Libre Voice Note App - User Guide
A comprehensive guide to setting up and using the Voice Note App to capture, transcribe, and organize your thoughts.
Introduction
Libre Voice Note App is your personal voice recording and AI-powered transcription solution that keeps your data completely private by running on your own server. This guide will walk you through setup, configuration, and daily use of the app.
Key Benefits
- Complete Privacy: All processing happens on your personal server
- Seamless Mobile Recording: Capture thoughts anywhere
- Smart Background Sync: Automatically syncs when you return home
- AI-Powered Organization: Transcription, summaries, and mindmaps
Before you begin using Libre Voice Note App, you'll need to set up the server component on your Windows computer and configure the mobile app to connect to it.
Server Setup
1. Download and Install the Server
First, you'll need to download and set up the Voice Note Server on your Windows computer.
Follow these steps to get your server up and running:
- Download the server software from our downloads page
- Extract the ZIP file to a location without spaces (e.g., C:\VoiceNoteServer\)
- Run setup.exe as administrator and follow the installation prompts
- Launch the Voice Note Server Manager from your Start menu
Note: The server needs to be running whenever you want to sync or process your voice notes. For convenience, you might want to configure it to start automatically when your computer boots.
2. Configure Server Settings
Once the server is installed, you'll need to configure a few basic settings:
- Set your preferred HTTP and HTTPS ports (defaults are 80 and 443)
- Configure storage location for your voice notes
- Generate an SSL certificate for secure connections
- Download your preferred Whisper AI model for transcription
Make note of your server's IP address - you'll need this when connecting the mobile app.
Account Creation
1. Create an Administrator Account
For security, the Voice Note Server requires user authentication. You'll need to create at least one administrator account:
- Open the Voice Note Server Manager
- Navigate to the "Users" tab
- Click "Add User" and select the "Administrator" role
- Enter a username and strong password
- Click "Create User"
2. User Management (Optional)
If multiple people will be using your server, you can create additional user accounts:
- Standard users can only access their own notes
- Administrators can manage server settings and all users' notes
Note: By default, new user registration is disabled. As the administrator, you'll need to create accounts for all users. You can enable self-registration in the Security settings if preferred.
Connection Setup
1. Install the Mobile App
Download and install the Libre Voice Note App from Google Play Store on your Android device.
2. Connect to Your Server
When you first launch the app, you'll be guided through the setup process:
- Enter your server's IP address (or domain name if you have one)
- Enter the HTTPS port (default is 443)
- Enter your username and password
- Tap "Test Connection" to verify connectivity
- Once verified, tap "Test Login" to ensure your credentials work
Note: For best results, your mobile device and server should be on the same local network when first establishing the connection. After setup, the app can work offline and sync when you return to your home network.
3. Troubleshooting Connection Issues
If you encounter problems connecting:
- Verify the server is running and accessible
- Check that your firewall allows connections on the configured ports
- Ensure your mobile device and server are on the same network
- Verify the SSL certificate was generated correctly
The app will display specific error messages to help diagnose connection problems.
Recording Voice Notes
1. Creating a New Voice Note
Once your app is connected to the server, you can start recording voice notes:
- Tap the "+" floating action button on the main screen
- Tap the microphone button to start recording
- Speak clearly to ensure accurate transcription
- Tap the stop button when finished
- Review and edit the automatically generated title if needed
- Tap "Save" to store the recording
2. Offline Recording
Libre Voice Note App works even when you're not connected to your server:
- Record voice notes anywhere, anytime
- Notes are stored securely on your device
- Automatic syncing when you return to your home network
- Background processing handles transcription and AI features
Note: Offline recordings won't be transcribed until they're synced with your server. The app will show a sync status indicator for notes waiting to be processed.
AI-Powered Features
Transcription
Your voice recordings are automatically converted to text using Whisper AI running on your server.
- High accuracy across multiple languages
- Punctuation and paragraph detection
- Speaker diarization (coming soon)
Summaries
AI-generated summaries extract the key points from longer recordings.
- Concise overview of main topics
- Automatic bullet points
- Customizable summary length
Mindmaps
Visualize the structure and relationships in your voice notes.
- Hierarchical concept organization
- Interactive SVG format
- Expandable/collapsible nodes
Action Items
Automatically detect and extract tasks and to-dos from your recordings.
- Structured task lists
- Priority detection
- Due date extraction
Configuring AI Plugins
Libre Voice Note App uses a plugin system for AI features. You can configure which plugins run automatically:
- Go to Settings > Plugins
- Enable or disable specific plugins
- Set plugins to run automatically on new notes
- Customize plugin prompts and parameters
Note: The free version limits you to one active plugin. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited plugins and advanced features.
Synchronization
1. How Sync Works
Libre Voice Note App uses an intelligent synchronization system:
- Audio files are uploaded to your server when you're on your home network
- Server processes recordings using Whisper for transcription
- AI plugins generate artifacts from the transcription
- Completed notes and artifacts sync back to your mobile device
2. Automatic vs. Manual Sync
You can control how and when synchronization happens:
| Sync Mode | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic (Default) | Syncs whenever connected to your home Wi-Fi | Most users who want seamless operation |
| Wi-Fi Only | Syncs on any Wi-Fi network, not just home | Users who work across multiple locations |
| Manual | Only syncs when explicitly requested | Users with limited bandwidth or strict control needs |
Configure sync settings in the app under Settings > Synchronization.
3. Monitoring Sync Status
The app provides several ways to monitor synchronization:
- Status indicators on each note show sync state
- Pull down to refresh triggers manual sync
- Notification appears during active syncing
- Sync log available in Settings > Advanced > Sync Log
Troubleshooting
Common Issues and Solutions
| Issue | Possible Causes | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot connect to server | Server offline, incorrect IP/port, firewall blocking | Verify server is running, check network settings, confirm firewall rules |
| Certificate errors | Self-signed certificate not trusted, expired certificate | Regenerate certificate, ensure correct date/time on all devices |
| Sync fails or stalls | Network instability, server overloaded | Try manual sync, check server resources, restart app and server |
| Poor transcription quality | Background noise, unclear speech, incorrect language setting | Record in quiet environments, speak clearly, check language settings |
Contacting Support
If you encounter persistent issues:
- Check the FAQ for common questions
- Review the server logs (Settings > Advanced > View Logs)
- Contact support with details of your issue and logs