HandyRecorder Reviews

Terrible app, I know my microphone works fine because I record on garage band on my phone with it and it sounds clear. HandyRecorder is the problem, I would not be able to record using HandyRecorder and have any usable recordings with the awful noise i get with it. Zoom’s website says they are aware of the issue and are working on fixing ir but this is since November of 2019. Still waiting....

Five+ years of 1- and 2-star reviews that are still going strong to this day. Another example of a big corporation who doesn’t care about their customers as long as the physical product sells. (The mic itself is great, so it does sell.)

HandyRecorder is terrible. You can’t name files. You can’t edit them. The upside down interface for recording is useless because they never bothered to update it for the iPhones’ notch and pill designs. (You also have to dive to the bottom of the settings to find it.) You can’t stop and start recording on a single recording.

There are way too many unnecessary tabs and weird places to access important things, like getting back to the main recording screen from a tiny “home” icon way in the corner furthest from your thumb.

Unless you truly need WAV files (which I don’t want taking up my iPhone storage anyway), just use Voice Memos, which captures the high quality stereo audio perfectly in a thousand times better interface, with way more functionality.

I'm sorry to say that I've had a very hard time with HandyRecorder. The iq7 makes a lot of buzz noises, I'm not sure if it's because of the phone or what is causing it but the more I use it, the worse it gets.

HandyRecorder makes it hard to share and backup files. Could never figure out how to register my email with it so I can email myself the files.

Also, listening to it playback in the car, as soon as the voice memo was done the player automatically went into monitor mode. The feedback was so loud and sudden that I almost crashed. I hope that a future version resolves these problems, but voice memos on the iPhone is a way better app than this thing. Don't waste your time with it

Difficult to believe that this is the best Zoom could do with creating a recording app, or that they put much effort into it at all. I’ve encountered so much frustration with HandyRecorder that dissuaded me from continuing with recordings. File management is terrible, Soundcloud upload continuously fails, cannot send decent-length recordings over email, and the list continues. It would be awesome if HandyRecorder captured date & time with the recording, and ideally GPS location for field recordings. Also would just love to be able to rename my recording. These features are not beyond the capacity of Zoom. I hope they do better in the future

NO FEEDBACK FROM ZOOM WHATSOEVER - 1/4/19 Post below was made weeks ago.
Was working perfectly. Part time audio engineer with lots of zoom products. After last iOS update though there is no input recognition. Will not pick up any sound at all. Adjusted gain, nothing. Uninstalled reinstalled and still nothing. I checked my phone's settings (Xr) and there is no microphone permission! Zoom, Apple just made you look bad. Now instead of going to my trusted zoom product I have to find another app that works.

I used HandyRecorder along with the mic to record a rehearsal and zoom doesn’t tell you that despite allowing you to record in .WAV format, the export limit is 25MB per file, making the quality recordings stuck in your phone. I spent 3+ hours re-recording them into another older digital recorder and that was a waste of time bc the Zoom app loops playback so it recorded the same hour long rehearsal 2.5 times.

Use the mic with a different app. Mic is great and works with your iPhones camera and audio recorders. You don’t need HandyRecorder it’s trash.

HandyRecorder is literally just a play/ploy to get you to buy their hardware. You can’t use it without sending your recordings to the cloud (email, iCloud, or SoundCloud) and the Pro version doesn’t let you find the recordings made within this version.

If your intention is to publish whatever you record without any editing whatsoever, this is your app. If you prefer to process (or even normalize and crop) before publication, this is something to be avoided.

Using the IQ7 in mid-side mode requires you to use HandyRecorder, which would be fine if HandyRecorder had any decent sharing options. The only way to get audio out of HandyRecorder and into your desktop or another iOS app is via soundcloud or email. Apparently they’ve never heard of Dropbox, airdrop, AudioCopy, audioshare, or Audiobus.

If they would add basic sharing features I’d find it far more useful. I just want the raw m-s recording to process later, but that’s not really possible with this.

I understand the lightning is an outdated format. But like many here I used to use my zoom microphone for recording video and audio and I'm sad to find out it's no longer working on iOS17 with lightning enabled devices. Used to be my favorite recorder now no longer functions. Please bring back compatibility!

HandyRecorder is clunky, awkward, and worst of all, there’s no option to upload files to Dropbox or share via Airdrop. That would make a huge difference. I can get over the clunky app, been working with Zoom products since the original H4, and love their recording quality. I want to continue to support.

The fact that you can’t name your files in the Zoom app is puzzling and the main reason not to use HandyRecorder. Trimming tracks is also difficult. The fact you can only do certain functions in horizontal mode is a bummer. Zoom, please rework and update to make this thing more useful to musicians.

Despite plugging in a stereo mic that other iOS apps (eg Voice Record Pro) allow me to record properly in stereo, the auto detection feature of HandyRecorder only allows mono and there is option to change it. Developer: if you respond I will gladly upgrade my review. Your “Support” link doesn’t provide support info. I’ll just use another app for now. Good luck.

Could be an excellent utility. From my perspective it comes up short into areas. Sharing and editing both need tweaks.
Under sharing it provides two options that are less than helpful. I would like to see “copy“ and or “AirDrop“. In editing, It seems to be lacking the ability to cut out/remove and unwanted sound in the middle.
I do like that you can continue recording and there’s more to like about it. But in my workflow it needs to have those two features updated.

I LOVE HandyRecorder. I have been using it with my iQ7 mic for years and have enjoyed every minute of it... until I updated to iOS 12. Now my old files will play, but the record function doesn’t seem to be working anymore (with or without the external microphone). Please advise so I can get back to the awesome that was this functional app!

And I bet the clicking others are hearing in their recordings are the result of "clipping" or recording level being set to hi... Another said they had "play with it to get the levels right... I'm really looking forward to getting back into the game of recording the live music, with permission of course / my own listening pleasure. Tape many a show with Sony d5 (later Addison Sony d7 amd Casio) and the tried and tru Nak 300s as well as some stealth... Things seem to be much smaller now a days... Went to see Ziggy other night so funny how everyone try's to record video on phones, yes some does come out well, however most I witnessed could stay still or could stay quiet. Anyway, looking forward to
Laying with HandyRecorder will post another review when finished. Any others who have suggestions for latest equip/software/apps, please reach me at barneymiller139(at)gmail dot com

I have been using HandyRecorder called “fire” for a long time now it is since been discontinued and I can’t find an equivalent for newer devices. Thought this might do looks nice and I’ve had it for a little while now. I tried to use it in a pinch and found out it doesn’t see any input Although unlike HandyRecorder for the F8n you can actually open it and demo HandyRecorder sort of.
Wait never mind I tried it on my iPad and it worked I don’t get it is it just not like my iPhone or like me I’m confused it will use the device is microphone on the iPad but I don’t know what’s up on the iPhone.

I bought the iQ6 about a year ago and use it mainly for field recording of ambient sounds. I have used it to record my acoustic guitar ideas so I don’t forget them and it does not disappoint. I would like to find a way to rename the files from within HandyRecorder - and find a way for Bluetooth output support. I like recording while being able to monitor- but I would like to be able to share the mix immediately by connecting to my Bluetooth speakers or Bluetooth hub that is connected to my Eris 4.5’s

This is technically for the IQ series zoom series of Zoom microphones.
I hope this helps you on HandyRecorder. It’s still a good app overall though.

For what it is, it’s great.

Negative reviews are probably user error.

Using the higher end external mic attachment requires a bit of research on decoding your signal to get out of it what was intended but that’s exactly how it’s supposed to work even in a studio so...

This is the second TV Pilot I’ve edited where all the voice over is done using an iPhone with HandyRecorder. I send the script, the talent go somewhere quiet and read, I have them in the timeline in seconds. We bought the Zoom external mic but you don’t need it. Great app.