine were growing up), an unexpected argument that you want to listen back to so you know what you and the others had said…etc, etc. For this purpose, there is no other app in the App Store that would allow you to do. I do wish for more features in the app as others and myself have stated in the past reviews but I guess the poor misplaced reviews were not helping. ### 5/5 — My Favorite App *2022-02-15* For anyone involved in brainstorming, creating, and developing ideas this is an amazing app. You can sit around and verbally explore different ideas and solutions to problems with peers without having to stop and and write things down and loose momentum or train of thought. When an innovative or useful thought is expressed you simply tap the phone without stopping the creative conversation. I don’t ever write anything down at our creative sessions anymore, I simply tap and when the meeting is over have all our relevant useful talking points at my fingertips. If I could give it 6 stars I would! ### 2/5 — Paid for the app won’t recognize purchase *2021-06-16* So I bought this and had the 5 min buffer option but now it saying I didn’t buy this haven’t changed Apple ID. And I remember paying to even use the app did this change??? ### 1/5 — App shuts off *2021-02-06* The purpose of this app is to remain on and listening for when you need to capture something recently said. Unfortunately every phone call or activity on your phone turns the app OFF (???) and you must constantly remember to restart it — negating the background convenience it was designed for. ### 3/5 — Alright *2020-12-29, version 1.1.4* I’ve had this app for about 3 years. It’s a great idea, but doesn’t really work in the way you’d hope. As it’s running in the background, you’re going to have to constantly put up with the flashing red bar at the top left of the screen. Also, if you set another app to run in the background, it will get rid of HEARD. A little bit disappointing, but worth having if you can somehow get it for free. ## Frequently asked questions about HEARD ### What does HEARD do? HEARD is designed to act as a backup for your memory by allowing you to capture audio from the recent past. When you hear something important, you can tap a button to preserve it for later reference, even if you missed the exact moment it happened. ### How does the audio capture feature work? The app runs silently in the background and maintains an audio buffer. With a simple tap, you can save audio from a customizable period in the past, up to 5 minutes with an in-app purchase. The base version provides a 1-minute buffer. ### Is HEARD free to use? The base version of HEARD is free to download and use, offering a 1-minute audio buffer. To extend this buffer to up to 5 minutes, an in-app purchase is required. There are no advertisements within the app. ### What are some common uses for HEARD? Users find HEARD beneficial for office productivity by capturing meeting highlights, as a short-term memory aid, for students to improve classroom learning, for musicians to record practice sessions, and for capturing personal moments like children's words or jokes. ### What are the limitations of HEARD? Like other apps using the microphone on iOS, a red bar will appear at the top of the screen when HEARD is listening. Some OS notifications may be silenced when the microphone is active, though critical alerts like phone calls and alarms will still sound. Recording regular cell phone calls is not permitted by iOS. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.1.4 — 2017-09-20 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. - Support for iOS 11 ### 1.1.3 — 2015-04-20 - Fix a critical crash for iOS 8.3 - Fix for audio playback via speaker vs earphone (very low playback volume) ### 1.1.2 — 2014-09-24 - fix critical crashes in ios8 ### 1.1.1 — 2014-03-22 Fix for progress bar disappearing in iOS 7.1 ### 1.1.0 — 2013-12-19 New functionality: - Now record even longer clips using the new "Hold & Lift" feature - Base version now offers 30 seconds and 1 min recordings, instead of 12 seconds - Added an option to buffer 2 mins audio - Better Voice Over support - In App purchase unlocks 2 mins and 5 mins options Bug Fixes - Fixed crash after IAP - Misc fixes to support iOS7 better ## Apps similar to HEARD | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [HiveBloom](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hivebloom/id1490920620) | 4.8 (291) | Free | Productivity | | [Kiperfy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kiperfy/id1435567700) | 3.9 (36) | Free | Productivity | | [Fancy Hands](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fancy-hands/id1438695940) | 3.3 (16) | Free | Productivity | | [AKF Lejer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/akf-lejer/id1484067960) | — | Free | Productivity | | [Dream Wedding Designer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dream-wedding-designer/id1494940200) | 3.5 (2) | Free | Productivity | ## More apps by Faalsa Labs - [Dragons AR](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragons-ar/id1286625207) All apps by Faalsa Labs: https://appshunter.io/developer/615420490 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-29.*