# NALscribe: live captions — Speech-to-text hearing help > Live speech-to-text captioning for hearing accessibility and communication. (iPhone/iPad app by National Acoustic Laboratories.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nalscribe-live-captions/id1578207797 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [National Acoustic Laboratories](https://appshunter.io/developer/1578207799) - Category: Utilities, Medical - Price: Free - Rating: 3.60/5 from 14 App Store ratings · 22 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 14.0 · 8 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2021-10-20 - Data updated: 2026-07-31 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nalscribe-live-captions/id1578207797/reviews.md ## What is NALscribe? NALscribe is an easy-to-use live speech captioning tool to help people with hearing difficulties understand speech and conversations, designed to increase hearing accessibility and inclusivity for all users. National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) developed NALscribe to increase understanding and decrease stress levels for the hard of hearing and those communicating with them. NALscribe is especially beneficial when the person speaking is wearing a mask or face-shield, when communication is more difficult because the lips are hidden and sound is muffled. Full functionality is available to anyone to download and use - at no cost to install or run. ACCURATE SPEECH TO TEXT SCRIBING NALscribe accurately converts speech into text in real-time as a person is speaking. Designed for business use with iPad (e.g. customer service, health appointments) and iPhone/iPad personal use to support people with hearing difficulties, NALscribe provides continuous speech captioning with no timeout and unlimited minutes. It’s always ready to go and won’t cut out unexpectedly mid-sentence – meaning less time fussing with controls and more time concentrating on clients and your core business. OFFLINE MODE NALscribe is designed to be used on- or off-line. While slightly higher recognition accuracy is available online, offline mode provides enhanced speech data security / privacy or where no reliable internet connection is available. AUTO ERASE SCREEN NALscribe can automatically clear captions depending on the desired privacy 1. Enhanced Privacy: text is cleared after 20 seconds of speech inactivity - most useful in public settings such as reception or enquiry desks 2. Privacy: text is cleared from the screen 60 seconds after speech inactivity 3. Off: text remains on the screen and the entire conversation can be saved to review later - most useful during private conversations and for personal use ACCESSIBILITY Designed to support communication for anyone with hearing difficulties NALscribe includes features to make communication more accessible for all. Caption size can be adjusted to be very large to ensure ease of reading. NALscribe also automatically scales other textual content according to the text size user preferences of the device. Very large text is optimal for use in business settings where a common iPad is used to increase accessibility for all customers. VoiceOver is also supported for vision accessibility. NALscribe has an option to switch to dark background and includes automatic paragraph formatting of text to improve readability. LANGUAGE SUPPORT NALscribe includes transcription for spoken languages including English (Australia, US, UK and Canada), French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch and Russian. Language models can be downloaded to be used offline (with selected devices with iOS13+) at no additional cost, with no limits on use. SAVE, EDIT AND SHARE TRANSCRIPTIONS Save and share transcriptions to ensure no details are lost from a conversation. Entire conversations can be saved, viewed, edited and added to over time. Transcripts can be edited on screen or prior to sharing to ensure accuracy, then shared by email or text message through NALscribe, so all participants of the conversation have access. RISK MANAGEMENT NALscribe’s profanity filter stops offensive or derogatory language from inadvertently appearing on the screen (English). TRANSLATION NALscribe provides translation (with iOS15+) between 12 supported languages: English (US, UK), French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Portuguese and Russian. Transcribed words and phrases can be selected on screen and a written and audio translation is available. All languages can be downloaded to be used offline and at no additional cost with no limits for use. T&Cs: www.nal.gov.au/nalscribe-terms ## Key features - Real-time speech-to-text transcription - Offline mode for privacy and connectivity - Adjustable caption size and text scaling - Multiple language support - Automatic screen erase options - Save, edit, and share transcriptions - VoiceOver support ## Recent user reviews (10 of 22) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nalscribe-live-captions/id1578207797/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Appreciation *2026-03-12, version 1.9* Recently Apple did a software update which unfortunately caused great problems for my mother and I. My mother is 87 years of age in a wheelchair with only 5% of Hearing she relies upon this app to communicate with anybody that goes to visit her. I visitor each day. My mother uses an iPhone/iPad a mirror is this onto her 54 inch TV. This way she’s able to read the text in real time and communicate. We’ve also purchased some little microphones. Which we pin to our appelle which gives us even greater control. When visiting the Hospital or doctors mother takes her iPhone I pin the microphone to the doctor or the consultant. And he can then speak to me mother in real time conveying the problems to her directly. Without this app, none of this could be achieved. The software update by Apple unfortunately made it not possible to mirror onto the TV. I contacted the app and within hours received a reply. To say that they were on the job and that they were doing an update. One day later the update was achieved. And we were back on track. I sent this message to them below. Not all heroes wear capes, you have made many people out there very happy, please thank the team for all there hard work, the update works brilliantly thank you 👍 The people that make this happen donate a lot of their time and effort to helping people less fortunate, and I think they do a tremendous job. Thanking the whole team yet again. ### 5/5 — Big help *2025-12-28* It's not 100% but close enough. ### 4/5 — No ads or subscriptions thank god *2025-10-09, version 1.7* Most transcription apps are full of exploitative subscriptions, ads and ai cr*p. This is free. Simple. And works. No fuss. I cannot recommend it enough. Only complaint is turning on offline transcription permanently screws the speech recognition. so the app has to be reinstalled. But that is a minor gripe. ### 5/5 — Thank You so much *2025-08-25, version 1.7* A wonderful app – thank you for making it free! It really helps my 86-year-old mother read what we say, and it’s a great support for anyone with hearing impairments. I hope future updates will include features like color-coding for different speakers and quicker adaptation when the speaker changes. ### 5/5 — I love using this app *2024-12-16, version 1.7* NALscribe is one of the best speech to text apps I’ve ever used. Accurate and nice big text font which is fully adjustable. Also has an option for UK English as well as American and Australian. Well done to the developers. ### 5/5 — Good but a suggestion for improvement *2024-10-31, version 1.7* I have just found the NALscribe app and I really like it. I have a suggestion. It would be helpful if the app were to turn upside down when you invert the phone. It would make more sense to point the microphone in the direction of the speaker but as it currently works, the transcription is upside down. So if it were to switch, like a browser screen, the transcription would be the right way up. Thanks for the app ### 5/5 — Simple and accurate *2024-07-14* This is so easy to use, perfect for those who don’t need a lot of bells or whistles (or get confused by too many options), just some help understanding what people are saying. It’s very accurate, the punctuation is surprisingly good (and helpful) - especially love how readable the text is (bright white, large, on a dark background). Thank you!!! ### 5/5 — Great way to make communication accessible! *2024-07-08, version 1.6* I have used this app with my older family members as well as customers at work and it is amazing! A great way to ensure you are communicating in an accessible way for friends and colleagues who are hard of hearing! ### 5/5 — Best App for Aussies *2024-04-05, version 1.5* I have been using the NALscribe app for about a year. I am deaf and have tried other apps, but found this one to be perfect for the Australian lingo. I can lip/speech read, but the app helps immensely with lazy speakers, mask wearers and mumblers who are difficult to lip read. My only issue is that sometimes the microphone doesn’t pick up speech and I have to reset the app. It’s probably more a problem with the iPhone microphone than the app itself. I recommend the app. ### 5/5 — Great Little App *2024-03-29, version 1.5* This is a great little app for live transcription. It does exactly what it says on the tin. I particularly like you can change the font size which makes the text very readable ## Frequently asked questions about NALscribe ### What languages does NALscribe support for transcription? NALscribe supports transcription for English (Australia, US, UK, Canada), French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, and Russian. Language models can be downloaded for offline use at no additional cost. ### Can NALscribe be used without an internet connection? Yes, NALscribe is designed to be used both online and offline. The offline mode provides enhanced speech data security and privacy, or can be used where a reliable internet connection is unavailable. ### How does NALscribe help with privacy? NALscribe offers an 'Auto Erase Screen' feature with three options: Enhanced Privacy (clears after 20 seconds of inactivity), Privacy (clears after 60 seconds), and Off (keeps text on screen for saving). This allows users to control how long captions remain visible. ### Is NALscribe suitable for business use? Yes, NALscribe is designed for business use, such as in customer service or health appointments, to increase understanding and decrease stress for those with hearing difficulties. It provides continuous captioning with unlimited minutes. ### How does NALscribe improve readability for users? NALscribe allows caption size to be adjusted to be very large for ease of reading and automatically scales other textual content according to device text size preferences. It also includes an option for a dark background and automatic paragraph formatting. ### What is the update frequency of NALscribe? The latest version of NALscribe is 1.9, last updated on March 11, 2026. While specific update frequency isn't detailed, the app is actively maintained. ### What is the user sentiment for NALscribe based on ratings? NALscribe has a rating of 3.5 stars from 11 ratings. This suggests a generally positive but mixed reception from its user base. ### Is NALscribe available on all Apple devices? NALscribe is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It requires iOS 13+ for offline language model downloads on selected devices. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.9.03 — 2026-07-28 This update improves the offline setup guide so it's easier to follow on the latest version of iOS. We've also made small refinements under the hood. Thanks for using NALscribe! ### 1.9 — 2026-03-11 - Improved offline mode reliability and language-pack availability handling. - Better pause formatting with cleaner punctuation and paragraph breaks. - Enhanced screen mirroring stability on iPhone and iPad, plus general bug fixes. ### 1.8 — 2026-03-04 Choose which microphone to use for transcription. Small fixes and improvements for a smoother experience. Questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@nal.gov.au. ### 1.7 — 2024-07-16 Resolved minor bugs to enhance your experience. If you encounter any issues or have feedback, please contact us at feedback@nal.gov.au. ### 1.6 — 2024-05-10 Added punctuations for better user experience and a minor bug fix. If you encounter any issues of have any feedback, please contact us at feedback@nal.gov.au. ## Apps similar to NALscribe | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Live Transcribe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/live-transcribe/id1471473738) | 4.6 (7,403) | Free | Utilities | | [Transcribe Live Voice to Text](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transcribe-live-voice-to-text/id1591421967) | 4.8 (171) | Free | Utilities | | [Sum AI: Speech to Text Notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sum-ai-speech-to-text-notes/id6451474307) | 4.5 (1,572) | Free | Utilities | | [Owll:AI Note Taker & Assistant](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/owllai-note-taker-and-assistant/id6450300197) | 4.8 (2,609) | Free | Utilities | | [Transcribe – Speech to Text](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transcribe-speech-to-text/id1673039222) | 4.5 (455) | Free | Utilities | | [AI Summary - Meeting Notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai-summary-meeting-notes/id6451444706) | 4.3 (5,949) | Free | Utilities | ## More apps by National Acoustic Laboratories - [HearWB](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearwb/id6698863463) - [NAL Study](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nal-study/id6745809164) All apps by National Acoustic Laboratories: https://appshunter.io/developer/1578207799 ## Related topics [live caption speech](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/live-caption-speech) · [nalscribe](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nalscribe) · [ava live captions](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ava-live-captions) · [live captioning for accessibility needs](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/live-captioning-for-accessibility-needs) · [deaf communicate](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/deaf-communicate) · [live caption text](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/live-caption-text) --- *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 2026-07-31.*