Start a session
Choose your JLPT level and available unit, review the session summary, then press Start. The app cues you before it listens.
HELP CENTER
Get back to speaking.
Practical help for setup, live Japanese recognition, Apple services, and hands-free sessions. Kanji Aloud remains usable locally if an Apple service is unavailable.
Microphone permissions
Live spoken answers require Microphone access. Japanese hands-free commands also require Speech Recognition access.
On-device speech matching
CTC means Connectionist Temporal Classification. Kanji Aloud uses it with a bundled neural network to compare the captured speech sound with the expected Japanese reading directly on the iPhone.
iCloud progress
Study always starts from local data. When iCloud is available, private CloudKit sync can restore and merge progress without a Kanji Aloud account.
Achievements
The Board works locally. Signing into Apple Game Center adds Apple-managed achievements and friend leaderboards when available.
Hands-free safety
Use voice control only when your surroundings and activity make it safe. Stop the session whenever the display or audio becomes distracting.
The permission screen does not continue
- Open iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and make sure Kanji Aloud is enabled.
- Open Privacy & Security → Speech Recognition and enable Kanji Aloud for Japanese voice commands.
- Return to the app and reopen the session. Do not repeatedly switch the permissions off and on while the session is open.
- If access is already enabled but the app still waits, fully close the app once and reopen it.
The current release candidate includes a non-blocking recovery route so the library remains reachable even if a permission request stalls.
The app is not hearing my answer
- Wait for the short “speak now” cue and the listening state before answering.
- Keep the first sound of the reading clear; do not begin while the preceding cue is still playing.
- Check that the expected input device is shown at the bottom of the session screen.
- Disconnect and reconnect Bluetooth headphones if iOS selected the wrong microphone.
- Move away from wind, loud music, or audio playing from another device.
Short readings are difficult
One- and two-mora answers can be difficult for general transcription systems. Kanji Aloud therefore uses a bundled neural network with CTC target scoring. Instead of transcribing unrestricted Japanese, it asks a narrower question: how closely does this speech sound match the reading expected for the current card?
Choose Precise for the normal tested match or Flexible when a beginner needs more tolerance for accent and microphone variation. Both choices use the same on-device model; they change only how strong the match must be.
iCloud says Local only, or Game Center is unavailable
You can keep studying. Local progress and the local achievement board continue to work. For restore/sync, confirm the iPhone is signed into iCloud and that iCloud Drive is enabled. For social boards, confirm Game Center is enabled in iPhone Settings.
Private learning history is not published to a public CloudKit database. Game Center receives only configured aggregate achievement and leaderboard values.
Using the app while moving
Hands-free operation reduces touching, but it does not remove distraction. Do not read the screen, adjust the phone, or wear isolating audio where attention to traffic, terrain, equipment, or other people is required. Pause or end the session first.
Still need help?
Email activevision2021@gmail.com or call +971 58 112 1629. Include the app version, iPhone model, iOS version, selected matching style, expected reading, and what appeared on screen.
Contact ActiveVision