Define - new iPhone app

Hearing Loss Apps
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I got a new iPhone 16 yesterday, it has a new app called Define, which is a speech to text transcribing speech to text for HOH community.

I used it today for all of 10 minutes, the transcription appeared to be fairly accurate. It’s extremely easy to use, a lot easier than “live listen”. When I set it up all I had to do was give access to the microphone. Then point your phone towards the voice, TV, group of people etc.

If you have used it what are your thoughts on the new app please? It seems to be a free app also which is terrific.

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I have a new iPhone 16 on order and look forward to trying this,
I have updated my iPhone 11 to the latest IOS18 system and it does not appear to be there - unless somebody can tell me otherwise!

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@wiclifmcc This is what you’re looking for. I checked my old phone IOS 18 it wasn’t on that either. So must be new on iPhone 16.

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@Deaf_piper
Many thanks - I look forward to trying it

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I tried to find this app on my iPhone 15 with IOS 18.1 but couldn’t locate it. Strange that Apple would limit it only to the new phone!

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Can’t download it to an older phone?

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Don I don’t know. I looked for the app in the App Store and couldn’t see it. :person_shrugging:t3:

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I can only guess that this app needs a lot of processing power, just like the AI, so that the older phones are unable to cope?

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It is more of an Apple thing of controlling what phones have what features to nudge customers to update to newer phones.
Android has had this for a while, works on many models and brands of phones. Some have it built in, others you just download the app.

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A free alternative is NALscribe

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It can only be run on 15 and 16 phones.

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@paul.cleary.nz I have only tried NALscribe briefly on my TV. It understood even less than I did! I must give it another go

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Can you share a link to it the App Store? Maybe it is only available in certain regions.

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@Nordo If you mean Nalscribe just go to the App store (in Apple at least) and search for Nalscribe:live captions. Just looked it up and it was 2nd in a list of 2.

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@wiclifmcc NALscribe works fine on my iPad Air (2017).
It was developed by an Australian government organisation to help deaf people.

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NALscribe free version almost unusable!

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I use my Samsung to translate and we getnsome good laughs.
My gf called her friend and in spanish asked if she wanted us to get her a burrito on the way there. The translation came through as… do you want us to get you a donkey on the way home? :wink:

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Here is some more information about NALscribe:

Please note that it is only available on Apple devices.

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Strang can’t find it on my phone 16 pro or on the App Store. Have AI loaded but no Define is that the correct spelling?

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I use Live Captions on my Iphone 13. It is easy to set up and I just click the side button three times to use it. It would appear to be very similar to Define. NALscribe but it doesn’t work well unless the speaker is close to me. Another option is the Otter app which works well for me. The basic version is free. For phone calls I rely on InnoCaption which has been a life changer for me. It also free, just have to certify that you have a hearing disability.