Support

Ear to Eye for iPhone, iPad & Mac · updated September 2026

Getting started, in one breath

Open Ear to Eye → hold the phone near the sound → tap Listen.

It captions anything the microphone can hear: someone talking in the room, the TV, a voicemail or video played out loud. Words appear one at a time (or in short phrases) at the top; the transcript below is for re-reading — tap any sentence to replay it.

• Point the arrow at whoever's speaking. The microphones ride the bottom edge of the phone, so aiming that end at the sound captures best — the app rotates its screen automatically if that leaves the phone upside down.
• Stop stills the word stream instantly — everything already heard is in the transcript, so you never lose a word.
• More → Settings adjusts speed, one word or phrases, text size and font, and can skip filler words like “um” and “uh”.
• Reset to defaults restores the easy settings (slower pace, phrases, large text).

Captioning phone calls needs a second device

iOS does not let any app hear a call that the same phone is on — that's a platform rule, not a bug, and we verified it on real hardware. To caption a call:

1. Take the call on speaker on a different device — an iPad, a family member's phone, a landline.
2. Run Ear to Eye on your iPhone sitting next to it, listening.

If you tap Listen while your iPhone is on a call, the app notices and explains this instead of failing silently. Also note: in some US states, captioning a call is treated like recording it — get everyone's consent.

Troubleshooting

• No words appear when I tap Listen. Ear to Eye needs two permissions: Microphone and Speech Recognition. On iPhone or iPad, turn both on in Settings → Ear to Eye. On a Mac, turn Ear to Eye on under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, and again under Speech Recognition.
• Words appear but lag or garble. Get the phone closer to the sound source and reduce background noise. Speakerphone-into-mic works best within a couple of feet. A network connection improves recognition accuracy.
• The words go by too fast or too slow. More → Settings → Speed. Phrases shows a few words at a time, which many readers find easier to follow. Need a moment? Tap Stop — nothing is lost; it's all in the transcript.
• The text is hard to read. More → Settings → Text size and Font. Reset to defaults switches back to large text.
• Captioning stopped by itself. If the phone received a call, iOS suspends mic access — see the second-device setup above. Otherwise just tap Listen again; everything already heard is saved in the transcript.

Your privacy

Ear to Eye has no accounts, no analytics, and no ads, and we collect nothing. To turn speech into text it uses Apple's speech recognition, which may process audio on Apple's servers. Transcripts stay on your device unless you export or share them. The details are in the privacy policy.

Requirements and purchase

One app for iPhone and iPad (iOS and iPadOS 17 or later) and Mac with Apple silicon (macOS 14 or later). Ear to Eye costs $2.99 (US) as a one-time purchase, with no in-app purchases — get it on the App Store.

Payment goes through Apple, so refund requests go to Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.

Contact

hello@rick3.dev — bug reports, feature requests, or feedback. If you or someone you care for lives with aphasia or an auditory processing disorder, we'd especially like to hear how it works for you.

Ear to Eye is a communication aid — not a medical device, and it makes no clinical claims. See the terms of use.