wayaknow
Support
Updated August 7, 2026
wayaknow is a macOS, iOS, and iPadOS app that transcribes Japanese or English speech in real time, translates it into the other language, and summarizes the conversation.
System requirements
Mac
- Mac with Apple silicon
- macOS 26.4 or later
iPhone and iPad
- iOS or iPadOS 26.4 or later
High Quality mode and summaries depend on Apple Intelligence availability and model readiness. The speech-recognition model or translation languages may need to be downloaded on first use.
Getting started
- Choose Japanese or English as the input language.
- On Mac, choose a microphone or Mac System Audio.
- Select Start and approve microphone and speech-recognition access when prompted.
- Transcription and translation appear sentence by sentence. Switch between Low Latency and High Quality as needed.
- Select Summary to summarize the current transcript in Japanese or English.
- Select Save to export the transcript, translation, and any generated summary as UTF-8 text.
Frequently asked questions
Speech is not being recognized
- Confirm that the input language matches the language being spoken.
- Confirm that the correct microphone is selected.
- Allow microphone and speech-recognition access for wayaknow in system settings.
- Wait for the language model to finish preparing on first use.
- If the issue continues, stop transcription and restart wayaknow.
Translation is falling behind
Select Low Latency. High Quality favors natural phrasing and may take longer depending on the device and amount of speech.
Summaries are unavailable
Summaries use Apple Intelligence. Confirm that Apple Intelligence is enabled on a supported device and that its models are ready. Longer transcripts are processed in sections and may take more time.
What happens after the free five minutes?
Transcription continues, while translation, summaries, and saving pause for one minute. When the wait ends, select Resume Translation to start the next five-minute period. Full Access removes this limit.
Can I use my purchase on another device?
On a Mac, iPhone, or iPad signed in to the same Apple Account, select Restore Purchases. Full Access is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.
Mac system audio is unavailable
- Choose Mac System Audio under Audio Input.
- Read the confirmation and continue only when you have the necessary rights, permission, and participant consent.
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording and allow wayaknow.
- Quit and reopen wayaknow.
wayaknow does not save screen video or original audio and does not bypass DRM or copy protection. A third-party service may not permit transcription or translation. Process only audio you have the right or permission to use.
Can iPhone or iPad capture audio from another app directly?
No. The current iPhone and iPad app supports microphone input. It does not capture another app’s system audio directly.
Where is saved text stored?
It is saved as a UTF-8 text file in the location you choose. Find it in Finder on Mac or the Files app on iPhone and iPad.
Can I turn off sleep prevention?
On Mac, open Settings. On iPhone and iPad, open Info. Turn off Prevent Sleep While Running. Sleep prevention applies only between Start and Stop.
Is audio or text sent to the developer?
No. Speech recognition, translation, and summaries use on-device frameworks and models provided by Apple. wayaknow has no user account, advertising, or analytics.
How do I revoke permissions?
On Mac, open System Settings → Privacy & Security. On iPhone and iPad, open Settings → Privacy & Security. You can change wayaknow’s microphone, speech recognition, and screen or system audio permissions there.
Contact
When reporting a problem, do not include personal information or confidential conversation content. Please include the wayaknow version and build, device and OS version, input language, quality setting, steps leading to the issue, and any error message shown.