Phrabbit User Guide

Phrabbit is an A/B loop app for foreign-language listening practice. Add audio files, video files, Music library tracks, podcasts, or YouTube links as study material, then repeat the exact section you want to hear or practice shadowing with your own voice. You can also use speech-to-text subtitles, Wordbook review, shadowing recordings, and learning stats.

Note: Button names in this guide follow the English UI used in the app. Some labels may appear localized depending on your device language.

Contents

1. Getting Started
2. Home and Library
3. Adding Study Material
4. Audio Player
5. A/B Loop
6. Bookmarks and Loop Lists
7. Speech-to-Text (STT) Subtitles
8. Editing, Translating, and Adding Subtitles
9. Wordbook
10. YouTube Stream Practice
11. Video Files
12. Shadowing Recording and Comparison
13. Podcasts
14. Learning Stats and Settings
15. Free vs Premium
16. FAQ

1. Getting Started

1-1. First Launch - Onboarding

When you open Phrabbit for the first time, onboarding introduces the basic flow.

1. Waveform and A/B looping - See the audio visually, set point A and point B, and repeat just that section.
2. Subtitles, Wordbook, and review - Read subtitles, save words you want to remember, and build a learning history.

On the last screen you can choose one of two actions.

1-2. Free Trial

After onboarding, a 3-day free trial begins. During the trial, you can try Premium features freely. While the trial is active, a Trial banner appears near the top of the player, and tapping it opens the Premium purchase screen.

2. Home and Library

The Home screen collects all study material you have added. Local audio, video files, Music library tracks, podcast episodes, and YouTube links appear together in the same library list.

▲ Home screen showing files, podcasts, and YouTube items together

2-1. Screen Layout

If the library is empty, you can use the centered Add button to add material right away. After you add at least one item, a small hint may point to the plus button once. Settings is now under the More button rather than a separate gear button.

2-2. Favorites and Folders

Tap ⋯ at the end of a library row, or touch and hold the row, to open the same management menu. Choose Add to Favorites to star it, or Move to Folder… to organize it. For a regular library item, Info shows the full title and details that may not fit in the row, such as its type, duration, play position, added date or segment count, and folder location. A folder’s menu contains Rename, Move to Folder…, and Delete.

▲ The same menu opens from the visible ⋯ or from touch and hold

▲ Info shows what the row itself has no space for

Once at least one favorite exists, the All / Favorites chips appear below the wordmark; Favorites shows a flat list across the whole library, regardless of folder.

Use More > New Folder to create folders. When folders exist, More > Select lets you select multiple items and move them together, and All Items opens the whole library in one list. Folders can contain other folders.

2-3. Item Types

Icons and thumbnails help you identify each item type.

• Waveform icon - Audio imported from the Files app
• Music note icon - Track imported from the Music library
• Antenna icon - Podcast episode
• YouTube thumbnail or play icon - YouTube stream
• Film icon or video thumbnail - Video file on your device

Tap an item to open its player. Audio items open the audio player, YouTube links open the Stream player, and videos open the video player.

2-4. Delete

Tap ⋯ at the end of a library row, or touch and hold the row, then choose Delete. Swiping a row does not reveal management actions. The visible ⋯ button and the touch-and-hold gesture always show the same menu.

Deleting an item also removes its waveform cache, bookmarks, subtitles, and saved shadowing recordings. If the item has saved recordings, a confirmation appears first. When deleting a folder, you can choose whether to remove only the folder or the folder and everything inside it.

3. Adding Study Material

Tap the plus button at the top right of Home to open the add menu.

▲ Menu for adding files, music, YouTube links, and podcasts

3-1. Add an Audio File

Tap Add Audio File to open the system file picker. You can import audio files such as mp3, m4a, wav, and aac, and you can select multiple files at once. Imported files are copied into Phrabbit’s Documents area and added to the library.

3-2. Add a Video File

Tap Add Video File to choose a video stored on your device or in iCloud Drive. MP4, M4V, and MOV files can be used, and this is a free feature.

The video file itself is not copied into the app. Phrabbit keeps only a link to the original file, so the video stops playing if that file is moved or deleted. See 11. Video Files for details.

3-3. Add from Music

Tap Add from Music to open the music stored on your device.

• Tracks already added to Phrabbit are shown with a check mark.
• Tracks downloaded through an Apple Music subscription cannot be imported because of DRM.
• DRM-free tracks you purchased or ripped from a CD can be used.

When you tap a track, Phrabbit prepares it in a playable format, adds it to the library, and opens the player.

3-4. Add a YouTube Link

Tap Add YouTube Link to open the YouTube link entry screen.

1. In the YouTube app or a browser, tap Share on the video.
2. Tap Copy Link.
3. Return to Phrabbit and tap Paste.
4. Confirm the thumbnail and tap Add.

The video file is not stored inside the app. Phrabbit stores only the link, playback position, A/B bookmarks, and shadowing recording metadata. Playback happens through the YouTube embedded player.

3-5. Add from Podcast

Add from Podcast is a Premium feature. During Premium or the free trial, you can search by podcast name, browse recommendations for your practice language, or import episodes from Apple Podcasts subscriptions and RSS URLs. After the free trial ends, the menu shows a lock and opens the Premium screen when tapped.

See 13. Podcasts for details.

4. Audio Player

Tap an audio item on Home to open the full-screen player.

▲ Audio player showing waveform and sentence cards on one screen

4-1. Closing and Mini Player

If audio is loaded when you close the player, the mini player appears at the bottom of Home. Tap the mini player to return to the full-screen player.

If a Premium user turns on Settings > Playback > Background playback, audio may continue while the screen is locked or the app is in the background. For free users, or when this setting is off, audio pauses when the app goes into the background.

4-2. Waveform Area

The waveform shows the audio over time. The black vertical line is the current playhead, and the screen follows the playhead during playback.

• Tap the waveform - Jump to that position
• Long-press the waveform - Set point A or B
• Drag A/B handles - Fine-tune the selected range

4-3. Bottom Controls

When the sleep timer is on, the remaining time appears on the button. Free users can use it while the app is open; playback while locked depends on Premium background playback. A saved bookmark is given an automatic name first; use Rename from the save toast or from the bookmark list to change it.

5. A/B Loop

A/B looping is the core feature for repeating one sentence or short expression until it becomes clear.

▲ Fine-tuning an A/B range by touch

5-1. Set with the A-B Button

1. At the start of the section, tap A-B. This becomes point A.
2. At the end, tap A-B again. This becomes point B and looping starts.
3. After a range is set, tapping A-B jumps back to point A.

The button changes by state.

When only A is set, the hint Tap A-B again to set the end appears. If you tapped A by mistake, use the close button on the hint to cancel.

5-2. Set Precisely on the Waveform

Long-press the desired point on the waveform to set an A/B point. Drag the A and B handles with your finger to fine-tune the range.

5-3. A/B Info Bar

When both A and B are set, a range info bar appears below the waveform.

In the info bar you can:

• Check the range duration
• Tap the bar to adjust A and B little by little
• Open shadowing recording with the microphone button
• Clear the A/B range with the close button

5-4. Shadowing Gap

When an A/B range is set, a person.wave.2 button appears. Turn it on to add a short silent gap between repeats, so you can say the sentence yourself after listening. This is a free practice mode and does not require recording.

During the silent gap, a Speak countdown is shown.

6. Bookmarks and Loop Lists

Bookmarks save A/B ranges you want to practice often.

6-1. Save a Bookmark

1. Set an A/B range first.
2. Tap the bookmark button at the bottom.
3. The range is saved immediately with an automatic name, and a Bookmark saved toast appears.
4. Tap Rename in the toast if you want to name it now. You can also rename it later from the bookmark list.

Phrabbit creates the automatic name from the file title and range length. The same range is not saved twice.

6-2. Bookmark List

Tap the list button to open the current file’s bookmarks. Tap a bookmark to restore that range as A/B and practice it right away.

▲ Bookmark list with the Bookmarks / My Recordings switch

When both bookmarks and recordings exist, the list uses a Bookmarks / My Recordings switch so each list stays easy to reach. When there are at least two bookmarks, a Play All menu may appear. It can play several bookmarks in order and repeat each bookmark 1, 2, or 3 times.

Tap ⋯ at the end of a bookmark row, or touch and hold it, to show Rename, Info, and Delete. Info shows the exact A/B range, range length, and saved date. Saved recordings use the same gesture for Info or Delete; their information sheet shows the range, length, number of takes at that practice point, and recording dates. Swiping does not reveal management actions.

Free users can create up to 1 new bookmark per audio file. During Premium or the free trial, you can create unlimited bookmarks. Bookmarks saved during Premium or the free trial remain available after returning to free status, but you cannot add new bookmarks beyond the free limit. Saving bookmarks for YouTube streams is a Premium feature.

7. Speech-to-Text (STT) Subtitles

STT converts audio into sentence-level subtitles. It is available during Premium or the free trial.

▲ Audio converted into sentence-level subtitle cards

7-1. Start Conversion

1. Tap the subtitle button at the bottom right of the audio player.
2. If this file has not been converted before, the language picker opens.
3. Choose the actual language of the audio and tap Done.

▲ Recommended and recently used languages based on file information and title

Language recommendations may use the language previously selected for this file, podcast RSS language metadata, language and script detected from the title, and your device language. Recently used languages appear separately under Recently Used. Recommendations can be wrong, so confirm that the language matches the audio.

If a file already has subtitles, tapping the subtitle button shows these options.

• Re-run with current language - Convert again with the current language
• Change Language and Re-run - Change the language and convert again
• Clear Script - Delete the automatically generated subtitles

When there are no subtitles yet, long-pressing the subtitle button lets you choose the language before conversion.

7-2. During Conversion

During conversion, a Converting… or Downloading language model… progress bar appears. Some languages may need to download an on-device speech model the first time you use them.

▲ Progress and guidance are shown while conversion runs

Important:

• Keep the app open during conversion. Leaving the app or locking the screen may interrupt it.
• Long audio can take several minutes.
• If you cancel, this conversion stops and existing subtitles are kept.
• Model downloads and some recovery steps are affected by your Wi-Fi settings.

7-3. View Results

When conversion finishes, subtitle cards appear in chronological order.

Each card may show:

• Start time
• Subtitle source indicator
• Low-confidence warning
• Approx. position badge when the text was recognized but timing is approximate
• Subtitle text
• A ⋯ menu with Translate, Add to Wordbook, Edit, and Delete — touch and hold the card opens the same menu

Tap a subtitle card to set that card’s section as A/B and start looping it. The currently playing card is highlighted, and cards inside the A/B range use a different background color.

7-4. Unrecognized Sections

Silent or hard-to-recognize sections may appear as Could not recognize cards. Use Enter Manually to type the subtitle yourself.

7-5. Subtitle Information

If the subtitle info button is visible, you can check the conversion date, recognition engine, and quality guidance. Automatic subtitles can be wrong with any model, so important expressions should be checked and corrected manually.

8. Editing, Translating, and Adding Subtitles

8-1. Add a Subtitle Manually

Tap Add Segment above the subtitle area to create a new subtitle segment based on the current playback position. You can adjust the start and end in 0.5-second steps, preview the range, and enter the text yourself.

To recognize the speech again, confirm the language under Recognition language and tap Recognize again. The result appears as a preview and never replaces your draft automatically. If it looks useful, tap Put in editor, make any corrections, and then tap Add at the top to save it.

8-2. Edit a Subtitle

Open a subtitle card’s ⋯ menu, or touch and hold the card, and choose Edit to modify the text. If you edited an STT-generated subtitle, the original text is shown as well, and you can use Reset if needed. The editor also lets you use Recognize again for only that sentence range and bring the preview into the draft with Put in editor. Nothing is saved until you tap Save at the top.

▲ Recognition produces a preview; your draft is left alone until you insert it

8-3. Translate All Subtitles

On iOS 26.4 or later and a device that supports Apple Intelligence, a Translate control may appear above the subtitle list. Choose a target language and tap Start translation to translate all subtitles on the device. Audio and subtitle text are not uploaded, and saved results are reused the next time you open the same material.

Progress appears while translation runs. Closing the app or player pauses the job safely, and Continue translation resumes it later. Long material can take time and warm the device; Phrabbit automatically slows the work when needed. After the job starts, an option can keep the screen awake for that run.

After a translation is saved, tap the speech-bubble control to show or hide it alongside the original. Use the adjacent ⋯ menu for Original only, Original + translation, Translation only, changing the language, retrying, or deleting the saved translation.

▲ Original + translation, with the speech-bubble control above the list

If Apple Intelligence is off or its model is not ready, Phrabbit explains why. The control is hidden on unsupported devices and iOS versions. Machine translation can mishandle names, cultural expressions, and specialist terms, so compare important material with the original.

8-4. Translate One Sentence

Choose Translate from a subtitle card’s ⋯ menu to open the iOS system translation sheet. Translation is a study aid and may be inaccurate depending on context.

▲ Translating a subtitle sentence in place

8-5. Add to Wordbook

Choose Add to Wordbook from a subtitle card’s ⋯ menu to pick a word or expression from that sentence and save it. The Wordbook itself is a Premium feature, so if the free trial has ended, this opens the Premium screen.

9. Wordbook

The Wordbook collects words and expressions saved from subtitle cards. It is available during Premium or the free trial.

▲ Wordbook entries saved together with context

9-1. Save a Word

Choose Add to Wordbook from a subtitle card’s ⋯ menu.

You can save:

• Word or expression
• Meaning
• Study context
• Context translation
• Memo
• Apple Intelligence explanation

Choose one of the automatically extracted word chips, or type directly into Custom Input. For languages with spaces, the app shows word-level chips. For Japanese and Chinese, it re-tokenizes the sentence to show more natural units.

▲ Choosing a word from a subtitle sentence and saving meaning and context

9-2. Fill with Translate

Meaning and Context Translation include a Translate button. Tap it to fill meaning or context translation with the iOS translation feature. You can edit the result before saving.

When the audio language and device language are the same, iOS translation may not create a separate translation. In that case, type or edit the meaning and context translation manually.

9-3. Apple Intelligence Explanation

If Apple Intelligence is available, an AI Explanation section may appear. Tap Generate Explanation to create an explanation of how the selected word is used in this context.

▲ AI Explanation generated for the selected word in context

This section appears only when all of the following are true.

• iOS 26 or later
• A device that supports Apple Intelligence
• Apple Intelligence is turned on in device settings and the model is ready
• The study language can be determined from the subtitle language, podcast language metadata, or sentence text
• Both the study language and device language are supported by the Apple Intelligence model

AI Explanation is not always hidden just because the languages are the same. However, if any condition above is not met, the section does not appear, and the Translate button follows the limitations of iOS translation. Generated content is a beta, on-device result and may be wrong. You can edit or remove it before saving.

9-4. List and Flashcards

The Wordbook tab has two modes.

▲ Reviewing with cards during spare moments

Use the play button in the list to hear the saved context. Tap ⋯ at the end of a row, or touch and hold it, to choose Mark as Memorized or Resume Learning, or Delete. The word detail screen shows the added date and lets you listen to pronunciation, edit meaning or memo, open the original audio, search a dictionary, and regenerate the Apple Intelligence explanation. The list can also hide memorized words.

10. YouTube Stream Practice

When you add a YouTube link, the Stream player opens. YouTube videos are not saved in the app; they play through the YouTube embedded player.

▲ Practicing a YouTube link like listening material

10-1. Basic Layout

The Stream player shows the YouTube player on top and Phrabbit’s A/B loop controls below. The player toolbar contains the information and full-screen buttons; the controls below the video are reserved for playback and A/B practice.

Key features:

• Use YouTube’s original player and CC button
• Use Phrabbit’s A/B loop, loop count, and speed controls
• Use a time ruler for precise navigation in long videos
• Practice in full screen
• Save bookmarks and shadowing recordings per YouTube link. A bookmark is saved immediately with an automatic name; use Rename from the save toast or the saved item’s ⋯ or touch-and-hold menu. The same menu offers Info for the exact range, length, and saved date, or Delete. When space allows, the bookmark card also shows its saved date.

10-2. YouTube Captions and Wordbook Limits

YouTube captions are shown only inside the YouTube player. Phrabbit does not bring YouTube caption text into the app.

Therefore, these features are limited on YouTube streams.

• STT subtitle generation
• Adding YouTube captions directly to Wordbook
• Showing the original YouTube audio waveform

Instead, turn on captions with YouTube’s CC button and use Phrabbit’s A/B loop and shadowing features for section practice.

10-3. Full-screen Practice

Tap Full-screen Practice to make the video larger while keeping A/B controls available inside full-screen practice. On iPhone, the app stays in portrait while enlarging the player area. On iPad, the layout expands to fit the larger screen.

Use Phrabbit’s Full-screen Practice instead of YouTube’s own full-screen button so YouTube captions and Phrabbit’s A/B controls can stay together.

10-4. Time Ruler

Streams use a time ruler instead of an audio waveform.

• Drag - Move through the video
• Long-press - Set point A or B
• Pinch - Zoom the ruler in or out
• Adjust A/B handles - Fine-tune the range

The YouTube embedded player does not provide raw audio samples to the app, so Phrabbit uses a time ruler instead of a fake waveform.

10-5. YouTube Background Behavior

YouTube streams do not continue playing on the lock screen or in the background. When the app enters the background, Phrabbit pauses the video and remembers the position, then restores it when you return. This is a limitation of the YouTube embedded player and iOS WebKit.

11. Video Files

Phrabbit can also use video files stored on your device or in iCloud Drive as study material. Videos use the same A/B loop, shadowing, and bookmark tools as audio, with subtitles supplied by a separate subtitle file.

▲ Video player showing a subtitle cue, the time ruler with A/B, and a saved bookmark

11-1. Add a Video File

Tap Add Video File in the Home plus menu and choose a video. This is a free feature.

Phrabbit supports MP4, M4V, and MOV files. Other containers such as MKV, AVI, and WebM cannot be selected in the picker.

Even inside a supported container, a file can use video or audio encoding this device cannot decode. In that case Phrabbit names the encoding it found and explains what to do. Converting the file to H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio makes it playable.

One case looks confusing: a file that already uses HEVC but is packaged as hev1 instead of hvc1. iOS cannot play the hev1 packaging. Repackaging it as hvc1 is a fast, lossless remux and does not re-encode the video.

11-2. Videos Are Referenced, Not Copied

Unlike audio files, which Phrabbit copies into the app, a video file stays where it is. Phrabbit remembers only a link to the original file.

What this means in practice:

• Adding a video uses almost no app storage, no matter how large the file is.
• If you move, rename, or delete the original file, Phrabbit can no longer play it. The same happens when a file in iCloud Drive is removed from that account or offloaded from the device.
• When the file cannot be found, the library row shows a File missing warning, and opening the video shows a screen with Re-link File and Remove. Choose Re-link File and pick the file at its new location; bookmarks, subtitles, and playback position stay as they were.
• If the file you re-link has a noticeably different length from the original, Phrabbit warns with Different video length, because loops and subtitles may no longer line up.

The first time you play a video that is stored in iCloud Drive but not yet downloaded to this device, Preparing video… appears while the system downloads it, and a long video can take a while. Once the file is on the device it opens right away, regardless of size.

11-3. Video Player

Tap a video in the library to open the video player. Its layout follows the Stream player rather than the audio player.

• The video appears at the top with a seek bar below it. The full-screen button is in the player toolbar.
• Tap the picture to play or pause.
• Under the seek bar is the time ruler, which shows the A and B markers.
• Once A and B are both set, a range info bar appears with the range, a fine-tune button, the scene transcription button, the microphone for shadowing, and a close button that clears the range.
• Below that are the playback controls: A-B, loop count, playback speed, shadowing gap, back/forward 5 seconds, play/pause, and Save for a bookmark.
• Saved Bookmarks and My Recordings are listed at the bottom. When both exist, a switch keeps the two lists separate.

Video has no waveform. As with YouTube streams, you set and fine-tune A and B on the time ruler and the seek bar.

Free users can create 1 new bookmark per video, and Premium or the free trial removes the limit. Bookmarks that are already saved stay open in every case.

11-4. Subtitle Files

Video subtitles come from a subtitle file you supply. Phrabbit reads SRT, VTT, and SMI (SAMI) files. Subtitle tracks embedded inside the video file itself are not read.

Open the subtitle menu in the player toolbar to use:

Subtitles appear at the bottom of the video. Tapping one repeats that sentence (see 11-5), and touch and hold edits the current line. To hide subtitles, use Show Subtitles in the subtitle menu. A subtitle file saved in an encoding other than UTF-8 may fail to load; save it as UTF-8 text and try again.

Tap the plus button above the subtitle to save a word to the Wordbook. The Wordbook is a Premium feature.

11-5. Practice Sentence by Sentence

Once a video has subtitles, you no longer have to mark an A/B range for every sentence. Tap the cards button in the player toolbar to open the sentence list.

▲ The sentence playing now is highlighted, and tapping any card loops that sentence

• Each card is one sentence, built from the timings in the subtitle file (or from Transcribe This Scene). Short cues that together make one sentence are joined into a single card.
• Tap a card and that sentence becomes the A/B range: playback moves to its start and loops there. The list stays open, and it does not move on to the next sentence by itself.
• The sentence playing now is highlighted. Scroll anywhere you like — Current Subtitle takes you back to it.
• Tapping the subtitle shown over the video does the same thing. When one sentence is split across several short subtitle lines, the whole sentence is still what repeats.
• On iPhone, opening the cards clears the screen down to the video, the seek bar, and the list. Close the cards to bring the full controls back.
• On iPad and other wide screens, the video sits on the left with subtitles, bookmarks, and your recordings on the right, so the cards stay in view.
• A subtitle sync offset is applied to the cards too, so the time on a card is where playback actually goes.

11-6. Transcribe This Scene

Whole-file speech-to-text is not available for video. Instead you can transcribe only the section you are practicing. This is available during Premium or the free trial.

1. Set an A/B range over the part you want.
2. Tap the speech-bubble button in the A/B info bar.
3. Choose the language spoken in that scene.

Notes:

• A range longer than 10 minutes cannot be transcribed. Shorten the A/B range first.
• For a range longer than 3 minutes, or when the device is already warm, a Transcribe This Scene? heads-up appears first; tap Continue to go on. If the device is very hot, Phrabbit asks you to let it cool down and does not run.
• If subtitle-file lines already exist in that range, Replace Subtitles in Range? asks first. Only the lines inside the range are replaced, the originals are kept, and Restore Original Subtitles… brings them back.

11-7. Full Screen and Background

▲ Full-screen practice keeps the A/B controls and subtitles on screen

Tap the full-screen button to enlarge the video. The screen fills sideways while the app itself stays in portrait, so you do not need to unlock device rotation. In full screen, tap the video to show or hide the controls, and use the bookmark list to jump between saved ranges.

The cards button opens the same sentence list beside the video in full screen. It does not cover the picture: the video, the ruler, and the seek bar move over to make room, and go back to full width when you close the panel.

▲ In full screen the cards sit beside the video instead of covering it

Video does not play in the background or on the lock screen. When the app goes to the background or the screen locks, playback stops. Background playback applies to audio files only.

11-8. Rename, Info, and Delete

A video title starts as the file name. Tap ⋯ at the end of its library row, or touch and hold the row, then choose Rename to change it. Info shows the full title, item type, duration, added date, and folder location.

Choose Delete from the same menu to remove Phrabbit’s record along with its subtitles, bookmarks, and saved shadowing recordings. The original video file is never deleted. If saved recordings exist, a confirmation appears first.

12. Shadowing Recording and Comparison

Shadowing lets you listen to an A/B range, say it yourself, and compare your recording with the original.

▲ Listening, recording, and comparing your voice against the original

12-1. Shadowing Gap

This practice mode does not require recording.

1. Set an A/B range.
2. Turn on the shadowing gap button.
3. After the range plays, speak during the silent gap.
4. When the countdown ends, the original plays again.

This works with audio files, videos, and YouTube streams.

12-2. Recording and Comparison

Recording and comparison are Premium features.

1. Set an A/B range.
2. Tap the microphone button in the A/B info bar or Stream controls.
3. Use Listen to hear the original.
4. Tap Record to record your voice.
5. Use My take to hear only your recording.
6. Use Compare to hear the original and your take back to back.

The first time you use it, Phrabbit asks for microphone permission. Recordings are stored on your device.

For audio files, you can see the original waveform and your recording waveform together. For videos and YouTube streams, Phrabbit cannot access the original waveform, so only your recording waveform is shown.

12-3. Practice with Subtitles

If an audio file has subtitles and a subtitle card overlaps the A/B range, the practice sentence appears large in the shadowing screen. While listening to the original, the current sentence is highlighted so it is easier to read along.

YouTube captions exist only inside the YouTube player and are not brought into the shadowing screen. Instead, use full-screen practice with YouTube CC captions visible.

12-4. Saved Recordings

Use the save button to keep a take you like. Saved recordings appear in the bookmark list or the My Recordings section of the Stream screen.

Tap a saved recording to return to the A/B range where it was made and reopen the shadowing screen. Multiple takes for the same range are grouped as one practice point.

To manage a saved recording or bookmark, tap ⋯ at the end of its row or card, or touch and hold it. Both open the same menu; swiping does not delete saved practice. Choose Info to see a bookmark’s range, length, and saved date, or a recording’s range, length, take count, and recording dates.

13. Podcasts

Podcast downloads are a Premium feature. You can search by show name, browse recommendations for your practice language, or import episodes from Apple Podcasts subscriptions and RSS URLs, then practice them in the audio player.

13-1. Browse by Practice Language

Tap Add from Podcast in the Home plus menu. The first time, choose the language you want to practice. Phrabbit has hand-picked lists for Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and French, and other practice languages are available too.

After choosing a language, topic chips and show rails appear under Browse in …. Learner shows and current news are selected first. Turn chips on or off to add or hide lists such as beginner, slow speech, history, travel, or music. Each language shows only topics with useful search results. Use Change language at any time.

▲ The first visit asks which language you are practising

▲ Topic chips filter the rails; each rail scrolls sideways

Chosen by Phrabbit marks a hand-picked list; Apple Podcasts search results marks an Apple search. A badge such as “Taught in English” means the show teaches the practice language using another language.

13-2. Search by Name or RSS URL

Enter a show name in Search podcasts or RSS URL and search. Tap a show card to open the same episode list used by every other entry point. You can also paste an RSS URL directly into this field to open that feed.

13-3. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions

Phrabbit may ask for media library permission. Tap Load from Apple Podcasts and allow access to show your subscriptions under My podcasts. Phrabbit uses this permission only to display shows you are interested in; it downloads episode audio directly from each show’s RSS feed.

Tap a channel to open its episode list.

13-4. Episode Badges

▲ Episodes with a Creator captions badge can import official captions

Episodes with the Creator captions badge can import the podcast’s official captions without running STT again. This is usually more accurate than automatic recognition and requires less waiting, so those episodes are recommended first for study material.

13-5. Enter an RSS URL Directly

Besides pasting an RSS URL into the search field, you can expand Add via RSS URL (advanced) and enter it manually. Use this for podcasts that do not appear in Apple Podcasts search or when you already know the RSS address.

13-6. Downloads and Cellular Data

The default setting is Download over Wi-Fi only. If you allow cellular downloads, a confirmation may appear before downloading a large episode.

▲ Episode list showing not-downloaded and downloaded states

Tap an episode to start downloading. While it downloads, tap the stop square inside the progress ring to cancel. If a clock indicates that the episode is waiting for Wi-Fi, tap the episode again to remove it from the queue. Tap an episode with a check mark to open the player.

Some podcast files may take a moment to prepare in a playable format the first time you open them. When an episode has official or STT subtitles, supported devices can translate them using 8-3. Translate All Subtitles.

14. Learning Stats and Settings

14-1. Progress Tab

In the Progress tab, you can check your recent practice activity.

▲ Recent 7-day activity and frequently repeated segments

Main items:

• Last 7 Days - Practice time and active days in the last 7 days
• Bar chart - Practice time by date
• Focused Segments - Recently repeated practice sections
• Most Practiced - Audio, video, or YouTube items practiced most often
• All Time - Total accumulated practice time

Tap a Focused Segments or Most Practiced item to return to the original material and practice again. Stats are recorded only for practice after this feature was added.

14-2. Settings

Tap More at the top right of Home, then choose Settings.

▲ Settings for background playback, downloads, learning stats reset, and support

You can manage:

• Background playback - Lock screen and background audio playback for Premium users
• Download over Wi-Fi only - Applies Wi-Fi preference to podcast downloads, STT model downloads, and timing recovery
• Ask before cellular download - Confirms before downloading over cellular
• Reset learning stats - Deletes learning stats
• Rate Phrabbit - Opens the App Store review screen

Resetting learning stats cannot be undone.

15. Free vs Premium

Available for Free

• Import local audio files
• Import DRM-free Music library tracks
• Add YouTube links and practice A/B loops
• Add video files and practice A/B loops
• Load subtitle files (SRT, VTT, SMI) for videos
• Waveform view, time ruler, and A/B looping
• Loop count and playback speed controls
• Shadowing gap
• Sleep timer
• Create 1 new audio bookmark per file
• Create 1 new video bookmark per video
• Open existing audio bookmarks saved during Premium or the free trial
• Learning stats

Available During Premium or Free Trial

• Speech-to-text (STT) subtitle conversion
• Real-time subtitle and waveform sync
• Wordbook
• Apple Intelligence explanations on supported devices
• Unlimited audio bookmarks
• Unlimited video bookmarks
• Scene transcription for videos
• YouTube stream bookmarks
• Podcast downloads
• Shadowing recording, comparison, and saved takes
• Audio background playback and lock screen controls

Payment

Phrabbit Premium is a one-time purchase. It is not a subscription. After purchase, you can keep using Premium with the same Apple ID. If you change devices, use Restore Purchase on the Premium screen.

16. FAQ

Q. Can I import songs from my Apple Music subscription?

A. No. Songs downloaded through an Apple Music subscription are protected by DRM and cannot be used in other apps. Only DRM-free tracks purchased from the iTunes Store or imported from a CD can be used.

Q. Speech recognition is inaccurate.

A. First check that the selected STT language matches the actual audio language. Background music, noise, and overlapping speakers can make recognition difficult. For important sections, edit the subtitle manually or use Add Segment.

Q. Does STT continue if I leave the app?

A. No. STT conversion currently needs the app to stay open. If you lock the screen or move to another app, conversion may stop. Audio background playback and STT conversion are separate features.

Q. Does audio continue on the lock screen?

A. During Premium or the free trial, if Background playback is on, audio can continue on the lock screen and in the background. You can use the lock screen, Control Center, or earphone buttons for play/pause and 5-second jumps. If the free trial has ended or the setting is off, audio pauses when the app enters the background.

Q. Does adding a video use up storage?

A. No. Video files are not copied into the app; Phrabbit keeps only a link to the original file, so a large video uses almost no app storage. In exchange, playback stops working if the original is moved, renamed, or deleted, or if it is offloaded from iCloud Drive. Use Re-link File to point Phrabbit at the file again.

Q. A video shows “File missing”.

A. The original file has been moved, renamed, or deleted, or it is no longer downloaded on this device. Open the video and tap Re-link File, then choose the file at its new location. Bookmarks, subtitles, and progress are kept. If the file is gone for good, use Remove.

Q. My MP4 will not play.

A. The container is supported, but the video or audio inside may use encoding this device cannot decode. Converting it to H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio fixes it. If the message mentions hev1, the file is HEVC but packaged in a way iOS cannot play - repackaging (remuxing) it as hvc1 is enough and does not re-encode the video.

Q. Does video continue playing in the background?

A. No. Video playback stops when the app goes to the background or the screen locks. Background playback applies to audio files only.

Q. Does YouTube continue playing in the background?

A. No. YouTube streams do not support background playback. Phrabbit pauses the video when the app goes into the background, remembers the position, and restores it when you return.

Q. A YouTube video will not play inside the app.

A. Some video owners do not allow playback outside YouTube, so those videos cannot play in the embedded player. In that case, they cannot be used in Phrabbit.

Q. Is my data sent over the internet?

A. Wordbook entries, bookmarks, subtitles, and recordings are stored on your device. STT uses on-device models when possible. Depending on language, iOS version, and model installation state, Apple’s speech recognition service or model downloads may be required. Download over Wi-Fi only also applies to model downloads and some network-based recovery. YouTube videos play through the YouTube embedded player.

Q. Is Apple Intelligence explanation always accurate?

A. No. It is a beta feature and can be wrong. Before saving to Wordbook, check the meaning, examples, and explanation yourself and edit anything necessary.

Q. I do not see AI Explanation.

A. This feature requires iOS 26 or later, a device that supports Apple Intelligence, Apple Intelligence enabled and ready, and supported study and device languages. If the study language cannot be determined, or if the language is not supported by the model, the section may not appear. When the languages are the same, iOS translation may also be unable to create a separate translation, so type it manually if needed.

Q. Where are saved recordings?

A. Saved recordings for audio files appear under My Recordings in the bookmark list. Saved recordings for videos and YouTube streams appear under My Recordings in the player screen. If you delete the original item, linked recordings are deleted too. Deleting a video item does not delete the original video file.

Q. Will my study data move to a new device?

A. Study data is currently stored on the device by default. Restore Purchase with the same Apple ID restores Premium, but Wordbook entries, bookmarks, subtitles, and recordings do not automatically move to another device.

Questions or problems? Email phrabbit.support@gmail.com. If the app showed you an error code, please include it — it tells us exactly where the problem happened.