If your connection drops mid-dictation, or the app gets interrupted before your words are delivered, the recording is not lost. Subtle saves it and offers it back.
What you'll see
On the Subtle keyboard toolbar:
- "Recording saved" with a retry button — your dictation is held locally. Tap retry to transcribe and insert it.
- "Recording saved, reconnecting…" — Subtle is re-establishing the connection and will retry automatically; you can also wait it out.
- A recover button after reopening the keyboard — words from an earlier interrupted session are waiting. Tap to bring them back, or the ✕ to discard.
- "Dictation interrupted. Tap to try again." — the session was cut off; tapping restarts and recovers what it can.
What causes interruptions
- Internet dropped mid-recording (elevator, subway, flaky Wi-Fi)
- Switching apps or keyboards mid-dictation
- iOS reclaiming the keyboard's resources
- "Dictation is open in another app." — a session was left open elsewhere; finish or close it there
The habit worth knowing
Nothing to do in the moment — but don't re-dictate immediately. Look for the retry or recover button first; dictating again over a recoverable session discards your first take.
Recovery holds your most recent undelivered dictation. It's a safety net for interruptions, not an archive: once inserted or discarded, it's gone.
In the Subtle app
Notes and chats have their own safety net: leaving a note or chat mid-dictation stops the mic and saves the recording — a pill offers retry or discard when you return. These in-app recordings stay with their note or chat; they don't show up in the keyboard's recovery, and vice versa.
Recordings started from the app's home screen stop if you background the app mid-recording — keep the app in the foreground until the recording finishes.