Automatically transcribe recordings in a folder on Android (2026)

Quick answer

Murlivo 1.3.0 has a watched folder. You pick one folder on your Android phone, for example the folder where another recorder app saves its files. Every new audio or video file that appears there is transcribed on the phone, offline after a one-time speech model download, and becomes a Markdown note in your notes folder, such as an Obsidian vault. You tap nothing per file. Murlivo does not record calls: it transcribes the files that appear in the folder, whatever app made them.

Checked 9 November 2026 by the Murlivo team.

Many phones already have an app that saves recordings into a folder: a voice recorder, a meeting app, a messaging app, or a recorder that saves call recordings. Turning each file into a note by hand is slow. The watched folder does it for you. This page explains how it works, step by step, and what it cannot do.

What the watched folder does

It watches one folder that you choose. It also looks in the folders inside it, up to two levels down.
It takes new audio and video files, such as mp3, m4a, ogg, opus, wav, flac, amr and mp4.
It copies each file onto the phone, transcribes it there, and writes a Markdown note into your notes folder. The audio is copied there too.
Your original file is not changed.

Set it up in 6 steps

Install Murlivo and choose your notes folder, for example the folder of your Obsidian vault.
Open Settings and tap “Watched folder”. You can also start from the import screen, where it is called “Watch a folder”.
Pick the folder with Android's folder picker. Murlivo asks “Start watching” that folder and counts the audio and video files in it.
Choose “Only new files from now on” or “Also import existing files”. The second choice needs free space and, the app warns, can take days and use a lot of battery.
Read the notice and tap “Start watching”.
Done. From now on, new files in that folder become notes. The Settings row shows “Watching” and the folder name, and when the folder was last checked.

Which files count as new?

Files already in the folder. They are imported only if you choose “Also import existing files”. Otherwise they are left alone for good, unless they change. A left-alone file that you rename or move stays left alone.
Changed files. A file whose size or date changes counts as new again.
Files still being written. Murlivo waits until a file shows the same size and date on two checks at least 30 seconds apart, and is at least a minute old. A recording that is still running is not cut off.
Hidden files. A file whose name starts with a dot is ignored. Apps often use such names for temporary files.
Big files. A file over 500 MB waits for your OK. Its card says it needs your OK and shows “Import” and “Skip”.
Duplicates. Murlivo looks at what is inside a file, not at its name. If the same content is already in your inbox, or you deleted it there, it is not imported again.

How often does it check?

Murlivo checks the folder when you open the app, about every 15 minutes in the background (the shortest time Android allows for this), shortly after it sees a file that is still being written, and each time its work queue becomes empty. Except for the check at app open, a check waits while the battery is low. So a new file can wait for the next check, and Android decides the exact time. Then the transcription itself takes time, more for a long recording.

Recording comes first. A recording you make in Murlivo always goes first, files you import by hand come next, and folder files come last. Folder files wait while you record.

What you see while it works

Each file gets a card in your inbox. If you chose to import existing files, Settings shows “Importing existing files” with a count.
When all files are done, one summary notification says, for example, “3 files transcribed”, then “1 skipped, 1 needs your OK”. It has counts only, never a file name or any text from a file. The setting “Notify when finished” turns it off.
“Skipped files” lists the files Murlivo could not import. Tap it to see which files and why. Each file there can be imported again.

Limits to know

It is not a call recorder. Murlivo does not record calls. Android limits call recording, and what your phone saves depends on the phone and the apps on it. If a recording file lands in the folder, Murlivo can transcribe it.
Private audio gets imported too. Every new file in the folder becomes a note, private recordings such as calls included. The audio is also copied to your notes folder. If that folder syncs to a cloud service, these files go with it. Murlivo says this before you start.
One folder. You watch one folder at a time. It cannot be your notes folder or sit inside it, because Murlivo would import its own files. It then says “Pick another folder”.
Access can be lost. Android gives Murlivo access to the folder you picked. If you remove it or the folder is gone, Settings says “Murlivo can't read this folder” and the inbox shows a banner with a way to reconnect. Murlivo counts the folder as lost only when it sees a clear sign, or when it gets no answer on two checks in a row.
A full phone pauses it. If the phone is short on space, the folder pauses and the file waits. It is not skipped for that.
Battery. Battery optimization can stop long files while Murlivo is closed. The setting “Finish long files in the background” takes you to turn it off for Murlivo.
Stopping. “Stop watching” keeps your notes and recordings. The file in progress finishes. Files still waiting are not imported.

Other ways to get files in

For a few files you do not need a folder. In 1.3.0 you can also share a file to Murlivo from any app, or tap “Import a file” at the top of your inbox. If you compare tools, check two things: whether the transcription runs on the phone or uploads your audio, and whether the tool needs you to start each file. Our guide to voice notes in Obsidian compares seven ways, and the offline transcription guide lists Android apps that work without internet.

Questions

Can Murlivo transcribe my call recordings automatically?

Murlivo does not record calls. If your phone or another app saves call recordings in a folder, you can watch that folder and Murlivo transcribes the new files. Android limits call recording, so what is saved depends on your phone and the app.

Does the watched folder work offline?

Yes, after a one-time download of the speech model. Files are transcribed on the phone, so no internet is needed.

Does Murlivo change or delete my original files?

No. Murlivo copies a file and leaves the original as it is.

Will it import the files that are already in the folder?

Only if you choose “Also import existing files” when you start. Otherwise only new files from that moment are imported.

How soon does a note appear after a new recording?

Murlivo checks the folder about every 15 minutes, and when you open the app, so a new file can wait for the next check. Then the phone transcribes it, which takes longer for a long recording.

Can the notes go to an Obsidian vault?

Yes. Murlivo writes Markdown notes into the notes folder you choose, and Obsidian reads them like any other note. The vault must be in device storage.

References

Murlivo product facts, 9 November 2026.
Murlivo privacy policy, 9 November 2026.
Murlivo changelog, 9 November 2026.