Can we get the ability to add voice notes on Agenda?
Some times, I’d just like to record notes when I’m not at my desk. What would be even more awesome if these notes were automatically transcribed, with the transcripts being editable.
We have heard this a few times, and it is in our to-do.
How do you see this working though. Eg. you want to record a voice note on the run. Where does it go? In which project/note? Or are you just looking for the option to put the cursor somewhere, click a “add recording” button, record, and end up with a audio file in the note?
Have you tried just using Apple’s Voice recorder app, and then sharing the resulting files to Agenda via the sharing extension?
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Thanks Drew. Although I plan to use Agenda for things outside of work, currently I’m using the app only for work related notes. Most of the time, I capture meeting notes.
Sometimes, when I have an idea over the weekend or when I’m not at desk, I want to be able to capture a voice note. I’m looking for real ease in capturing notes when I’m just too tired or lazy to type, away from my laptop. For example, I should be able to add a new note (press the ‘+’ button) and trigger a dictate option.
As I dictate, Agenda can start transcribing. Sort of like how Google Assistant transcribes on the fly. The transcription can be appear real-time in the note.
An alternative experience could be - you don’t transcribe real time, but just let me record inside a note. But the transcription can be generated as soon as I’ve finished my recording. It can possibly appear collapsed, and can be expanded on demand.
I don’t think I’d want to capture voice notes in the middle of an existing regular note. I’d probably just want exclusive voice notes for new ideas on-the-go.
I can totally imagine myself using this in the evening or in the night, when I’m not near my work laptop but would like to capture ideas.
The other use-case I probably see for this is when I start using Agenda for notes outside of work. I can capture recipe ideas as a voice note, instead of having to meticulously type things out, for example.
I want the “audio playing” very much to look and feel like a native experience, when I refer to these notes later. Would using the Voice Recorder app and sharing the file result in such an experience in Agenda?
Have you tried the built in Dictation that Apple provides? All devices offer this. You can dictate directly into any text area, including Agenda.
Eg. On iOS, put the cursor in a note, and then tap the microphone symbol on the bottom of the keyboard. You can now talk, and what you say goes into the note as text. Same on Mac, but it is under Edit > Start Dictation…
If the idea is to capture ideas etc, I would create a note specifically for that, perhaps in a project called “General” or “Inbox” or something like that. I would have that note on-the-agenda (yellow dot top-left). Then, when I wanted to quickly grab a thought, I would go to On the Agenda, put the cursor there, and dictate. Later, you can go back and organise those thoughts.
In principle this is great. In practice Apple seems to limit the time it “listens” and it keeps reverting back to text input. I’ve found it so annoying I rarely use it. But perhaps I’m doing something wrong.
Thanks, I’m not sure why I don’t use iOS Dictation as much. I do think there are usecases where I actually want to have a voice recording.
For example, taking my sister’s recipe ideas as notes would be quite a tedious process (we talk in both English and Tamil, another language). I’d much rather capture it as as voice note so that I can replay it later when I’m actually making that recipe later.
The other thing is: dictation assumes that I have the patience to look through the transcript and correct errors, but a lot of times I don’t have the patience for it. Like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, sometimes I’d just like to play things back (like notes where we’re talking about recipes)
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There are other apps that do it (including transcription).
I think it would be better to fix that. Sounds like a bug.
Can you be specific about where you have this issue? Eg. iOS or Mac? Is it during longer pauses?
I use the ‘talk to text’ feature through the accessibility options. It will stay on all the time. So it’s something to keep in your widget control bar to toggle on & off. It’s called "voice control” in the menu.
But yes either way its far from perfect in functionality. There are always errors and unlike typing it’s not just a letter off, it’ll be a completely different set of words.
And it doesn’t know your vocabulary. It’s vocabulary/language comprehension is limited.
An iOS issue for sure. And that’s why it’s also nice to be able to have the recorded version to reference. And to mention it’s nice to have other auditory information too sometimes.
Its has certainly gotten better but I hope this technology continues to advance. Its an accessibility issue.