Support & FAQ

It's how Herald knows a message has arrived, and what it says. Herald only looks at the apps you've turned on in Sources, and everything stays on your phone.

Android sometimes blocks this setting for newly installed apps. Open Android Settings, then Apps, then Herald, tap the three dots in the top corner and choose Allow restricted settings. Then go back and switch notification access on.

So you can answer by voice: “yes” to listen, “no” or “skip” to move on, and to dictate replies. Herald only listens for a few seconds after it asks you something. You can test it in Settings, under Test the microphone.

Some phones (Samsung, Xiaomi and others) pause apps to save battery. Set Herald's battery use to Unrestricted in Android Settings, then Apps, then Herald, then Battery. Roundup times can still drift by a few minutes, which is normal.

That's Live, on the Home screen. Off: Herald stays quiet, and you tap Listen on a notification when you want to hear it. Headphones: new messages are announced only when headphones or car audio are connected. Always: announced out loud anywhere.

Live: hear that app's messages as they arrive. Later: they wait quietly for your roundup. Off: Herald leaves that app alone. People you add to Always live get straight through whatever their app is set to.

No. Herald reads from the notification, so the chat is never opened and read receipts aren't sent. Only opening the app itself does that. If you'd like “no” to mark a chat as read, change When I say no in Settings.

Herald reads what Gmail or Outlook put in their notification, which is usually the subject and the first few lines. Reading full emails is coming in a future update.

Tap Reply on Herald's notification and type, or, after a message is read, say “yes” when Herald asks if you want to reply, then speak. Herald reads your reply back and sends it when you say “send”. Replies work with apps that support replying from a notification, like WhatsApp and Messages.

Gmail, Outlook, WhatsApp, Google and Samsung Messages, Messenger, Instagram direct messages, Telegram and Signal.

Yes, in Voice. Filter by voice and accent, tap play to hear each one, and set the speed. Herald voices are a more natural option you can download (about 126 MB) and are still being tuned.

No. Herald works entirely on your phone and never sends your messages to us. See the privacy policy for the details.

There's no account to delete. Herald keeps a small amount on your phone (recent notifications for 48 hours, who you heard from for 24 hours, and your settings). Uninstall Herald, or clear its storage in Android Settings, and it's all gone.