Voice Journaling on Mobile

Some days the words come more easily spoken than typed. Voice journaling lets you speak your reflection and have it transcribed — then your guidance arrives exactly as it would for a written session.

It's often the more honest way to journal. People tend to talk the way they actually think, and that lands differently than something carefully composed.

Who Can Use It

Seeker — 300 minutes per month
Faith Builder — 300 minutes per month
Shepherd — unlimited

Voice journaling is included on every paid plan.

Voice journaling is available in the mobile app only, on iOS and Android. The web app is text-only.

Recording a Session

Start a new session from your Home screen.
At the top of the writing area, choose the Voice tab.
Tap the record button to begin. The timer shows how long you've been speaking.
Speak naturally — as you'd pray or think out loud. There's no need to change your style.
When you're finished, tap Save.

Your recording is transcribed, and your guidance is generated from the transcript. From there the session behaves exactly like a written one — the same six guidance sections, the same next steps, the same place in your history.

The first time you record, your device will ask for microphone permission. Voice journaling can't work without it, but you can decline and keep typing.

Pausing and Length

Pause anytime. Use the pause button to gather your thoughts, then resume. Pausing doesn't end the recording or split it into pieces.
Sessions can run up to 10 minutes. If you reach the limit, recording stops on its own and you'll see "Max recording time reached" — nothing you've said is lost.
Save becomes available after about 15 seconds. Below that there isn't enough to reflect on.

Ten minutes is longer than it sounds. Most meaningful voice sessions run two to four.

Voice and Text Are Separate

A session uses one input mode or the other — not both.

If you've typed something and then switch to Voice, you'll be asked to confirm: "Switch to Voice? This will erase your typed entry." Switching clears the text field, so finish in one mode or the other.

Choose your mode before you start rather than partway through.

What Happens to Your Audio

Your recording is transcribed securely on Psalmlog's servers — not on your device.
Only the resulting text is used to generate your guidance, exactly as if you'd typed it.
Audio files aren't kept once transcription is complete.

Your transcript is saved with the session, so you can reread what you said whenever you revisit it.

Recording Offline

You can record without a connection. Your session is stored on your device and syncs — transcription and guidance included — once you're back online.

If the app closes mid-session, your in-progress entry is recovered the next time you open it.

Tips for Better Voice Sessions

Find a quiet spot. Background noise is the main thing that degrades a transcript.
Hold your phone 6–12 inches away and speak at a normal volume.
Don't worry about "ums" or pauses. They don't affect your guidance — speak your heart, not a script.
Start with two or three minutes. Consistency matters more than length.
Try it on the hard days. When writing feels like too much work, speaking often still feels possible.

Troubleshooting

Recording won't start

Check that Psalmlog has microphone permission in your device settings.
Make sure no other app is currently using your microphone.
Close and reopen the app.

"Audio is too short or empty"

The recording didn't capture enough sound to transcribe. This usually means the microphone was blocked, the session was very short, or the device didn't pick up your voice. Record again, speaking for at least 15–20 seconds.

The transcript came out garbled

Transcription struggles with heavy background noise or very quiet speech. Psalmlog checks the result and will ask you to try again rather than build guidance from an unusable transcript. Move somewhere quieter and re-record.

"No active session — please log in again"

Your sign-in expired while the app was open. Log in again and your recording flow will work normally.

Nothing happened after I tapped Save

If you're offline, your session is queued and will process once you reconnect. If you're online and it still seems stuck, close and reopen the app — in-progress entries are recovered on launch.

Next Steps

Text Journaling on Mobile — The typed alternative, and when it fits better
Understanding Your Guidance — What you'll receive after your session
Using Offline Mode — Journaling without a connection