Live captions and translation between English and Chinese, for lectures and meetings.
Coming soon to the App Store
Captions and on-device translation are free, with no time limit. iPhone and iPad, iOS 26 or later. App Store in the UK, the US and EU countries.
Apple Account set to mainland China? The app will not appear in search. What to do · 中文说明
Today we look at how cities manage water during heavy rain.
今天我们来看城市在暴雨时怎样管理雨水。
There are three ideas to remember.
有三点需要记住。
First, slow the water down.
第一，让水流慢下来。
Second, store it for a short time.
第二，把水暂时存起来。
What it does
Follow as it is said
What is said appears as captions, with the translation under each line. This part is free and has no time limit.
Catch up when you lose the thread
Key points build up as the session goes on. You can also type a question about what was said and get a short answer.
Leave with notes
When it ends you get a title, key points, figures and dates, things to do and open questions. In meetings it can also suggest a sentence to say next and draft a follow-up email.
Third, release it safely.
第三，安全地把水排走。
Key points
Managing water in heavy rain
- Slow the water down
- Store it for a short time
- Release it safely
Coursework due 14 March, 30% of the module
AI-generated. Please check.
Key points during the session
Managing water in heavy rain
Three ways cities handle heavy rain: slow, store, release.
To do
- Coursework due 14 March (30%)
- Site visit next week: bring suitable shoes
Open question
Which site will the visit be at?
AI-generated. Please check.
Notes at the end
Could you confirm when the drawings will be ready?
你能确认图纸什么时候能准备好吗？
You could say
Let me check with the team and confirm the date by Friday.
我和团队核实一下，周五前确认日期。
AI-generated. Please check.
Meetings: a sentence to say next
The pictures above are illustrations with made-up content.
How it works
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Tell the people present
Before each session the app asks you to confirm that you have told them. A notice card in English and Chinese is one tap away, so you can show it to the room.
-
Put the phone where it can hear, and tap Start
Choose lecture or meeting. A listening indicator stays on screen for as long as the microphone is on.
-
Read along, then keep the notes
Captions and translation appear as people speak. Notes are stored on your device, and you can delete them at any time.
What happens to what is said
- Speech is turned into text on your device. Audio is never uploaded. Recording is optional and stays on your device.
- Transcripts and notes are stored on your device only. You can delete any of them, or all of them.
- The AI features send text, not sound, to our server, which passes it to the AI provider and returns the result. Our server does not store that text, and it is not used to train models.
- There is no account and no login. No advertising, and no analytics software from other companies.
- The app does not identify speakers, make voiceprints or recognise faces.
- Some universities and workplaces have their own rules on captioning and transcription tools. Please check yours and follow them.
Prices
Captions and on-device translation are free. You pay only for time with the AI features: AI translation, key points, questions and notes, and in meetings the suggested sentence and follow-up email draft.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | £0 | Unlimited on-device captions and on-device translation. One 10-minute trial of the AI features per device. |
| Day pass | £1.99 | 3 hours of AI features within 24 hours, in both modes. Does not renew. |
| Week pass | £3.99 | 8 hours within 7 days. Does not renew. |
| Term pass (lectures) | £9.99 | 60 hours in lecture mode within 16 weeks. Lecture mode only. Does not renew. |
| Monthly | £5.99 a month | 15 hours a month. Renews each month until you cancel. |
| Annual | £49.99 a year | 15 hours a month. Renews each year until you cancel. |
- When your paid time runs out, only the AI features stop. A session in progress is not cut off, and captions and on-device translation carry on.
- Unused hours do not carry over.
- Purchases are made in the app through your Apple Account. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time in your App Store account settings; see how to cancel.
Questions
Which devices does it work on?
iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 or iPadOS 26, or later. There is no Android version.
Which languages?
English and Chinese (Mandarin), in both directions. No other languages in this version.
What is free, and what is paid?
Free, with no time limit: live captions and on-device translation. Each device also gets one 10-minute trial of the AI features.
Paid, by time: AI translation, key points, questions about what was said, and notes. In meeting mode, also a suggested sentence to say next and a follow-up email draft. See prices.
What happens when my paid time runs out?
Only the AI features stop. The session you are in keeps going, and captions and on-device translation carry on. Passes do not renew, so nothing more is charged unless you buy again.
Is the audio recorded?
Audio is never uploaded. Recording is optional and stays on your device. Speech is turned into text on your device, and the transcript and notes are stored on your device.
You still need to tell the people present before you start, and to follow the rules of the place you are in.
Do I have to tell people I am using it?
Yes. The app asks you to confirm this before every session, and it has a notice card in English and Chinese that you can show. Some universities and workplaces have their own rules on captioning and transcription tools; check yours first.
How good are the captions?
They contain mistakes, more so with strong accents, background noise, fast speech and specialist terms. We do not publish accuracy figures. The captions are free, so the best test is ten minutes in your own lecture room or meeting.
Everything the AI features produce is marked "AI-generated. Please check."
Does it show who is speaking?
No. Captions do not say who is speaking.
Does it work with online meetings?
It captions what the device microphone can hear. It does not join an online meeting as a participant.
I cannot find Lilimind in the App Store. Why?
Lilimind is on the App Store in the UK, the US and EU countries. It is not on the mainland China App Store, and there is no date for that. If your Apple Account is set to mainland China, the app does not appear in search.
If you live in the UK, the US or an EU country, you can use a second Apple Account for the App Store only. Your iCloud, photos and messages stay on your main account.
- Create a new Apple Account at account.apple.com with a different email address. Set its country or region to where you live now.
- On the iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, tap Media & Purchases, then Sign Out. This signs out of the store only, not iCloud.
- Tap Media & Purchases again, choose "Not [your name]?" and sign in with the new account.
- Search for Lilimind and download it. The free captions work straight away.
- To update apps from your first account, switch back the same way.
Before you do this:
- It takes about ten minutes the first time.
- Apple says you cannot update content bought with a different account from the one signed in, so apps from your first account wait for their updates until you switch back (support.apple.com/en-us/111001).
- Apple's help page on music says purchases tied to the account you sign out of are removed from the device. If you keep downloaded music or films from your first account on the phone, expect to download them again.
- Apple describes the Media & Purchases steps in the checklist at support.apple.com/en-us/117294.
- The free features need no payment method. To buy a pass or subscribe you need a payment method accepted by the App Store in that country. Mainland Alipay and WeChat Pay are not.
- A purchase belongs to the Apple Account that bought it. To restore a pass or manage a subscription, sign in with that account.
- Choose the country you really live in.
The other way is to change the region of your existing account. Apple's steps are at support.apple.com/en-us/118283. It affects your balance, subscriptions and payment methods, so read them first.
Who makes it, and how do I get help?
Lilimind is made by an independent developer in the UK. For help, see the support page or write to support@lilimind.com.