What Signal Recorder SR-7 is

Signal Recorder SR-7 is a voice recorder for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It records your voice, transcribes it on the device, and with Apple Intelligence writes a title and a one-sentence summary for each recording, so a list of recordings reads like a list of notes.

Installation

SR-7 is on the App Store as a one-time purchase: buy it once and it works on your iPhone, iPad and Mac, with no subscription. Family Sharing covers up to six people.

SR-7 needs iOS 26, iPadOS 26 or macOS 26. On the Mac it needs Apple silicon (M1 or later). Titles and summaries also need Apple Intelligence, switched on; transcription works without it.

Your first recording

Open SR-7 and press the record button at the bottom of the list. Two tape reels, a live waveform and a counter show that it is recording. Pause and resume as often as you like, then stop to finish.

SR-7 records AAC audio and keeps it in your library on the device. A recording stops on its own at the maximum length set in Settings: 60 minutes to begin with, and anywhere from 15 to 180 minutes.

You can also type a note instead of recording one.

Transcription

Transcription starts by itself when you stop recording. SR-7 uses Apple’s on-device speech framework, so the audio is turned into text on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

The language is set in Settings. Automatic uses your device’s language, or you can pick another from the list. Which languages work depends on what Apple’s on-device transcription supports on your OS version.

Imported audio is transcribed as it arrives while Transcribe automatically on import is switched on, which it is to begin with. To transcribe every recording in a project at once, choose Transcribe All from the project’s menu in the sidebar.

Titles and summaries

When a transcript is done, SR-7 asks Apple’s on-device models for a title and a one-sentence summary. This works on iPhone, iPad and Mac wherever Apple Intelligence is available and switched on. You can rename any recording yourself.

Recordings that are not in a project live in the Inbox. Make projects for the things you record about, and drag or move recordings between them at any time. Star the recordings you come back to and find them under Favorites. Deleting moves a recording to Recently Deleted, where you can restore it. It stays there for 30 days and is then removed permanently, unless you empty it sooner.

Search covers file names, titles, summaries and full transcripts. Playback runs from 0.5× to 2×, with 15-second skips back and forward.

iCloud sync

iCloud sync is off until you switch it on in Settings, and you switch it on separately on each device. SR-7 then quits to apply the change, and you open it again. Once it is on, your recordings, transcripts and projects sync through CloudKit, in your own iCloud account. Include audio files decides whether the audio travels too; it is on to begin with.

Importing audio

  • iPhone and iPad: tap Import in the toolbar and choose files in the Files app.
  • Mac: choose File > Import Audio (⌘O), or drag files onto the SR-7 window.

SR-7 imports WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A, AAC, CAF, FLAC and ALAC. MP3, M4A and AAC files are kept as they are; the others are converted to AAC on import. The hardware import guide covers the teenage engineering TP-7 and other recorders.

On the Mac

Two features are Mac only:

  • The markdown library. In Settings, under Library, pick a location and SR-7 creates an SR-7 Library folder there, with a folder per project and a markdown file per recording. SR-7 manages that folder: it rewrites files when recordings change and removes files it did not write, so keep your own files elsewhere.
  • The MCP server. It lets Claude Code and other MCP clients search and work with your recordings. See the MCP server guide.

Next steps

  • Use cases: voice notes as context for AI tools, journaling and the markdown library
  • Best practices: habits that make a recording archive useful
  • The MCP server: connect Claude Code to your recordings

Signal Recorder SR-7

A dictaphone for thinking out loud. It records your voice and transcribes it on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Download on theApp Store

$7.99 once for iPhone, iPad and Mac. No subscription.