BeamScribe/README.md

BeamScribe 🎤📡

BeamScribe is an accessibility-focused iOS application designed to facilitate immediate, real-time communication between hearing speakers and Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals.

It functions as a live transcription broadcast system, allowing a host to transcribe speech via their iPhone and broadcast the text in real-time to up to 7 connected guest devices nearby.

🌟 Key Features

📡 Live Broadcasting (Multipeer Connectivity)

• Host Mode: A hearing person hosts a session. Their speech is converted to text instantly.
• Guest Mode: Up to 7 Deaf or Hard of Hearing participants can join the host's session wirelessly.
• Real-Time Sync: Guests see the transcription appear on their iPhones in real-time as the host speaks.
• No Internet Required for Connection: Uses Apple's Multipeer Connectivity framework (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth peer-to-peer) to link devices, meaning guests don't need a data plan or active Wi-Fi connection to the internet to receive text (though the Host needs a connection for high-accuracy online transcription).
• Late Joiner Support: Guests who join a session late automatically receive the full transcript history so they don't miss context.

📝 Transcription Engine

• High-Accuracy Speech-to-Text: Powered by Apple's SFSpeechRecognizer.
• Offline Support: capable of falling back to on-device speech recognition if the internet is unavailable.
• Smart Formatting: Auto-punctuation and intelligent paragraph handling.
• Silent Reset Detection: Automatically handles internal speech engine timeouts to ensure continuous, uninterrupted recording.

🎧 Audio & Hardware Support

• Bluetooth Microphone Support: Detects external Bluetooth microphones (like lapel mics or headsets) and prompts the user to switch inputs for better audio clarity in noisy environments.
• Background Audio: Continues transcribing even if the screen is locked or the app is backgrounded.
• Battery Monitoring: Alerts guests if the Host's battery is critically low.

🎨 Accessibility & Customization

• High Contrast Themes: Includes Light, Dark, and High-Contrast (Lightbulb) themes.
• Typography Control: Users can adjust font size (up to 48pt) and choose specific fonts (Rounded, Serif, Monospaced, Marker Felt) for better readability.
• Keep Awake: Option to prevent the screen from dimming during long sessions.

📂 File Management & Export

• Solo Mode: Use the app for personal note-taking without broadcasting.
• Auto-Save: Transcripts are automatically saved to the device.
• History Browser: View, manage, and delete past sessions.
• PDF Export: Generate clean, formatted PDFs of transcripts to share via email or other apps.

📱 How to Use

For the Host (Speaker)

1. Open BeamScribe and select "Host Session".
2. Enter a name for the event (e.g., "Biology Lecture" or "Family Dinner").
3. Tap Start Transcribing.
4. If a Bluetooth mic is connected, confirm the prompt to use it for better quality.
5. Wait for guests to join. You will see a counter of connected listeners.

For the Guest (Listener)

1. Open BeamScribe and select "Join Session".
2. The app will browse for nearby hosts.
3. Tap the desired session name (e.g., "Biology Lecture").
4. Once connected, the text will appear on your screen automatically.
5. You can customize the font size and theme in Settings (Gear icon) for easier reading.