Download Cleft (iOS, macOS, iPadOS) & login to your account to get started.

Creating Voice Notes

Watch how to create a voice note in Cleft

1

Start recording

Select the new note + button or press ⌘ + N to start dicating

2

Finish recording

Select the stop recording button or press

3

Process note

Keep Cleft open to process & create your note

Want more time? Upgrade to Plus to get 6x more time.

Creating Text Notes

1

Create new text note

Select (macOS) or long press (iOS/iPadOS) the + button & click new text note (⌘ + T) to begin typing

2

Save your note

When you’re done, select the Save button (⌘ + ⏎)

3

Process note

Keep Cleft open to process & create your note

Text notes are perfect for quiet environments like libraries or commuting, letting you quickly capture ideas when speaking isn’t practical.

You can also paste in text from other apps into your note to get thinking on by pasting your clipboard into your note.

Editing Notes

1

Open the note you wish to edit

Open the note you wish to edit

2

Click on the Write tab

Click on the Write tab to access the transcript

3

Edit the transcript

Edit the transcript as you would any other text

4

Click on the Save button

Click on the Save button to save the note

Further details on what you can do with transcriptions in Cleft can be found in the transcriptions guide.

Adding to Existing Notes

Appending to notes is a Plus feature. New content will be automatically appended to the bottom of your existing note.

1

Open note

Open an existing note you want to add to

2

Start recording your thoughts

Press the orange button & select “Add Audio To This Note” ⌘ + ⌥ + A

3

Finish recording

Tap the stop button or let it automatically stop after a pause ()

Quick Access with Widgets & Action Button

Widgets are available on iOS and iPadOS devices. Action Button is available on iPhone 15/16 Pro and Pro Max.

1

Add Home Screen Widget

Long press on your home screen, tap the + button in the top left, and search for “Cleft”. Add the widget size of your choice.

2

Set up Lock Screen Widget

Go to your Lock Screen, long press to customize, tap “Add Widgets”, and find Cleft in the widget list.

3

Configure Action Button

Go to Settings > Action Button > select Cleft to start and finish notes with a single press.

Customizing Your Note Style with Custom Instructions

Custom Instructions are available to Plus users only & are by default blank.

1

Open Settings

Go to Settings ⚙️ > AI Preferences > Custom Instructions ⌘ + .

2

Type or paste your instructions

Write your instructions using the template structure below

Sample Structure

[Context statement] here.
Group by [organization categories].
Flag [important elements].
Keep track of [progress metrics].
Make it [primary quality] but [balancing quality].

You can also use the ⌘ + . shortcut to quickly access your custom instructions.

Sample Instructions

Casual Style

Write my notes in a casual tone.
Group by main topics and subtopics.
Flag key takeaways and action items.
Keep track of next steps.
Make it conversational but clear.

Formal Style

Write in a professional tone.
Group by categories and priorities.
Flag critical points and decisions.
Keep track of follow-up items.
Make it structured but accessible.

You can access a hundreds of custom instructions inspiration in the Cookbook guide.

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