# Hoverophone: Theremin Synth — Hand-Played Drone Pad

> Play a theremin synthesizer in the air using hand gestures, no touch required. (iPhone/iPad app by Maxim Oransky.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoverophone-theremin-synth/id6781463406 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Maxim Oransky](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639941241)
- Category: Music, Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.30/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.6 · 4 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-06-25
- Data updated: 2026-09-08
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoverophone-theremin-synth/id6781463406/reviews.md

## What is Hoverophone?

The theremin, reinvented on your iPhone. Play it in the air with your hands, no touch.

Hoverophone is a theremin you actually play by waving your hands in the air. Point the front camera at your hand and move; there is no touch, no controller, no tapping glass. Raise and lower your hand to glide the pitch, spread your thumb and finger apart to swell the volume, slide left to right to pan. It is the eerie, sci-fi theremin sound, played with a wave of the hand.

Wondering how to play the theremin, or whether the theremin is hard to play? This is the easiest way to start: raise a hand and you are already playing.

A REAL SYNTH, AND POLYPHONIC
Continuous synth voices, sine, triangle, saw and square, with drive and ring modulation in stereo, from a soft ambient pad to a metallic, otherworldly drone. It tracks up to four hands at once, so a theremin can finally play chords, and you can pin voices in place to hold up to twelve notes ringing together. Tune the sound with one hand while you play with the other.

MICROTONAL, PLAYED IN THE AIR
Turn on the note grid and your in-air pitch snaps to a scale: 12-TET, or 24-TET quarter tones for real microtonal play. It is an isomorphic, honeycomb hex keyboard you play in the air, not by tapping glass, so every note lands in tune while your hands stay above the camera. Explore microtonal music, quarter tones and xenharmonic scales the moment you raise a hand, or leave the grid off and glide freely for the pure continuous theremin.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Play a real theremin in the air, front-camera hand tracking, no touch
- The classic continuous theremin glide, the sci-fi movie sound
- An in-air microtonal keyboard: 12-TET or 24-TET quarter tones on an isomorphic hex grid, or fully continuous
- Polyphonic: up to four hands live, and pin voices to stack up to twelve
- Synth voices with drive and ring modulation, stereo panning as you move
- Plays through the speaker or headphones, even on silent
- Fully offline: no account, no network, no data collected, the camera is processed on device and never leaves it

No presets, no wall of knobs, just your hand and the air. Fill a room with an ambient drone, improvise a generative soundscape, or conjure the spooky whine of a sci-fi movie. Works best in a bright room where the camera can see your hands.

## Key features

- Air-based theremin playing with front camera hand tracking
- Polyphonic synthesizer with multiple voice options
- Microtonal keyboard with 12-TET or 24-TET quarter tones
- Stack up to twelve notes by pinning voices
- Continuous pitch glide and volume control
- Fully offline functionality

## Recent user reviews (2 of 2)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoverophone-theremin-synth/id6781463406/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Interesting concept

*2026-08-29*

I *was* going to write that it’s a little buggy in jumping all over the place pitchwise, but looking at the photo displayed in the App Store, I realized that I had my hands too close to the camera — problem solved! I do wish that the note range could be adjusted for a much broader (or even narrower) range, just like a real theremin, but that’s a minor nitpick (which we musicians are good at doing). This is a solid “get” for a theremin-like experience.

**Developer response:** Thanks so much for the rating! You can actually adjust the note range by scrolling and zooming on the screen, similar to how you navigate a map app.

### 3/5 — AuV3

*2026-08-07*

very cool concept, please add AuV3 to your audio apps. Thanks!

**Developer response:** This is actually the most requested feature, so AuV3 support is coming in the next major update. Thanks!

## Frequently asked questions about Hoverophone

### How does Hoverophone work?

Hoverophone uses your device's front camera to track your hand movements in the air. You can control pitch by raising or lowering your hand, and volume by spreading your fingers. No touch or external controllers are needed.

### Can Hoverophone play chords?

Yes, Hoverophone is polyphonic and can track up to four hands simultaneously, allowing for chord playing. You can also pin voices to hold up to twelve notes ringing together.

### What sound options does Hoverophone offer?

Hoverophone features continuous synth voices including sine, triangle, saw, and square waves. It also includes drive and ring modulation in stereo, capable of producing ambient pads to metallic drones.

### Does Hoverophone support microtonal music?

Yes, Hoverophone offers a microtonal keyboard mode with 12-TET or 24-TET quarter tones. You can explore microtonal music and xenharmonic scales, or play freely for a continuous theremin glide.

### Is Hoverophone available on Android devices?

Based on the provided data, Hoverophone is supported on iPhone and iPad. Information regarding Android availability is not included in this analysis.

### Does Hoverophone have ads?

No, Hoverophone does not contain advertisements. The app is free and processed on-device, ensuring privacy and an uninterrupted user experience.

### How often is Hoverophone updated?

Hoverophone was last updated on July 19, 2026, indicating recent development activity. The latest version is 1.4.

### What is the age rating for Hoverophone?

Hoverophone has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users. This rating suggests it contains no mature content.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.4 — 2026-07-19

The screen now stays awake while you play, so it won't lock during a live set.

### 1.3 — 2026-07-10

New: a note grid over the camera snaps your in-air pitch to real notes. Pick 12-TET, or 24-TET quarter-tones, or stay fully continuous like a classic theremin. Land clean notes without touching the screen.

### 1.2 — 2026-06-30

Pinch to fit anywhere from one to five octaves on screen and drag to slide the range up or down, so you can set the playing field and land your in-air notes exactly where you want.

### 1.1 — 2026-06-26

New: a note ruler that shows how in tune you are as you play. Turn it on from the NOTES control.
The volume control now sets the app's own level, so the hardware buttons work as usual.

### 1.0 — 2026-06-25

No release notes.

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## More apps by Maxim Oransky

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All apps by Maxim Oransky: https://appshunter.io/developer/1639941241

## Related topics

[synth music](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/synth-music) · [theremin](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/theremin) · [theremin plus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/theremin-plus) · [theremin air](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/theremin-air) · [theremin touch](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/theremin-touch) · [flangerlope](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/flangerlope) · [synthesizer electronic](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/synthesizer-electronic) · [pyxis minor](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pyxis-minor) · [esoteric synth](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/esoteric-synth)

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*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 2026-09-08.*