VoiceboxMD for iOS is designed to help you create, manage, and share notes effortlessly. Follow this guide to explore the app’s features:

How to use the notepad #

The notepad is where you create and edit free-form notes: a title at the top and a note body below.

You can dictate into the note, type with the on-screen keyboard, insert templates, optionally run AI formatting, then save and sync to your account.

This is separate from Medical Scribe and Doctor–Patient (those are full-screen capture flows that generate structured clinical notes).

Getting started #

1. Title — Enter a Note Title. The app requires a non-empty title before save.
2. Body — The main area shows a hint: Tap mic to dictate, or tap here to type…
   • By default the body is set up for dictation; typing is turned off unless you use the keyboard control .

Dictation (microphone) #

1. Tap the microphone on the bottom bar to start dictation. While connecting or listening, the mic reflects that state.
2. A status strip appears while you are dictating (e.g. “Dictating…”).
3. Where text goes:
   • Tap in the note body (or scroll and tap where you want the cursor) so dictation goes into the body.
   • Tap the title field while dictating to switch to “Dictating into Title…”; a small mic icon on the title indicates that mode.
4. Final vs in-progress text — Short italic preview text above the toolbar can show in-progress recognition; committed text appears in the title or body when the phrase is final.
5. Stopping dictation — Tap the mic again to stop. Dictation cannot run at the same time as Medical Scribe / Doctor–Patient; opening those flows stops editor dictation.

Voice commands (spoken) — The app understands many spoken commands mixed with normal speech, for example new line, new paragraph, backspace, and common punctuation and symbols (period, comma, question mark, units, brackets, etc.). 

Custom phrases you configure in the app can expand spoken shortcuts into longer text (e.g. boilerplate).

All data associated with the iOS application is synchronized with the cloud, enabling secure access to notes and templates from your PC or Mac.

Typing (keyboard) #

1. Tap the keyboard icon on the editor toolbar (above the bottom bar) to show the keyboard and allow direct typing in the body (and interaction with the title field).
2. Tap again (hide keyboard) when you want to go back to a dictation-first layout.
3. While dictation is active, the keyboard toggle is disabled — stop the mic first if you need to type.

Editor toolbar (row above the bottom bar) #

Bottom toolbar (mic, chevron, sync) #

• Mic — Start/stop dictation (see above).
• Chevron (>) — Expands shortcuts: New Note, Medical Scribe, Doctor–Patient, All Notes, Settings, and Save / Sync (same as tapping sync when appropriate).
• Cloud / sync — Saves the current note and syncs it (Save). You must have both a title and non-empty body; otherwise the app prompts you to add them.

Sync indicator — Shows whether the note is clean, pending changes, syncing, or error, so you know if you still need to save.

Starting a new note #

Use New Note from the expanded bottom panel (or the flow your build uses from the home/editor entry). If you have unsaved changes, the app asks whether to cancel, discard, or save and start new.

Tips for smooth use #

• Cursor placement — Before dictating or inserting a template, tap where you want text to go; dictation and templates both respect the cursor (not only the end of the note).
• Save before leaving — If you care about keeping work, use sync/save when the indicator shows unsaved changes.
• AI Format — Treat it as a full-pass rewrite of the body text; read the result and undo if it is not what you wanted.

If something goes wrong #

• “Please add a title before saving” — Fill in Note Title, then save again.
• “Nothing to save — dictate or type first” — The body has no text yet.
• Dictation errors — Check microphone permission and network; an error may appear as a message at the bottom of the screen.

Templates, note templates, and phrases #

Why there are two kinds of “templates” #

They do not replace each other. Editor Templates = quick insert. Note Templates = scribe language output style.

Templates (Settings → Templates) #

Purpose: Save reusable blocks of text (headings, normal exam wording, blank SOAP shells, etc.) and insert them while you work in the text editor.

Each template has:

• Command — Short label you recognize in the list (what you “call” it mentally; shown as the main line when picking).
• Output — The actual text inserted into the note (can be several lines).

How to use it

1. Go to Settings → Templates and tap + to add, or edit/delete existing ones.
2. In the editor, tap the Templates (+) icon on the toolbar above the bottom bar.
3. Choose a template; its Output is inserted at the cursor in the note body.

Tips: Tap where you want text before opening the picker. If the list is empty, add templates in Settings first.

To add new templates:

Click on the gear icon -> Select Templates -> Click on +

To utilize templates in the notepad, select + and add a template from the list.

Note templates (Settings → Note Templates) #

Purpose: Define styles of clinical notes used when you finish Medical Scribe or Doctor–Patient mode.

Each note template has:

• Name (e.g. “SOAP”)
• Description (optional; helps you tell templates apart)
• AI Prompt — Instructions that guide how the note is generated from the transcript

Built-in vs custom

• System templates may appear in the list; in the app, only custom templates show edit and delete.

Default template

• Tap a note template row to set it as DEFAULT (badge on the list). That choice is remembered on this device.
• When you open Medical Scribe or Doctor–Patient, the app pre-selects your default if you have one; you can still change the template from the menu on the scribe screen before generating the note.

If something fails when generating a note, the app may mention refreshing templates in Settings — that usually means the list from the server is stale or mis-synced.

Phrases (Settings → Phrases) #

Purpose: Personal voice shortcuts: when dictation hears an exact trigger phrase, it substitutes your longer printed text (like auto-expand for speech).

Each phrase has:

• When I Say — The words you speak (must be non-empty to save).
• Print — What appears in the note instead.

How matching works (high level)

• Replacement uses whole words, is case-insensitive, and longer phrases win if two could match (so a long trigger is not cut short by a shorter one).

Where phrases apply

• They run during editor dictation — after the built-in voice command processing, on the text that is inserted into the title or body.

They do not apply to: Medical Scribe / Doctor–Patient live transcription in the same way as the editor path (those flows use the recording pipeline, not the editor’s phrase step).

Managing phrases

• Settings → Phrases — add, edit, or delete; list columns are WHEN I SAY / PRINT.

Transcripts #

In the Transcripts/Notes section, you will find all of your recorded dictations and transcribed notes. Notes generated on your mobile device are seamlessly synchronized and readily available on your computer through the VoiceboxMD client for both PC and Mac.

Open any dictation notes to edit them and save.

Scribe Mode Recordings #

Both modes listen with the microphone, show live text on the scribe screen, then use that text plus your chosen note template to generate a structured clinical note when you finish. 

They differ in who is expected to be talking and whether the system tries to split the conversation by speaker.

Mode 1: Medical Scribe — “Doctor’s Note” (solo) #

In the app: Bottom menu shows Medical Scribe (single-person icon). While recording, the banner reads “Doctor’s Note.”

Use it when: You are mainly the only one speaking, for example summarizing the visit, dictating history and exam, or narrating your thinking in one continuous voice. The system treats the audio as one speaker (no speaker separation).

Typical workflow

1. Open Medical Scribe from the bottom toolbar (tap > to expand, then the person icon) or from the quick panel.
2. Pick a template from the menu at the top (e.g. SOAP, your default).
3. Tap the microphone to start; you’ll see Listening… and text building as you speak.
4. You can pause with the mic; while paused, the app reminds you that you can resume with the mic or finish with the cloud/sync control.
5. When you’re done capturing speech, tap the cloud / sync icon to generate the note. You’ll see a short “Generating clinical note…” state, then move to review the note.
6. If there was no usable speech, the app will tell you to try again.

Practical tip: Hold the phone so your voice is clear; background chatter can still get transcribed as plain text because this mode does not label different speakers.

Mode 2: Doctor–Patient — “Doctor-Patient” (ambient) #

In the app: Bottom menu shows Doctor–Patient (two-person icon). While recording, the banner reads “Doctor-Patient.”

Use it when: You want to capture a back-and-forth between two voices (e.g. you and the patient). The listening pipeline turns on speaker diarization: the transcript can show who spoke when, using labels like Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 (not custom names like “Doctor” or “Patient”).

Typical workflow

Same steps as Medical Scribe: choose template → mic to start → optional pause → cloud/sync to generate the note → review.

Practical tips

• Seating and mic: Works best when two distinct voices are audible and not talking heavily over each other; very noisy rooms or overlapping speech make labels less reliable.
• Speaker labels: You see Speaker 1 / Speaker 2 to doctor vs patient from context; the app does not rename speakers for you.
• Why use it: The generated note can use a transcript that preserves the structure of the conversation, which helps for visits where the patient’s own words matter.

Transcription Tip: Automatic transcription typically takes 1–5 minutes.

Access and related features #

• Medical Scribe and Doctor–Patient can be gated separately by subscription; if an option is locked, the app will prompt you to upgrade.
• Standard Dictation (main editor) is a different path: it is for typing/dictating into a note in the editor, not this full-screen scribe flow. The app stops editor dictation when you enter scribe so the microphone is not shared.

Reviewing Transcriptions #

After transcription is complete:

1. Go to the Notes section.
2. Check the newly transcribed note, which will now be available for review or sharing.

All your notes and templates are available on multiple platforms, including PC, Mac, and mobile. This seamless integration ensures you can manage your work wherever you are.

For any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to us at support@voiceboxmd.com. We’re here to help!