Comparison

Handwriting Keyboard vs Just Press Record

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Handwriting Keyboard

Effortlessly convert your handwritten notes into typed text across any application. This keyboard works offline, supports Apple Pencil, and offers customizable input settings for a seamless user experience.

Highlights
  • Handwriting to text conversion
  • Works in any app
  • Offline functionality
  • Apple Pencil support
  • Customizable input settings
  • Supports English and Japanese
Read full description

Write by hand. Type in your apps. Handwriting Keyboard lets you enter text with your finger or Apple Pencil in apps such as Messages, Mail, Safari, and Notes. Recognition runs entirely on your device, so the keyboard works offline. Full Access is not required. Your input is not transmitted, and the app does not collect data. IMPORTANT — SUPPORTED LANGUAGES Handwriting recognition supports U.S. English and Japanese only. Other languages, including British English, are not supported. HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Open the Handwriting Keyboard app and tap “Open Settings.” 2. Tap “Keyboards,” then enable English (US), Japanese, or both. Full Access is not required. 3. In a text field, touch and hold the keyboard switch key, then select Handwriting. When entering a password, iOS automatically switches to the system keyboard. If text is duplicated or does not appear correctly in an app with a custom text field, turn off Inline Input in Handwriting Keyboard settings. FEATURES • Three writing layouts: Free, Rows, and Boxes • U.S. English handwriting recognition • Japanese handwriting recognition with hiragana-to-kanji conversion • Write with your finger or Apple Pencil • Palm rejection when using Apple Pencil • Works entirely offline • No Full Access required • Scribble over part of your handwriting to erase it • Strike through handwriting to erase it together • Drag recognition candidates together to combine them • Adjustable auto-enter delay • Three writing-area sizes • Customizable Return key position • Two-finger scrolling or cursor movement • Adjustable line width and background color • Text Replacement support • Dark Mode and floating keyboard support • Quick Notes home screen widget SUPPORTED RECOGNITION LANGUAGES • U.S. English • Japanese British English and all other languages are not supported. Deutsch wird nicht unterstützt. El español no es compatible. O português não é compatível. Svenska stöds inte. Le français n’est pas pris en charge. 한국어는 지원되지 않습니다. MyScript® is a trademark of MyScript.

About

Just Press Record

Effortlessly capture audio moments with one-tap recording, automatic transcription, and seamless syncing across all your Apple devices. Edit audio and text, share easily, and organize your recordings with powerful search and organizational tools.

Highlights
  • One-tap recording
  • Automatic transcription
  • iCloud syncing
  • Audio and text editing
  • Hands-free Siri recording
  • Apple Watch app
  • Searchable transcripts
Features
Read full description

Just Press Record is the ultimate audio recorder bringing one tap recording, transcription and iCloud syncing to all your devices. You can edit your audio and transcriptions right inside the app and even start a new recording completely hands-free with Siri! Life is full of moments we would rather not forget - like your child’s first words, an important meeting or spontaneous idea. Capture these moments effortlessly on iPhone, iPad, Mac or for ultimate convenience, Apple Watch. RECORD • One tap to start, stop, pause and resume recording. • Start and stop recording from the Lock Screen, Control Centre, the Action Button, Shortcuts, Siri, the Widget, a 3D Touch Quick Action or via the URL scheme. • Unlimited recording time. • Record discretely in the background. • Choose to record from the built-in mic, AirPods or external microphones. • Record independently on Apple Watch and sync later. PLAY • Seek backwards and forwards during playback. • Adjustable playback speed. TRANSCRIBE • Turn speech into searchable text. • Support for over 30 languages, independent of your device's language setting. • Synchronized text highlighting and audio playback. • Format as you record with punctuation commands. EDIT • Audio - visualise your audio in the waveform view and cut out the parts you don’t need. • Text - make corrections and add new text to your transcriptions. SHARE • Share audio and text to other apps. • Share easily to social media as a video clip. • Share to iTunes on Mac or PC via USB cable. • Print a hard copy of your transcripts. • Share audio files from other apps to Just Press Record. ORGANISATION • View recent recordings or browse your library by date and time. • Search by filename or transcription content. • Dedicated tab for quick access to recordings made on Apple Watch. • Rename recordings. • Slide Over and Split View support on iPad. • Add a badge to the app icon showing the number of unplayed recordings. STORAGE • Choose to store recordings in iCloud Drive or locally on-device. • Recordings stored in iCloud Drive automatically sync across all your devices. • Recordings stored locally benefit from Files app integration and automatic iTunes File Sharing. • Transcriptions are stored within the audio file. PRO-AUDIO • Support for stereo recording from the built-in microphone on supported devices. • Support for high quality external microphones connected via the Lightning Port. • Customisable Audio Settings to enhance your recording experience. • File types include WAV, AIF or standard iTunes M4A (ACC). • High quality audio up to 96kHz / 24-bit. ACCESSIBILITY • VoiceOver support throughout the app. • Magic Tap gesture to start / stop a recording. APPLE WATCH Just Press Record includes an Apple Watch app that gives you the freedom to record anywhere, even when your iPhone is not around. • Start recording with a single tap on the Complication. • Record discretely in the background. • Unlimited recording time. • Recordings automatically transfer to iPhone for transcription and iCloud syncing. • Listen to recent recordings through the built-in speaker or AirPods. • Adjust volume with the Digital Crown. • Pause recording with a downward swipe. • Accessibility support with VoiceOver, reduced motion and support for the extra large Complication template. IMPORTANT: • Just Press Record does not record phone calls or audio from other apps. • Transcription requires a good, clean audio signal. Avoid recording in noisy environments and ensure the microphone is positioned close to the source. • URL scheme implemented by Just Press Record can be found on our FAQ page.

Screenshots

Handwriting Keyboard2 screens
Just Press Record4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Just Press Record at 4.3 against Handwriting Keyboard's 4.0. Just Press Record also leads on ratings volume (1.5K vs 98) and chart position (#14 vs unranked). Handwriting Keyboard's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $6.99) and iOS requirement (13.6 vs 18.6). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Handwriting Keyboard costs $3.99 and Just Press Record $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Just Press Record holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Just Press Record has 1.5K ratings behind it against 98, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 64% and 63% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handwriting Keyboard ships an update every 3 weeks, Just Press Record every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Handwriting Keyboard versus Just Press Record: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandwriting KeyboardJust Press Record
Price$3.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.0 (98 ratings)4.3 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.8% of reviews — better62.8% of reviews
Number of ratings981.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#14 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCatalystwoOpen Planet Software

Customer experience

Handwriting Keyboard

All ratings96 ratings
Positive77.1%
Neutral7.3%
Negative15.6%
Written reviews138 reviews
Positive63.8%
Neutral13.8%
Negative22.5%

Just Press Record

All ratings1,522 ratings
Positive80.3%
Neutral4.7%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews1,002 reviews
Positive62.8%
Neutral9.9%
Negative27.3%

Bugs and requests

Handwriting Keyboard

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Just Press Record

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Recordings disappearing or not syncing
  • Transcription process freezing or failing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to edit transcriptions
  • Ability to create custom folders/tags
  • Discreet recording mode without visual indicators
  • Background recording without interruptions

In-app purchases

None

Handwriting Keyboard

No in-app purchases

None

Just Press Record

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Handwriting Keyboard free?
Handwriting Keyboard costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Just Press Record free?
Just Press Record costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Handwriting Keyboard or Just Press Record?
Just Press Record is rated higher. Handwriting Keyboard averages 4.0 out of 5 from 98 ratings, while Just Press Record averages 4.3 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Handwriting Keyboard or Just Press Record have ads?
Neither Handwriting Keyboard nor Just Press Record shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handwriting Keyboard or Just Press Record?
Handwriting Keyboard ships an update every 3 weeks, and Just Press Record every 5 weeks. Most recently, Handwriting Keyboard was updated on November 6, 2026 and Just Press Record on November 6, 2026.

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