Cleft / Journal
Product notes, release stories, and build logs from the team shaping Cleft.
Listen to the Speak Easy podcastCleft has transcribed your voice on-device since the first builds. The cloud only ever handled the summary step. A look at why we made that choice early, and the work to make on-device transcription fast and accurate.
CarPlay is the most constrained surface we have shipped: you cannot look at the screen, you only get templated controls, and you might lose signal at speed. Here is how those limits shaped the feature.
Record a voice note while you drive. With CarPlay, you can capture a thought, save it in a tap, and start the next one right away, all without reaching for your phone.
1.12 through 1.12.3 added almost no new buttons on purpose. We spent the quarter making the app you already use harder to break.
Your notes just got tougher. Edits save themselves, failed notes tell you why, and Apple Watch recordings find their way to your phone even out of range.
Switch your AirPods, plug in a USB mic, connect a Bluetooth headset. Your recording keeps going. Your full recording, every time.
No new buttons to find, just a tougher, more accurate version of what you already rely on. Better transcription, quiet recordings, and cleaner code blocks.
Nothing new to learn, just a better version of what you already use. Choose your date format, quick search on Mac, and dozens of stability and performance improvements across iOS, Mac, and Watch.
The hard part of a voice app is capturing clean audio on real devices that connect late, switch mid-sentence, and get interrupted by calls. Here is the work that went into making recording survive that.
Speed is the feature. We rebuilt how sync works, how the notebook engine performs, and how fast your note is ready after recording. Everything just got faster. Still entirely on-device.
We caught a few issues from the last release. This one makes things right. Your recordings are safe and the app stays rock-solid.
Happy New Year! Starting as we mean to go on. Lots of goodies in this one. Quiet recordings come through clearer, see your recording without unlocking, and feel when things happen.
People asked us for a black hole they could dump a thought into and trust it was captured and synced everywhere. Sync had drifted from that, so for 1.10.1 we rebuilt the sync layer.
We're back to shipping fast. Less things to give you the ick. Rebuilt sync layer, fixed race conditions and edge cases. Your audio stays local. Your notes sync across Mac and phone instantly, reliably.
Justin published Liquid Speech, an MIT-licensed Flutter package for using Apple's native SpeechAnalyzer API on iOS and macOS while still compiling cleanly on older OS versions.
During an early React Native build of Cleft, react-native-skia would not compile for Mac Catalyst. I took a stalled community fix, brought it current against main, and got macOS Catalyst support merged upstream in v2.3.0.
Cleft 1.10 is live on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch to download 🥳 We can't wait to see how you find using Cleft right from your Apple Watch, Spotlight Search & improved speed.
Cleft 1.9 makes recording smoother whatever you are plugged into. Switch audio devices mid-thought, see which mic is live, and get a heads up when something interrupts you.
Brilliant insights strike anytime. Do not let them slip away. Capture, organize, and act with Cleft, the ultimate tool for seamless consulting workflows.
Cleft 1.8 is here! 🚀 Notion integration, smarter recordings, sleek UI, & offline upgrades make voice-first note-taking better than ever. Update now! 🎉
Lost in feedback docs? Capture ideas instantly and keep the spark alive with voice-powered creative direction, transforming your workflow with Cleft!
Conquer context-switching! Capture insights on the go with Cleft. Save hours, boost clarity, and thrive across roles. Start your transformation today!
Transform how you work with voice-first documentation. Effortlessly capture processes, share insights, and scale your operations in real time. Say goodbye to time-wasting and hello to smarter systems.
ADHD coaches love Cleft for capturing post-session insights and planning strategies. Built for neurodivergent minds, trusted by coaching professionals.
Your best ideas don't wait for a keyboard. Cleft turns voice into organized notes, helping you capture thoughts on walks, commutes, or anywhere inspiration strikes.
Join us for a look back at Cleft's transformative first year. From our March beta launch to December's Notion integration, discover how we've evolved to serve our growing community of voice-first creators.
Featured in annual best apps roundup
Featured as top productivity tool recommendation
What’s New: Family sharing now supported! Annual price now just $39/year (was $89), a 56% drop! Plus Plan updates + bug fixes. Try Cleft today! Full details here.
Cleft 1.7 brings Apple Family Sharing, Custom Instructions for Plus, and a big price drop. Share one subscription, and shape every note your way.
🎉 Missed Black Friday? Our Cyber Monday deal is here! Get Cleft Plus for $29/year (save $60). Offer ends tonight at midnight EST! Claim now!
Black Friday deals, Apple Intelligence integration, and new Speak Easy episodes. Secret project for writers coming soon. Vote for us in Upgradies!
🎉 Save $60 on Cleft Plus! Get it for $29.99/year during our first-ever Black Friday sale. Offer ends Nov 29 at midnight EST. Claim now!
Cleft now integrates with Apple Intelligence! Transform your notes with smart summaries, idea expansion, and contextual suggestions. Your personal thinking partner is here. ✨
Comprehensive guide featuring Cleft's approach to voice capture
How voice notes are transforming legal documentation (32:15)
Cleft 1.4 is available. Cleft for macOS has moved to the Mac App Store. New features, fixes, and monthly updates.
How lawyers are using Cleft for legal documentation
Our latest update (1.1) introduces the game-changing auto-copy feature, allowing you to instantly share your notes with a single tap. Plus, we've added password protection for shared links (Plus Plan), account detail updates on iOS and macOS, and more.
Cleft featured in Designer Daily Report.
Cleft is now officially available on the App Store! 🚀 Get downloading right away!
(TL;DL) Voice Boost: Add recordings to existing notes with a single tap! Mac Makeover: Update your account details right in the app. Neat & Tidy: New horizontal line breaks for organized thoughts. Smooth Operator: Fixed iOS 18 recording and Obsidian plugin issues.
Featured in productivity tools roundup
It has been 140 days since we shipped the first public build of Cleft - check out what we shipped in the Cleft beta over the summer!
Featured review of Cleft's voice-first approach
How Cleft transforms voice into structured content
Now live in Cleft: Audio notifications are live and we've made a LOT of quality of life improvements. Mac build 29, iPhone and iPad build 68.
Exploring how Cleft is changing the way we capture ideas (15:20)
Comprehensive review
Now live in Cleft: Edit notes offline and auto-detect language is now live. Mac build 28, iPhone and iPad build 67.
Deep dive into Cleft's approach to secure voice notes (28:45)
Now live in Cleft: Regenerate notes, silent-mode has arrived and a brand new audio player on iPhone. Mac build 27, iPhone and iPad build 61.
Now live in Cleft: Monthly plans, iPad interface update and upgraded recording times for basic plans (from 3 to 5 minutes). Mac build 26, iOS build 56.
Now live in Cleft: Duplicate and merge notes, updated recording times, multi-select mode, journal prompts library. iOS Build 52, Mac OS Build 25.
Now live in Cleft: Tags Upgrades & Search/Filter by Tags. iOS Build 50, Mac OS Build 24.
It has been 71 days since we shipped the first public build of Cleft - check out what is now live in Cleft!
Featured as innovative AI transcription tool
Now live in Cleft: Manual tagging, note archiving, a revamped search filter interface and comments are live on published notes. iOS Build 47, Mac OS Build 23.
In-depth comparison
How Cleft is reimagining productivity through voice (25:30)
Now live in Cleft: Brand new UI, plans are live and we upgraded our documentation. iOS Build 45, Mac OS Build 22.
Now live in Cleft: OpenAI's latest model, GPT-4o, is now live and integrated with Cleft and is available to all users.
Now live in Cleft: Obsidian, 30 minute notes, add images and documents - there's a lot in this week's release. iOS Build 41, Mac OS Build 21.
Exclusive feature on Cleft's launch
Build 39 (iOS) and 20 (Mac) is now ready to download. Now live in Cleft: actual toggle button, updated offline notes and bugs squished.
Build 36 (iOS) and 19 (Mac) is now ready to download. Now live in Cleft: UI updated, offline notes update, AirPods update and lots of bugs squashed.
It has been 40 days since we shipped the first public build of Cleft - check out what is now live in Cleft.
Deep dive into voice-first productivity
Build 31 (iOS) and 18 (Mac) is now ready to download. Now live in Cleft: Offline mode, pause note, homescreen/lockscreen widgets, download original audio file, find is now available and we have launched a brand new help section.
In-depth review
Build 25 (iOS) and 17 (Mac) is now ready to download. Now live in Cleft: Audio playback button comes to Mac and iOSCustom vocabulary and tone updates
Build 15 is now ready to download. Now live in Cleft: Custom AI instructions, auto-copy to clipboard for published notes.
Build 13 is now ready to download. Now live in Cleft: Copy Plain Text, Brand New UI and Apple Shortcuts.
Cleft featured in Department of Product.
Build 12 is now ready to download. Now live in Cleft: App-Switching, Published notes Audio Upgrade, Native Share Sheet, Keyboard Shortcuts.
Product review
Comprehensive review
Featured review
Launch coverage
The first public build (11) is now ready to download. Use your voice to create and share summarised notes using Cleft on your Mac or iPhone.