Help
NowSaid listens to a conversation and explains unfamiliar terms as they come up.
Getting started
- Open NowSaid and tap Start.
- Allow the microphone when Android asks.
- Put the phone where it can hear the conversation. When someone uses a term worth explaining, a short explanation appears.
- Tap Stop when you are done, in the app or in its notification.
The microphone
NowSaid needs the microphone to hear the conversation, and uses it only between Start and Stop. If you turned the permission down, open Android Settings, then Apps › NowSaid › Permissions › Microphone, and allow it.
Notifications are optional. The listening notification lets you see that NowSaid is listening, and stop it from the lock screen.
The conversation language
The language chip on the main screen shows the language NowSaid listens for. Tap it to choose another. The change applies the next time you start. Explanations are in English, whatever language is spoken.
Your phone's speech service (usually Google's) recognises speech on its servers when it can, and on the phone when there is no connection. Recognising a language offline needs it downloaded: the language sheet says whether it is, and offers a Download button when your phone supports one.
How much help
The Help slider under the language chooses how much NowSaid says. You can move it while listening: it applies from the next thing said.
- Low: only specialist terms most people wouldn't know.
- Medium: also idioms, slang, set phrases and cultural references.
- High: also a one-line key point when something is asked, decided or agreed.
- Extra: a short gist of everything that's said.
- Transcribe: everything that's said, written out in English.
At Extra and Transcribe, Read aloud has a lot to read. On the loudspeaker the microphone stays closed while it does, so some of the conversation will be missed; with headphones it keeps listening.
Why the microphone pauses while NowSaid reads aloud
When an explanation is read aloud through the loudspeaker, NowSaid closes the microphone so it does not hear its own voice and explain that too. It opens again when reading stops. With headphones, a headset or a hearing aid there is nothing for it to overhear, so it keeps listening.
Your daily time
The free tier includes a number of listening minutes each day, shown on the main screen, which reset at midnight in your phone's time zone. Time the microphone spends closed while an explanation is read aloud is not counted. When the day's time is used up, listening stops until the next day.
When the connection drops
If the phone loses its connection, NowSaid says it is reconnecting and keeps trying on its own; explanations and your daily time pause meanwhile. If it cannot reconnect for 10 minutes, it stops listening. Tap Start to try again.
Nothing is saved
NowSaid keeps no recordings, transcripts or explanations. Once you stop, there is no history to go back to.
Crash reports
Off unless you turn them on, under Menu › About. A report says what went wrong and on which device and Android version. It never includes audio, transcripts or explanations.
Deleting your account
In the app, go to Menu › Account › Delete my account. For other ways, see Delete your account.