QuietTrace Support
QuietTrace is available for iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 18 or later. Find help with listening, your journal, and Lifetime Access below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does listening work?
You choose whether listening is on. While it is on, QuietTrace processes microphone audio on device, saves only classified labels and timestamps, and keeps listening visible through system indicators and a Live Activity when backgrounded.
Does QuietTrace save or send microphone audio?
No. Microphone audio is not retained or transmitted. Your journal contains classifications and timestamps, not audio files.
Why is QuietTrace not identifying a sound correctly?
Sound classification is an estimate and can be affected by overlapping sounds, background noise, distance, and device position. QuietTrace does not guarantee identification. It is not a calibrated meter, safety or medical detector, hearing aid, or substitute for Apple Sound Recognition or another accessibility feature.
How do I recover after denying microphone access?
If you are still on QuietTrace's permission screen, use Open Settings, allow microphone access, return to QuietTrace, and choose Turn On Listening. After onboarding, open the QuietTrace Settings tab, choose Microphone Access, allow access in the system Settings app, return to QuietTrace, and switch Listening on. QuietTrace refreshes the permission state when you return; you can still review the existing journal while access is off.
Where is my journal stored?
Classifications, timestamps, and settings are stored locally on your device. If you explicitly enable iCloud sync, classifications and timestamps can also mirror through your private CloudKit database. Audio is never synced.
How can I stop listening?
You have five controls: turn listening off in QuietTrace 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. The watch can never turn listening on. If a Live Activity cannot remain visible, background microphone capture must not continue.
Is QuietTrace available to buy?
QuietTrace is free to download. Listening, classification, the complete local journal, and the Apple Watch companion are free. Lifetime Access is an optional one-time purchase for archive search and filtering, CSV export, and private iCloud sync, with no subscription or recurring fee. The in-app purchase screen shows your localized price.
How do I restore Lifetime Access?
Use Restore Purchases in the app while signed in to the Apple Account that owns the purchase. If access is still missing, email the developer with the app version, device model, and the steps you tried; never send your Apple Account password.
What should I do if feedback cannot be sent?
If the in-app feedback service reports that feedback cannot be sent, check your connection and try again later. You can also email the developer directly; do not include sensitive microphone or journal information you do not want to share.
Still need help?
Email developer@crafterapps.com. Include QuietTrace, your device model, OS version, and a concise description of what happened.
When you email, include the app version, your device model and OS version, what you expected, and the steps that led to the problem. Share screenshots only if they do not contain information you want to keep private.