Notepad and Dictation on iOS

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Part of the Mobile Apps guide · Back to Getting Started on iOS.

Thy Quill is the iOS notepad for the selected workspace. It syncs with the desktop through the cloud relay and supports fast note capture, indentation, done flows, attachments, dictation, audio review, and PDF export for Markdown Scrolls.

Use Thy Quill

Open Thy Quill from the bottom navigation. Choose the workspace at the top before editing, because notes are workspace-scoped.

Thy Quill home screen with active and conquered notes

Common note actions:

  • Tap + to create a new item.
  • Tap a note to edit it inline.
  • Mark a note done to move it under Conquered!.
  • Drag notes to reorder them.
  • Pull to refresh when you want to force a sync.
  • Use Copy conquered items or Clear all conquered from the completed section.

If you edit while offline, the app keeps local changes and syncs again when the relay is available.

Note Row Actions

Each note row has an actions menu. The available actions can include Done, Add, Indent, Outdent, Affix a scroll, and Delete.

Focused iOS note row with row actions and attached material disclosure

Use Affix a scroll to connect note context to workspace files or attachments. Rows can also reveal images and documents when materials are attached.

Dictation Basics

Dictation is available from mic buttons in note and prompt flows. It converts speech to text and inserts the result into the active field.

Inline mic states for idle, starting, recording, and unavailable dictation

The mic moves through clear states:

  • Idle: tap to start dictation.
  • Starting: the recorder is preparing.
  • Recording: tap again to stop.
  • Transcribing: wait for text to appear.
  • Unavailable: the speech model, microphone permission, or audio session is not ready.

The first use can require the on-device speech model to be prepared. During that time, the app may show model readiness banners such as voice dictation ready, paused, downloading, or failed.

Dictation button showing a model-unavailable state

If microphone permission is denied, iOS sends you to Settings so you can allow microphone access for Code Overlord.

Dictation Privacy and Connectivity

The dictation stack is designed around an on-device speech model after the model is available. Network access may still be needed while the app obtains or prepares required model files.

Voice Mode and Audio Review are separate from dictation. They can use speech playback and summarization services when those services are configured for your build and account.

Use Scrolls for Review

Scrolls lists files that are open on the desktop. Tap a Markdown Scroll to open the viewer, then use Audio Review or Export PDF when available.

Markdown Scroll viewer with the Audio Review button

The viewer is read-only on iOS. Edit the file on desktop, then refresh Scrolls if you need the latest content.

Audio Review

Audio Review reads a Markdown file aloud and lets you capture spoken feedback chapter by chapter.

Audio Review screen with playback controls and feedback mic

When Audio Review opens, playback starts automatically when audio is available. Use the controls to play, pause, replay, skip, or record feedback. If narration cannot start, the screen shows a retry action.

During review:

  • The current section is shown as large readable text.
  • Playback progress and chapter progress stay visible.
  • Tap the mic to record feedback for the current section.
  • Use Skip when a section needs no feedback.
  • Use Finish Review when you are done.

If you leave Audio Review before finishing, iOS asks whether to resume or discard the review progress.

Tip: Feedback you have already recorded is preserved when you leave mid-review, so you can safely step away and resume the same session later instead of starting over.

Review Summary

The summary screen shows reviewed, skipped, and feedback-bearing chapters. You can open a chapter again, add more feedback, or choose a submit target.

Review Summary screen with chapter feedback and submit target picker

To submit feedback back to an agent, choose a compatible target from Submit target. If no target is configured, the app keeps the summary visible so you can decide what to do next.

Export PDF

Markdown Scrolls can be exported to PDF when the export service is reachable and your session is signed in. Open the viewer menu and choose Export PDF.

Export PDF theme picker showing Dark theme selection

The iOS export flow lets you choose a PDF theme:

  • Dark for a dark document.
  • Warm for a softer reading theme.
  • Light for a bright document.

After choosing the theme, tap Export PDF. If the file is not ready, the phone is offline, or the export service cannot be reached, iOS shows an error and you can retry later.

Troubleshooting Notes and Dictation

  • Notes do not sync: check the sync chip, phone network, and desktop availability.
  • Dictation mic is disabled: wait for the model readiness banner or retry the model download/copy.
  • No text appears after recording: speak for at least a short phrase, stop recording, and wait for transcription.
  • Audio Review fails to start: tap Replay or reopen the Markdown Scroll.
  • Export PDF is unavailable: confirm the file is Markdown, content is loaded, and the phone can reach the export service.

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