One switch, continuous listening
Turn listening on once and it continues while the app is alive, including in the background and on the Lock Screen, until you switch it off.
A private journal of what happened around you.
QuietTrace is a private sound journal for the moments you want to remember without recording audio. When you choose to turn listening on, it identifies sounds on your device and saves a simple, timestamped journal of what happened—not an audio file. Audio is never retained or transmitted, and listening stays visible until you switch it off.
On the App Store since September 2026
Listening you can always see and stop
Always visible, always stoppable
A Live Activity and the system microphone indicator keep listening visible the entire time. The five controls are equally authoritative: turn listening off in Settings, use Stop from the Live Activity, turn it off from Control Center, pause from the journal, or send Pause or Stop from the Apple Watch companion.
It never starts itself
QuietTrace re-arms when you reopen the app, but it cannot start on its own after a force-quit or a device restart. Clear pause and stop controls stay within reach.
A journal, not a meter
Events, not audio
On-device sound classification saves an event label with its timestamp. No audio recordings are kept, and microphone audio is never retained or transmitted.
A readable history
See sound events with their time and day—made for understanding a soundscape at home, while travelling, around pets, during quiet hours, or on a walk.
Yours alone
There is no Crafter Apps account or developer-operated cloud library. Optional iCloud sync uses your private CloudKit database and never includes microphone audio.
Free core and Lifetime Access
QuietTrace is available for iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 18 or later. Continuous listening, live sound classification, the complete local journal, and the Apple Watch companion remain free. Lifetime Access is an optional one-time purchase that adds archive search and filtering, CSV journal export, and private iCloud sync—with no subscription or recurring fee. The localized price is shown in the app before purchase. Eligible purchases support Family Sharing.
Maker note
Why the journal keeps the label and lets the sound go
I wanted to understand what a night at home or a walk actually sounded like without pointing a recorder at my own life. The moment an app keeps audio, it stops being a journal and becomes surveillance—so QuietTrace classifies sounds on the device, writes down what happened and when, and keeps nothing you could replay. That is also why listening is loud about itself: a Live Activity, the system microphone indicator, and stop controls that are never more than one gesture away.
Daniel · solo developer behind Crafter AppsQuietTrace questions
What exactly is QuietTrace?
A private sound journal. It identifies sounds on your device while listening is on and saves a simple, timestamped record of recognized events—a readable history of what happened, not an audio file.
Does it record audio?
No. QuietTrace uses on-device sound classification and stores only event labels and timestamps. No audio recordings are kept, and microphone audio is never retained or transmitted.
Could it listen without me knowing?
No. A Live Activity and the system microphone indicator keep listening visible, and the same five stop controls are always available: Settings, Live Activity, Control Center, journal Pause, and Apple Watch Pause or Stop. It re-arms only when you reopen the app and cannot start itself after a force-quit or device restart.
Is it a decibel meter, safety or medical tool, or accessibility replacement?
No. QuietTrace is not a calibrated meter, safety or medical detector, audio recorder, hearing aid, or substitute for Apple Sound Recognition or other accessibility features. It is a personal journal for understanding a soundscape.
What is free, and what does Lifetime Access unlock?
Continuous listening, live sound classification, the complete local journal, and the Apple Watch companion are free. Lifetime Access is an optional one-time purchase that adds archive search and filtering, CSV journal export, and private iCloud sync, with no subscription or recurring fee.
Where can I download QuietTrace?
QuietTrace is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Listening and the local journal are free; Lifetime Access adds archive tools and optional private iCloud sync.
Availability
- Devices
- iPhone · iPad
- Download
- Free to download
- Purchase options
- Lifetime Access · One-time purchase · No subscription
Check the App Store for current OS requirements and local pricing. QuietTrace support and purchase help.