Echoes

Record your life story, just by talking.

Echoes asks gentle questions, one at a time. You answer out loud. Your words are typed up, your own voice is kept, and your stories become a book and an audiobook for your family.

Get Echoes

For iPhone and iPad.

What Echoes does for you

  • Record your life story just by talking

    Press to talk and answer in your own words. There is nothing to type. If you would rather write a story, you can do that too.

  • Gentle questions from Ellie

    Portrait of Ellie, the illustrated face of the voice that asks the questions in Echoes.

    Ellie asks one question at a time, about the places, people and everyday moments of your life. Choose a question from the book, or ask your own. Ellie is an AI voice, not a real person.

  • Your words, typed up and kept in order

    Echoes types up your recordings on your iPhone or iPad. You can read the words, correct them, and add a photo or a short video. Your stories are kept in the order of your book.

  • Your real voice, kept

    Every story plays back in your own voice. Your family hears you, not a computer.

  • A book and an audiobook for your family

    Print your stories as a book at home, or save them as a PDF, at no cost. Tap 'Listen as an audiobook' and Echoes joins your finished stories into one audiobook in your own voice, with one chapter for each story. You can share it with your family. A bound, printed book will also be available to order.

How it works

  1. Talk to Ellie

    Ellie asks a question. Press to talk, and answer for as long as you like.

    Illustration, not a screenshot.

  2. Your words are typed up

    Echoes types up what you said, on your iPhone or iPad. Read it, change any word, and mark the story Finished when you are happy.

    Illustration, not a screenshot.

  3. Keep your voice and a book

    Listen to your stories in your own voice, as one audiobook, and print them as a book for your family.

    Illustration, not a screenshot.

Your stories stay yours

On your iPhone or iPad

  • Your recordings and photos stay on your iPhone or iPad. They only leave it if you print, share or save a copy yourself.
  • Typing up your recordings happens on your iPhone or iPad too.
  • Echoes does not keep a copy of your recordings, so save a copy now and then with 'Backup now'. It goes to the Files app.
  • 'Delete everything' removes your stories, recordings, photos and details from your iPhone or iPad.
  • Echoes has no adverts and no tracking.

What needs the internet

  • Nothing is sent until you say yes to 'Send my words'. If you say no, you can still record, write, play and print.
  • When you talk with Ellie, what you say is sent to Grok, a service run by xAI, so she can answer. With it go the last ten lines of your chat, the question you are answering, the name she calls you, and the titles and words of up to three of your earlier stories.
  • When Ellie speaks, her words are sent to ElevenLabs, which turns them into her voice.
  • 'Auto proof read' sends the words of that story to Grok to be tidied.
  • Your recordings are not sent.

The full details are in the privacy notice.

Questions

Is Ellie a real person?

No. Ellie is an AI voice. She asks the questions and can help you find your way around Echoes. No person listens to your recordings.

Do I have to type?

No. You talk, and Echoes types up your words for you. You can also write a story yourself if you prefer.

Does Echoes keep a copy of my recordings?

No. Your recordings stay on your iPhone or iPad. If you lose it and have no backup, your recordings cannot be brought back, so please use 'Backup now' from time to time.

Can I choose the questions?

Yes. Choose a question from the book, in any order, or ask your own question and answer that.

What is the audiobook?

'Listen as an audiobook' puts your finished stories together into one audiobook, in your own voice, in the order of your book, with one chapter for each story. It is made on your iPhone or iPad.

Can I get a printed book?

You can print your stories at home or save them as a PDF at no cost. A bound book will be available to order. Ordering is not open yet.

How do I cancel a plan?

Plans are handled by Apple. You can cancel at any time in your Apple ID settings on your iPhone or iPad.

Prices

  • Your first 3 stories are free.
  • To record more, choose the yearly plan at £99.99 a year or the monthly plan at £14.99 a month, when available. Apple shows the final price before you pay. Plans renew until you cancel in your Apple ID settings.
  • Printing at home and saving a PDF cost nothing. A bound book will be £149.99 for the words, or £249.99 for the words and the photos, up to 250 pages, with UK delivery included, when ordering opens.