Glyph

Glyph is an e-ink device with a mic button. Hold it for a Clip, or triple-click it for a Memo. The Italic app on your iPhone imports what Glyph records over Bluetooth and files it on Home.

Set up GlyphCopy Anchor Link

Only devices that respond as Glyph are listed. If several appear, turn off the other Glyphs while you add yours. Once saved, Glyph reconnects by itself.

Record a Clip or a MemoCopy Anchor Link

• Clip: hold the mic button, speak, then release it. A Clip arrives on Home with its transcript.
• Memo: triple-click the mic button, speak, then triple-click it again. A Memo arrives with a title and a summary.

Glyph decides the type when you record, and each recording keeps it. To change what a button does, use Settings → Buttons on Glyph.

SyncingCopy Anchor Link

Keep Glyph nearby with Bluetooth on, and keep Italic open while it syncs. You can leave Glyph's page. An interrupted copy resumes where it stopped. Italic transcribes and summarizes each recording with your app's settings.

Sync waits while Glyph is recording, preparing audio or letting a computer use its storage, and continues afterwards. To check for new recordings, tap Sync recordings in Recordings on device.

Audio on GlyphCopy Anchor Link

Glyph keeps a Memo's audio after it syncs, so you can still play it on Glyph. Italic also keeps a copy on your iPhone.

• To free space on Glyph automatically, turn on Remove Memo audio from Glyph on its page.
• To remove one recording, open Recordings on device and choose Remove Glyph copy…. Italic checks the audio saved on your iPhone again first. The recording stays in Italic, but it no longer plays on Glyph.
• To play or export the copies on your iPhone, open Home's filter menu and choose Audio.

Glyph's settingsCopy Anchor Link

Under Device controls on Glyph's page you can change Language, Screen standby and Playback volume, and Set Glyph clock to current time. Some Glyphs also offer Automatic power off. Changes save automatically once Glyph confirms them. They're unavailable while Glyph is recording, preparing audio, syncing or letting a computer use its storage.

Device details shows Glyph's battery, charging state, storage and how many recordings it holds.

Battery and recordingCopy Anchor Link

Glyph's battery life, recording time and charging time haven't been measured yet, so they aren't listed here. They'll be added before Glyph is available. Until then, Device details on Glyph's page shows its battery and storage.

Reading and Chat on GlyphCopy Anchor Link

On a new iPhoneCopy Anchor Link

Sign in to Italic on the new iPhone. Your Glyph is listed on the Profile tab with Connect on this iPhone. Glyph can't report a unique identity, so keep it nearby and idle, turn off any other Glyphs nearby, tap Find Glyph and choose yours. No other phone is needed, and the recordings on Glyph are kept.

Firmware updatesCopy Anchor Link

On iPhone, Firmware update on Glyph's page shows the installed version and, when there is one, the newer version available for it. Italic also tells Glyph about it, so Glyph's About shows it too (Glyph 1.0.50 or later).

With Glyph 1.0.56 or later, Update over Wi-Fi on that page sends the update straight from your iPhone, over its Personal Hotspot:

1. On your iPhone, turn on Personal Hotspot with Maximize Compatibility (Settings → Personal Hotspot). Charge Glyph above 50% and unplug it.
2. Type the hotspot's name and its password, then tap Update over Wi-Fi. Italic encrypts them for this one update before they go to Glyph, which doesn't save them. Allow Local Network if iOS asks.
3. Keep Italic open on the page while Glyph downloads. Glyph checks the update and turns Wi-Fi off again.
4. When it says the update is ready, tap Install on Glyph. Installing can take more than 15 minutes.

Glyph won't start without room for the update and a little more, and never deletes recordings to make room. We're still testing this on our own Glyph.

You can also copy the update to Glyph from a computer by USB cable, through Update Glyph in Italic for Mac. Update by USB cable on the same page lists the steps. Glyph doesn't update over Bluetooth.

Remove GlyphCopy Anchor Link

Tap Remove device… on Glyph's page, then Remove Glyph. This removes Glyph from this iPhone and your account. It doesn't delete recordings from Italic or from Glyph.

TroubleshootingCopy Anchor Link

• Glyph isn't listed. Keep it idle and close to your iPhone, check that Bluetooth is on and allowed for Italic, and tap Find Glyph again.
• You can't find Glyph. Use Find my Glyph on its page. Walk slowly: the page pulses and says Warmer or Colder as Glyph's Bluetooth signal gets stronger or weaker. Glyph has to be on and within Bluetooth range, and the page can't show where it is or make it beep.
• Recordings aren't syncing. Open Glyph's page. Tap Reconnect if it's disconnected, or check Activity log. If the page says sync is waiting, finish the recording, or end the computer's access to Glyph's storage.
• A recording failed to sync. Choose Retry sync on it in Recordings on device.