Ready to go deeper with Cleft? This guide builds on our Quick Start Guide with detailed instructions, platform-specific features, and advanced techniques to get the most from Cleft.If you prefer video, check out our video tutorial playlist.

​
Capture Your Brilliant Ideas Without Breaking Flow

1

Let the ideas flow

Tap the + button and start talking—no need to organize your thoughts first
Creating a voice note in Cleft on iOS
2

Pause if you need to gather your thoughts

Tap the pause button if you need a moment to think before continuing your creative flow
Pausing a voice note in Cleft on iOS
3

Resume when you're ready to continue

Tap resume to continue capturing your thoughts without starting a new note
Resuming a voice note in Cleft on iOS
4

Wrap it up when you're ready

Tap the stop button when you’ve captured your thought burst. Keep Cleft open as it works its magic.
Saving a voice note in Cleft on iOS
5

Need to cancel? No problem

Started recording at the wrong time? Simply cancel and start fresh
Canceling a note in Cleft on iOS
6

Track your recording time

Keep an eye on your recording time with the built-in timer
Recording timer in Cleft on iOS
First-time setup: Cleft will ask for microphone access—just one quick permission and you’re set for all future idea explosions.
Granting microphone permissions to Cleft on iOS
If Cleft can’t hear you, check that you’ve selected the right microphone and granted proper permissions
Microphone troubleshooting in Cleft on iOS

​
New: Process Notes as You Record

See your thoughts organized in real-time as you speak with Cleft’s new process-as-you-go feature

Processing note while recording in Cleft on iOS
When design thinking gets deep, Plus gives you 6x more recording time for those complex UX brainstorms.

​
For Those “Can’t Talk Right Now” Moments: Text Notes

1

Type when speaking isn't an option

Long press the + button and choose “New Text Note” – perfect for capturing ideas during those silent meetings
2

Turn your text chaos into clarity

Tap Save when your thoughts are captured, and let Cleft work its organizing magic
Your design commute companion: Capture those brilliant design solutions that hit you on the train without disturbing your fellow commuters.UX research tip: Copy and paste user feedback or design critique text directly into Cleft to transform it into organized insights.

​
Reshaping Your Thoughts: Editing Notes

1

Dive back into your ideas

Open your note and tap the Write tab to revisit and reshape your thinking
2

Refine your thought constellation

Mold your ideas with these simple creative tools:
  • Highlight key concepts: Use double asterisks for bold
  • Add nuance: Use single asterisks for italics
  • Create visual hierarchy: Add # for main ideas, ## for supporting ones
  • Group related thoughts:
    • Cluster with bullet points using dashes (-)
    • Sequence with numbers (1., 2., etc.)
  • Mark special elements: With backticks (`)
  • Bridge ideas together: Create links with descriptive text
3

Preserve your creative refinements

Tap Save when your thoughts feel right
Discover even more ways to visualize your ideas in the full transcriptions guide.

​
Accessing Your Raw Thoughts: Working with Transcriptions

1

Access your voice note

Open any note created with voice input
2

Reveal your verbal stream of consciousness

Tap the “Transcript” toggle at the top of your note
3

See your thoughts, untouched

View and review the raw transcript of exactly what you said
4

Polish if needed

Make any edits or corrections to the transcript text
5

Refresh your organized note

After editing, you can regenerate your note to incorporate your changes
On-the-go improvements: Edit transcripts between meetings to clarify technical terms or names that might have been misheard.

​
How Cleft Transcriptions Work Behind the Scenes

Your voice stays private: Cleft uses the state-of-the-art Whisper model to transcribe your voice notes locally on your device. Your actual voice recording never leaves your device—only the text transcript is processed by AI to create your beautiful notes.

​
The Two-Step Privacy-First Process

Step 1: Local Transcription (On Your Device)
  1. As soon as you finish recording, Cleft immediately transcribes your audio using the Whisper model right on your device
  2. Your voice audio stays completely private—it never leaves your device
  3. This creates a text transcript of exactly what you said
Step 2: AI Organization (Text Only)
  1. The text transcript (not your voice) is sent to OpenAI’s latest models
  2. Combined with your instructions (Plus users can customize these!), the AI transforms your transcript into a beautifully organized Cleft note
  3. The result comes back as your structured, actionable note

​
🎨 Make Cleft Yours with Custom Instructions (Plus)

Transform how Cleft organizes your thoughts. With Custom Instructions, you control exactly how your notes are structured—perfect for your unique thinking style.

  • 📝 Choose your preferred format (bullets, paragraphs, action items)
  • 🎯 Add context about your work or thinking style
  • 🔧 Create templates for different types of notes
  • ✨ Get consistently formatted notes every time

Learn about Custom Instructions →
Upgrade to Plus for Custom Instructions →

​
For Future Updates and Edits

When you:
  • Regenerate a note
  • Merge notes
  • Add new content
  • Make manual edits
Cleft works with the text-based transcript rather than re-processing the original audio, making everything faster and more flexible.

​
Benefits of Working with Your Transcripts

The Whisper model provides industry-leading transcription quality, even with specialized terminology.

Scan through your thoughts visually instead of listening to the entire audio recording.

Make changes directly to the text without altering your original recording.

Find specific information in your notes with text search rather than scrubbing through audio.

​
🔒 Privacy by Design

Your voice recordings never leave your device. Only the text transcript is sent to AI models for processing.

  • ✅ Voice transcription happens 100% locally using Whisper
  • ✅ Only text (transcript + your instructions) is sent to OpenAI
  • ✅ Your actual voice audio stays completely private
  • ✅ You get beautiful, organized notes without compromising privacy

​
Pro Tips for Transcripts

For cleaner transcripts: Speak at a moderate pace in a quiet environment, especially when using technical terms or unusual names.
Review soon after recording: A quick glance can catch any misinterpretations while the context is still fresh in your mind.
Compare for insight: Looking at both your raw transcript and the organized note can reveal interesting patterns in your thinking process.
While Whisper offers exceptional accuracy, it may occasionally misinterpret specialized terminology or speech in noisy environments. A quick review helps ensure your ideas are captured perfectly.