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Cleft for CarPlay: Record voice notes without picking up your phone. Tap the New Note button on your car screen, speak your thought, and your note is waiting when you arrive.

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Overview

Cleft for CarPlay lets you capture thoughts while you drive. Tap the New Note button on your car screen, speak your thought, then tap Stop. The screen saves the note right away, so you can record the next one without waiting for the previous one to finish. Pause anytime if you need a moment. Your recording syncs to your iPhone where it gets transcribed and processed like any other Cleft note. No menus, no typing, no distraction.
CarPlay is currently in beta. Email hello@cleftnotes.com to get access.

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Getting Started

1

Connect to CarPlay

Plug your iPhone into your car’s USB port, or connect wirelessly if your car supports it. CarPlay appears on your car’s display.
2

Open Cleft

Find the Cleft icon on your CarPlay home screen and tap it. You will see a Ready to record screen with a centered red New Note button.
3

Record a note

  1. Tap the red New Note button (the plus icon)
  2. Speak your thought
  3. Tap Pause if you need a moment, then Resume when you are ready
  4. Tap Stop when you are done
  5. The screen flips to Saved straight away so you can record again right away. Transcription continues on your iPhone in the background.
A live timer shows how long you have been recording. Tap Cancel in the navigation bar if you want to discard the recording without saving.

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How It Works

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Recording in the Car

  • One large button to start. A red plus button sits in the center of the Ready to record screen. Tap once to begin.
  • Pause and resume. Once recording, tap Pause if you need a moment. The timer freezes until you tap Resume.
  • Stop saves immediately. Tap Stop and the screen returns to Ready to record right away. The next note is one tap away while the previous one finishes processing on your phone.
  • Live timer. See elapsed recording time on the car screen, in the Dynamic Island, on your Lock Screen, and on macOS in your Menu Bar.
  • Audio confirmation. Tones play when recording starts, pauses, resumes, and stops, so you do not need to look at the screen.
  • Your music picks back up. Apple Music, Audible, Pocket Casts, and other audio apps you were listening to start playing again automatically within a couple of seconds of saving your note.
  • Cancel anytime. Discard the recording without saving from the navigation bar.

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Processing on iPhone

  • Automatic sync. Your recording transfers to your iPhone in the background.
  • On-device transcription. Cleft transcribes your note locally using Whisper. Nothing leaves your phone.
  • Steering wheel mark on car notes. Notes recorded in the car show a small steering wheel icon in your note list so you can spot them at a glance. A pulsing dot means transcription is still in progress. A warning icon means something went wrong, and you can tap to retry.
  • Full processing. Custom instructions, formatting, and organization all apply like any other note.

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How your note gets from car to phone

  1. Record on your car screen
  2. Recording compresses and syncs to your iPhone
  3. Cleft transcribes the audio on your phone
  4. Your note is ready with full formatting and organization

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Features

Hands-Free Recording

Speak your thought while you drive. Your hands stay on the wheel.

Stop and Go Again

Tap Stop and the screen is ready for the next note straight away. Transcription continues on your phone in the background.

Live Recording Indicator

Track recording time from the Dynamic Island, your Lock Screen, or the Mac Menu Bar without unlocking your phone.

Pinned Note on CarPlay

Pin one note to the CarPlay home screen so it stays within reach while you drive (iOS 26.4 and later).

Steering Wheel Mark

Notes you recorded in the car show a steering wheel mark in your note list, with a pulsing dot for in-progress and a tap-to-retry icon if anything failed.

Audio Feedback

Tones confirm when recording starts and stops. No need to look at the screen.

Automatic Sync

Notes sync to your iPhone and get transcribed without any extra steps.

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Pinned Note Widget on CarPlay

On iOS 26.4 and later, you can add the Pinned Note widget to your CarPlay home screen. Choose the note you want from the widget’s Edit screen on your iPhone, and that note stays one tap away whenever CarPlay is connected. Tapping the widget on the car screen surfaces a “Continue on iPhone” prompt so you can pick up where you left off once your phone is unlocked. See the Widgets guide for how to set up the Pinned Note widget.

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Requirements

  • iPhone with Cleft installed
  • iOS 26.4 or later (required for the CarPlay voice template)
  • CarPlay-compatible vehicle (wired or wireless)
  • Microphone permission granted in the Cleft app on your iPhone
Microphone permission must be granted in the Cleft app on your iPhone before your first CarPlay recording. CarPlay cannot ask for permission on its own.

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Tips for Best Results

  • Speak at a normal pace. The microphone picks up your voice well even with road noise.
  • You can pause and think. Silence is fine. Just keep going when you are ready.
  • Use your car’s built-in microphone or a Bluetooth headset for the clearest audio.
  • Tap Pause if a passenger starts talking or you get interrupted, then Resume when you are ready to keep going.
  • Notes sync automatically when your iPhone has a connection.
  • If you were driving without cell service, your note syncs when you are back online.
  • Open Cleft on your iPhone to see your CarPlay recordings in your note list.
  • Turn down music or navigation volume while recording.
  • Close windows to reduce wind noise on longer recordings.
  • Your car’s Bluetooth microphone is usually better than the iPhone mic for CarPlay.

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Workflow Examples

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Commute Ideas

  1. Open Cleft on your car screen and tap the New Note button
  2. Talk through your idea for the full drive
  3. Park and open Cleft on your phone
  4. Your note is transcribed, formatted, and ready to use

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Meeting Prep

  1. Start a note on your way to a meeting
  2. Talk through your agenda, key points, and questions
  3. Review the organized note when you arrive
  4. Walk in prepared

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Quick Reminders

  1. Open Cleft on your car screen and tap the New Note button
  2. Say what you need to remember in a few seconds
  3. Tap Stop
  4. The reminder is in your notes when you check your phone later

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Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble with CarPlay recordings, check these common fixes:
  1. Open Cleft on your iPhone and make sure microphone permission is granted
  2. Make sure your iPhone has at least 50 MB of free storage
  3. Disconnect and reconnect CarPlay if the app is unresponsive

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Common Issues

No sound in recordings?
  • Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your iPhone
  • Disconnect and reconnect your car’s Bluetooth
  • Check that Cleft has microphone permission in Settings > Cleft
Recording stops unexpectedly?
  • Check your iPhone storage. Cleft needs at least 50 MB free.
  • Make sure your iPhone is not in Low Power Mode
  • If a phone call or another app interrupts the audio session mid-recording, your note is preserved and the app stays running. Open Cleft on your phone to find the saved note.
Notes not appearing on iPhone?
  • Open Cleft on your iPhone to trigger sync
  • Check that your iPhone has a network connection
  • Notes recorded offline sync when you are back online