Jimakun
Family conversations, made visible.
Simple live captions for everyday conversations with family members who are hard of hearing. No ads, no account, just large readable text.
Available on the App Store
What it actually looks like
Large text that's easy to see
Conversations become captions filling the screen in large text. Easy to read from a short distance away, even with the TV on in the background.
What it does
Open the app, and your family's voice becomes text
Just open the app and allow microphone access, and the conversation in front of you becomes large, easy-to-read captions on screen. No complicated setup, no preparation needed.
- Allow microphone access on launch, and captions appear right away
- Large, screen-filling text is easy to read even from a short distance away
- When the conversation is over, just close the app — no special steps to end it
More about what it does
Thoughtful down to the details
Make it easy to read, your way
Choose the text size, background, and font. Text color adjusts automatically for readability.
Choose from up to 22 recognition languages
Japanese by default, or choose from up to 22 languages (varies by device).
Translation captions
Translates what's said into your chosen language, shown as captions.
The app's own interface supports 20 languages
It can follow your device language automatically, or you can choose a display language in Settings.
Register words you want recognized
Add names, places, and other words you want Jimakun to catch.
Just open it, just close it
Starts automatically when you open the app, stops when you close it.
Open it from the Lock Screen
Add a button to your Lock Screen for one-tap access.
Pricing
Try everything free for 7 days, then pay once
All features are free for the first 7 days after download. If you want to keep using Jimakun after that, one in-app purchase unlocks it permanently. There is no monthly or annual subscription, and no advertising.
The purchase price varies by App Store country or region. Before you buy, the app shows the exact price in your storefront's local currency. If you change devices or reinstall the app, you can restore the purchase with the same Apple Account.
Made for family life
Useful in moments like these
At the hospital
Share appointment times or what to bring, right there in large captions.
At medicine time
Explain when and how to take medicine — not just out loud, but in text too.
At the dinner table
Make it easier to stay part of the conversation during family meals.
When the TV is on
When TV noise makes speech hard to follow, captions help fill in the gaps.
Before heading out
Handy for a quick reminder before leaving, or when someone's at the door.
Simple by design
No ads, no account, designed with peace of mind
No account is required, and there are no ads. Conversations and captions are not saved inside the app and are discarded when you close it. See the Privacy Policy for details.
Jimakun is not a multi-purpose tool for recording meetings or generating transcripts. The goal isn't to keep a record — it's to make the conversation in front of you easier to follow, right now.
A note to families
Consider setting it up for someone you love
More often than not, it's not the person who's hard of hearing who finds and sets up Jimakun — it's a family member nearby who cares for them. They want to really talk face to face again, without the TV or the distance getting in the way. That's the feeling we built this for. Consider setting it up on the iPhone or iPad your mom, dad, or grandparents use.
Before you use it
A few things to know
Jimakun is not a hearing aid or medical device, and it does not improve hearing. Caption accuracy can vary depending on background noise, distance from the speaker, speech clarity, device microphone quality, and language settings. See the Terms of Service for details.
Questions, answered
Frequently asked questions
Is there an app that shows conversations as captions for someone hard of hearing?
Yes — that's exactly what Jimakun does. It listens through the microphone and turns a nearby conversation into large, real-time captions on screen. It's built for everyday family conversations, not for meeting transcription.
What devices does it work on?
Jimakun works on iPhone (iOS 18 or later) and iPad (iPadOS 18 or later).
How much does it cost?
All features are free for 7 days after download. After that, a single in-app purchase unlocks Jimakun permanently. There is no monthly or annual subscription and no advertising. The price varies by App Store country or region, and the app shows the exact amount in your storefront's local currency before you buy.
Where can I download it?
Jimakun is available on the App Store. Use the Download on the App Store button on this site.
Do I need to pay again after changing devices or reinstalling the app?
No. If you use the same Apple Account, choose Restore Purchase in Settings to restore your one-time purchase.
Are conversations saved anywhere?
No. Conversations aren't saved, and no account is required.
What languages are supported?
You can choose from up to 22 languages for speech recognition, including Japanese (the default) — which languages are actually available depends on your device. Japanese recognition is tuned for standard pronunciation and intonation, so strong regional dialects that differ a lot from standard Japanese may not always be captioned accurately. The app's own interface is independent of the recognition language and supports 20 languages including Japanese. It can follow your device language automatically, or you can choose a display language in Settings.
Does it have translation captions?
Yes — turn on "Show translated captions" in Settings and after each finished sentence, Jimakun translates it into your chosen language, shown as a large caption. The first time you use a language, Apple's confirmation screen may ask you to download the required language data. Translation is processed on the device and nothing is sent to our servers. Translation can be wrong sometimes, and some language combinations may not be supported on a given device, so please double-check anything important directly with each other.