Microphones

Yuho records through whatever microphone iOS is currently routing audio to. Pick one from the device picker on the record screen — you can also switch mid-session and Yuho will follow along.

Recommended: an external wireless mic

For more consistent recording, an external wireless lavalier is the upgrade that helps the most. All three below connect directly to iPhone over Bluetooth — no receiver needed:

• DJI Mic Mini — the lowest-priced of the three. Transmitter clips to your collar and pairs with iPhone over Bluetooth at 16-bit. If you later want to use it with a camera or get higher quality, the Lightning / USB-C receiver (sold separately) brings it up to 24-bit.
• Rode Wireless Micro — designed specifically for phones. Connects to iPhone via the RØDE Capture app, no receiver required. Built-in GainAssist auto-leveling means almost no setup.
• Insta360 Mic Pro — also pairs with iPhone over Bluetooth at 16 kHz. The optional receiver takes it to studio-grade 48 kHz. An E-Ink display on the transmitter gives finer control for setups that need it.

All three sound noticeably cleaner than AirPods or the iPhone's built-in mic — especially outdoors, in wind, or at any distance from the speaker.

Second choice: AirPods (4 / Pro / Max)

Good for commutes, walks, anytime you don't want to pull the phone out of your pocket. Two limits worth knowing:

• Audio quality drops sharply while recording. Music playback uses Bluetooth AAC (~256 kbps stereo). The moment the microphone opens, Bluetooth has to switch to HFP/SCO — mono, 16 kHz, ~64 kbps. This is a limitation of the Bluetooth protocol itself; every app behaves the same way.
• No ambient sound. AirPods use beamforming + active noise cancellation to focus on your voice and suppress everything else. Great for calls and meetings, but not what you want when you're trying to capture street traffic, café hum, or any sense of place.
• AirPods 4 ANC and AirPods Pro 2 on recent iOS gained an H2-chip-powered Voice Isolation recording mode — clearer voice, but still focused on voice and still suppressing ambience.

Put simply: AirPods are good for recording "what you're saying to yourself," not for recording "where you are today."

Want the ambience? Use the built-in iPhone mic

The built-in microphone is genuinely good — especially for outdoor walks, cafés, subways. It doesn't beamform; it records what it hears, and the sense of space comes through more naturally than with AirPods.

A couple of tips: hold the phone 20–30 cm from your mouth, don't cover the microphone hole at the bottom. In windy conditions, an outer pocket or holding the phone sideways both help.

Other options

• Wired headsets / Lightning / USB-C headphones with a mic — reliable, low-latency. A bit better than the built-in mic and far more consistent than AirPods.
• Other Bluetooth headsets — supported, but subject to the same HFP limitation as AirPods.
• USB / Lightning audio interfaces (for XLR mics) — studio-grade quality, but needs a powered adapter and a desk setup.

Troubleshooting

• My mic isn't in the list. Tap the refresh icon at the top of the picker. If it still doesn't show up, check that it's paired in iOS Settings → Bluetooth (or plugged in) and that no other app is currently using it.
• Audio sounds muffled or quiet. Move the mic closer, or switch to a wired headset. Bluetooth headsets in HFP mode are inherently low fidelity.
• Recording fell back to the built-in mic. iOS drops Bluetooth devices when the battery is low or signal is weak. Yuho continues recording on the next available input automatically.

Something we missed? Let us know — we update this page as we learn what works.