How it works
Everything you can say, and answers to common questions.
Getting started
The first time you open VoiceSpotter, a short guide walks you through set-up. You can skip it and come back any time from Settings → Show the set-up guide again.
- How to talk to it. Start with the exercise, reps and weight (“bench press 8 at 80”), then say less: “6 at 85”, or just “6”.
- Allow the microphone and speech recognition. It only listens when you tap the mic, or while hands-free is on.
- Kilos or pounds, and your usual bar weight for the plate planner.
- Want a plan? Choose “Yes, plan around my shifts”, or skip it and just log.
- Your shift pattern. Pick the closest preset, tap which day of it today is, and tick the shifts you can train on (nights are off by default).
- Your sessions. How many push, pull, legs and mix days per cycle, how long you’ve got on rest days and work days, and whether to keep the same exercises or mix them up.
That’s it. Today’s session appears on the Workout screen and the Plan tab. Tap Start, and after each set say “done” (you hit the target) or what you actually did. To change anything later, open Plan → Plan settings (the slider button) or Settings → Training plan.
Logging a set
Tap the mic and say your set. Once an exercise has started, you can say less and less:
| You say | VoiceSpotter logs |
|---|---|
| Bench press 8 at 80 | Bench press, 8 reps at 80 kg. Starts the exercise if it’s new today. |
| 6 at 85 | Another set of the same exercise at a new weight. |
| 6 | Another set of the same exercise at the same weight. |
| Same again | An exact repeat of your last set. |
| 3 sets of 5 at 100 | Three sets at once. |
| Curls 10 at 12 each | 12 kg in each hand. Say “total” if you mean both together. |
| Split squat left 8 at 16 | A left-side set. Also “right” and “each side”. |
| Squat 5 at 40 a side | Asks if that’s plates on each side, then works out the total with the bar. |
| Pull-ups 10 | Bodyweight exercises don’t need a weight. Say “with 10 kilos” for added weight. |
Word order and spoken numbers are flexible: “100 kilos for 5”, “twelve at twenty two and a half” and “8 by 80” all work. Pounds work too.
Fixing mistakes
| You say | What happens |
|---|---|
| Make that 8 at 80 | Changes your last set. Also “change that to 10”, “it was 7”, “correction 85”. |
| Undo | Removes the last set, or an exercise you started by mistake. |
| Cancel | Drops a question you don’t want to answer. |
You can also tap any set to edit its exercise, reps, weight or side, or swipe left on it to delete.
When it asks a question
If something could mean two things, VoiceSpotter asks instead of guessing. Answer by voice (“each”, “left”, “yes”) or tap an option. It asks when:
- you name an exercise it doesn’t know, or one that’s close to one it knows (“preacher curls” vs “dumbbell curl”);
- a number could be reps or weight, or two numbers are in an unclear order;
- you log a dumbbell exercise for the first time (per dumbbell or total?), or a weight is exactly double your last set;
- it can’t tell which side you did;
- a weight is very different from last time. It offers the common mix-up, like 18 vs 80.
It also catches classic mishearings: “10 wraps at 80” is read as reps, and “1080” is split into 10 × 80.
Hands-free mode
Tap the ear button and the mic stays on, even with the phone locked. VoiceSpotter only acts on things that sound like a set, an answer or a command, and ignores everything else. The last thing it ignored is shown faintly so you know it’s listening.
In a busy gym, turn on Require “Spotter” first in Settings. Then only “Spotter, 10 at 80” counts. It turns itself off after a quiet spell (20 minutes by default) or when you finish the workout.
Plans around your shifts
The Plan tab shows today’s session and the days coming up. Everything you set once lives in Plan settings: your shift pattern (a preset or your own, day by day), which day of the cycle today is, and which shifts you can train on. Then set:
- Sessions per cycle: how many push, pull, legs and mix days you want.
- Time you have: minutes available on each type of day. Sessions are sized to fit.
- Same exercises or Mix it up: keep a fixed list, or get a fresh session each time. Key lifts take turns and accessories rotate.
During a planned session the app shows what’s next (“Overhead press, set 3 of 3: 7 × 40 kg”). Say done to log the target, or say what you actually got: 6 or 8 at 60. Skip exercise moves on.
Targets use double progression: once you hit the top of the rep range on every set, the weight goes up a step and the reps start again from the bottom.
Rest timer
A rest countdown starts after every set: 3:00 for key lifts, 2:00 for compounds and 1:15 for accessories (all adjustable in Settings). Use −15 / +15 in the app, on the Lock Screen or in the Dynamic Island, or say more rest, less rest or skip rest. An adjusted rest carries on for that exercise for the rest of the workout.
Questions
Does it need an internet connection?
No. Speech recognition runs on your iPhone on supported devices, and all your data is stored on the phone. On older devices that can’t recognise speech on-device, Apple’s speech service is used, which needs a connection.
Will it pick up other people talking?
With the mic button, it only listens for a few seconds after you tap. In hands-free mode it ignores anything that doesn’t sound like a set or command. For busy gyms, turn on the “Spotter” wake word.
Does hands-free drain the battery?
Keeping the microphone on does use more battery than tap-to-talk. Hands-free switches itself off after a quiet period, and you can shorten that in Settings.
Can I use my AirPods?
Yes. In hands-free mode VoiceSpotter listens through the iPhone’s microphone, so your music keeps its full quality through your AirPods. When you tap the mic for a single set it may use the AirPods microphone, and your music briefly dips while it listens.
How do I start hands-free from the Action Button?
In the iPhone Settings app go to Action Button → Shortcut → VoiceSpotter → Hands-Free Workout. Press once to start and again to stop. You can also ask Siri to “Start hands-free in VoiceSpotter”.
My bar isn’t 20 kg. Can I change it?
Yes. Set your standard bar in Settings to the nearest 0.1 kg, and set a different bar for any exercise (EZ bar, trap bar) under Settings → Exercises. Tell the plate planner which plates you own and it only uses those.
How is “total lifted” worked out?
Reps × weight for every set, counting both dumbbells for two-handed dumbbell work and both sides for “each side” sets.
Can I add my own exercises?
Yes. Say a new name and VoiceSpotter offers to add it, or add one under Settings → Exercises. There you can set its equipment, whether it’s one side at a time, other names you use for it, and its type (which sets its rest time and lets Mix it up use it).
I started a session by mistake
Tap Finish. If nothing was logged, nothing is saved and your plan stays where it was.
Can it save my workouts to Apple Health?
Yes. Turn on Settings → Apple Health → Save workouts to Apple Health (it’s also offered during set-up). Each finished session is saved as strength training, with calories estimated from your body weight in Health, so it shows in the Fitness app and counts towards your Activity rings. If your Apple Watch already recorded the session, it isn’t added twice. Deleting a workout in History removes it from Health too, and “Add past workouts to Health” copies anything logged before you turned it on.
Is my data backed up?
Your workouts are stored on your iPhone and included in your normal iPhone or iCloud device backup. VoiceSpotter doesn’t have an account or server of its own.