Sensory Scribe
Sensory Scribe is a new offline assistive note-taking tool for Windows 11 that provides real-time transcription for lectures and meetings.
Scribe: instant transcription tool
Sensory Scribe is a simple, secure transcription and assistive note-taking tool designed for live events like lectures, seminars, meetings, and tutorials. Built for Windows 11, it uses Microsoft’s Live Captions accessibility feature to provide instant, offline transcription — no internet connection required. Sensory Scribe is approved for funding under the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).
While most transcription tools rely on cloud-based services, Sensory Scribe runs entirely on your device. That means no waiting for uploads or risking sensitive data — just accurate, real-time captions and saved audio files you can review later.
For lectures, meetings and events
Built to support students and professionals alike, Sensory Scribe helps you focus on what’s being said. It records the audio of your session and displays on-screen captions plus the caption history as it happens. Later, you can revisit the original recording or scroll through the transcribed text to review key points, making it ideal for learning and reflection.
Assistive technology made simple
There’s no complex setup, no learning curve — just press record and Sensory Scribe does the rest. Designed with accessibility and ease of use at its core, it integrates with Windows 11’s built-in accessibility features, making it a reliable assistive note-taking tool that works seamlessly in educational settings. Perfect for DSA recommendations and secure, workplace use.
Secure, local storage – not cloud-based
Unlike many transcription tools, Sensory Scribe keeps everything on your device. It doesn’t upload any audio or transcription data to external servers, making it a secure option for students who value privacy and data control. Your audio recordings and transcriptions stay within your filing system, ensuring peace of mind — particularly in sensitive or confidential environments.
The value of instant, secure transcription
Improves note-taking
Enhances comprehension
Helps review content
Supports accessibility
Focus on the content, not the keyboard. Transcriptions let you stay present in lectures or meetings while capturing everything for later.
Reading along while listening strengthens understanding — especially useful for complex material or fast-paced speakers.
No more searching through audio. With full transcripts, you can quickly search, scan and revisit important moments.
Ideal for students with hearing loss or auditory processing difficulties. Visual transcription gives everyone equal access.
Boosts productivity
Reduces cognitive load
Works offline — securely
Built for Windows 11
Multitask with confidence. Let Scribe handle the notes while you focus on learning, contributing, or asking questions in real time.
Cut down on split attention. Scribe lets you absorb more without the pressure of writing everything down as it’s said.
Unlike cloud-based tools, Scribe keeps your data on your device. No internet needed, so your recordings stay private.
Leverages Microsoft’s advanced speech recognition via Live Captions. It’s fast, accurate, and ready when you are.
More than an academic dictation tool
Improves note-taking
Focus on the content, not the keyboard. Transcriptions let you stay present in lectures or meetings while capturing everything for later.
Enhances comprehension & retention
Reading along while listening strengthens understanding — especially useful for complex material or fast-paced speakers.
Makes reviewing content easier
No more searching through audio. With full transcripts, you can quickly search, scan and revisit important moments.
Supports accessibility
Ideal for students with hearing loss or auditory processing difficulties. Visual transcription gives everyone equal access.
Boosts productivity
Multitask with confidence. Let Scribe handle the notes while you focus on learning, contributing, or asking questions in real time.
Reduces cognitive load
Cut down on split attention. Scribe lets you absorb more without the pressure of writing everything down as it’s said.
Works offline — securely
Unlike cloud-based tools, Scribe keeps your data on your device. No internet needed, so your recordings stay private.
Built for Windows 11
Leverages Microsoft’s advanced speech recognition via Live Captions. It’s fast, accurate, and ready when you are.
Designed for diverse learning needs
Sensory Scribe is built to support a wide range of students and professionals. It can be especially helpful for those who benefit from reading alongside listening, including:
Deaf and hearing impairment
Captions are essential for making audio-visual content accessible to individuals who cannot hear or have difficulty hearing.
Specific Learning Disabilities
Captions may help individuals with learning disabilities who may struggle with retaining information.
Attention Deficit Disorders
Some individuals find it easier to focus and retain information when they can see the words, especially in noisy environments.
Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD)
Individuals with ANSD, who have difficulty discerning speech from background noise, may find captions helpful.
Encourages active listening and engagement
Sensory Scribe doesn’t just record, it helps users stay present and engaged. Instantly transcribing speech to on-screen text allows students and professionals to follow along visually in real time. This dual input of hearing and reading supports deeper processing and improves comprehension, especially in fast-paced or content-heavy environments.
Users can quickly flag or mark key moments as they happen, so reviewing and summarising later becomes far more efficient. This makes it easier to stay focused in the moment, without the pressure of writing everything down or worrying about missing key points. Whether it’s a complex seminar, an important work meeting, or a lecture, Scribe gives users the tools to be more confident, attentive and in control of their learning.
The Sensory Scribe App
Sensory Scribe for iOS and Mac is a free companion app to the Windows version, developed by assistive technology specialists at Sensory App House. It records audio and provides instant, offline transcription on your iPhone, iPad or Mac — no internet needed.
Add markers during recording to highlight key moments, then transfer files to your PC or save them locally or to iCloud. The transcribed notes are available instantly and can be summarised with common tools.
Scribe FAQs
What is Sensory Scribe?
Sensory Scribe is an assistive note-taking tool for Windows 11 that captures spoken content and provides instant, offline transcription using Microsoft’s Live Captions feature. It’s designed to support students in lectures, meetings, and seminars.
Is Scribe DSA Approved?
Yes, Sensory Scribe is DSA approved and built with the needs of disabled students in mind. It’s ideal for students who require support with notetaking, auditory processing, or working memory.
Is there an Assessor License for Sensory Scribe?
Yes, Sensory Scribe is DSA approved and we make licenses available for professionals working in the field of accessibility and study /workplace support. Please fill in our download request form and we can provide full licenses
Does Scribe need internet access?
No. Sensory Scribe can work offline. Transcription happens locally on your device, keeping all recordings and captions private and secure. This means that none of the information recorded or transcribed when using Sensory Scribe is shared outside of your network with external cloud servers. Sensory App House Ltd is not therefore a controller or processor of any such data and you are responsible yourself for complying with applicable legal requirements in relation to any personal data you collect or process when you are using the software.
Can I save my recordings and transcription?
Yes. Sensory Scribe saves the original audio file of each session, and the on-screen transcription allows for easy review during or after the session.
How is Scribe different to other note-taking apps?
Unlike most tools that rely on cloud processing, Sensory Scribe offers secure, offline transcription in real-time. This makes it faster, more private, and suitable for students who prefer or require non-cloud-based software. Scribe is also DSA Approved so assessors can confidently recommend it.
What devices does Scribe work on?
You’ll need a Windows 11 computer (Version 22H2 or newer) to run Sensory Scribe. It uses Microsoft’s built-in Live Captions feature, so no additional subscriptions or internet access are needed. Sensory Scribe is also available on the App Store.
Is Scribe suitable for use in the workplace?
Yes. Sensory Scribe is very helpful for employees or professionals who want to capture meetings, briefings, events or training sessions without relying on the cloud. Transcription happens locally on your device, keeping all recordings and captions private and secure. This means that none of the information recorded or transcribed when using Sensory Scribe is shared outside of your network with external cloud servers. Sensory App House Ltd is not therefore a controller or processor of any such data and you are responsible yourself for complying with applicable legal requirements in relation to any personal data you collect or process when you are using the software.
Specification
System Requirements – Sensory Scribe for Windows requires Windows 11 22/H2 operating system or later, which itself requires a typical PC specification as below.
- Processor:Â 64-bit processor with at least 1 GHz and two or more cores
- RAM: At least 8 GB
- Storage:Â At least 64 GB of available disk space
Sensory Scribe for iOS requires minimum iOS16.6 or above. The app is also verified for use on MacOS with M1 chip or above.
Pricing
Sensory Scribe for Windows license is available on a perpetual one off license fee of £195 + VAT per workplace user. Sensory Scribe has recently received Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) product approval, and education pricing is available on request. Network and site licenses pricing available.
Microsoft’s commitment to responsible AI
Live captions is built responsibly keeping your privacy in mind. It keeps the language files and data on the device, keeps the microphone off by default, and provides an optional profanity filter to mask profane speech elements. In addition to this, live captions with translation extends the capabilities of live captions to break language and accent barriers.
Live captions uses Azure AI Speech models, a compact version of the captions language files that are evaluated on the same fairness datasets as the cloud-based Speech to Text API. These models are embedded on the device to provide streamlined local captioning and translation with reasonable and acceptable accuracy in real-time.Â