Accessibility

Quern turns speech into text, so it should work for everyone who needs that. This page says how it works with each of Apple's accessibility features, and what doesn't work yet.

Transcripts for every recording

Every recording, and every audio or video file you bring in, gets a full written transcript, made on your iPhone. While a recording plays, the word being spoken is highlighted, and you can tap any word to hear it. Speakers are labelled by name and colour. The recording screen shows the words as they're said.

VoiceOver

Every button is labelled, and each screen has headings you can move between with the rotor. In a transcript, VoiceOver reads a paragraph at a time: who is speaking, when, and what they said. Double-tap a paragraph to play from it. To correct a misheard word, use the Fix a word action on that paragraph, then pick the word. To move a passage to another speaker, use Change speaker above it. Chapters are headings, so you can jump between them.

Voice Control

Controls can be named aloud. To play a paragraph, say "Tap" and the time shown beside it, for example "Tap 1:23". To reach a single word, use Voice Control's grid.

Larger text and bold text

All text follows your text size, including the largest accessibility sizes. Rows and controls rearrange rather than cut words off. Bold Text makes Quern's own lettering heavier too.

Contrast and colour

Text meets the usual 4.5 to 1 contrast guideline in the app's standard colours, and Quern's automated tests check it before every release. Colour is never the only signal: speakers have names as well as colours, and recording shows the words "Recording" or "Paused" as well as a red light.

Reduce Motion

With Reduce Motion on, Quern's animations are still: the turning mark, the loading indicator, the level meter, scrolling and the timer.

What isn't supported yet

• Dark mode across the app. Quern is light apart from the recording screen, which is dark. A dark mode for everything is under consideration.
• iPad and Mac. Quern is on iPhone for now.