HearthtoldFamily Story Book for iPhone · coming soon to the App Store
How Hearthtold compares
What sets it apartTap any sentence in a Hearthtold chapter and hear them say it. On 25 October 2026, Tellbook, Storyworth and Remento listed no way to hear a single sentence.
Hearthtold makes chapters from a parent’s or grandparent’s own recorded sentences, and plays their voice for any sentence you tap. You record while you sit together, and it transcribes on your iPhone. Hearthtold Plus, £2.99 a month or £19.99 a year, makes chapters from every conversation and the book.
Why choose Hearthtold
- Every chapter is made only of their own recorded sentences, each a tap from their voice.
- Never rewritten: ums and repeated words come out, and nothing is added.
- Recording and transcribing are free with no limit, and so are the chapters from your first conversation (one recording; pausing for a cup of tea doesn’t end it).
Side by side
Facts from each app’s App Store page and its developer’s website, checked on the date at the foot of this page, with UK prices. “Not listed” means we couldn’t find it there.
| Feature | Hearthtold | Tellbook | Storyworth | Remento |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay | Free to record and transcribe; Hearthtold Plus, for chapters from every conversation and the book, £2.99 a month or £19.99 a year | Free for three chapters, then £24.99 once | £49, £89 or £159, each with a printed book; the £159 plan renews at £90 a year | £75, £120 or £140 for a year, with printed books |
| Hear them say any sentence you tap | Yes, every sentence | A Listen button for each chapter | A player for each story online | A QR code for each chapter |
| Record and transcribe with no limit, free | Yes | Three chapters free | No free plan | No free plan |
| Recorded with you, transcribed on your iPhone | Yes, as you talk (after a one-off download from Apple for their language, best on Wi-Fi) | Yes | No: by email, online or phone call | No: recorded on Remento’s website |
| Where your files are | Audio and text files you can open without the app, on your iPhone and in iCloud Drive | Your own private iCloud database | Storyworth’s servers | Google-hosted servers |
| A printed hardback posted to you | No: you print the PDF where you like | Not listed: it makes a PDF to print | Yes, one or two included; UK postage extra | Yes, one or two included; UK postage extra |
| The storyteller can answer on their own | No: you record together | No: you sit with them, or call them on speaker | Yes: by email, online or phone | Yes: from an email or text link |
| Family can join in | No: one iPhone | Not listed | Yes: a sharing list | Yes: unlimited collaborators |
On the UK App Store: Tellbook. Storyworth and Remento aren’t on the UK App Store: they work through their websites. Hearthtold is coming soon to the App Store.
What you pay. Recording, transcribing and your first conversation’s chapters are free. Hearthtold Plus adds chapters from every conversation, follow-up questions suggested on your screen while you talk, and the book’s PDF; if Plus ends, the book of chapters already made still exports. Tellbook is £24.99 once. Storyworth and Remento include printed books.
Another app may suit you better if
- You’d rather pay once: Tellbook is £24.99, after three free chapters, and works with Family Sharing.
- You want a printed hardback posted to you: Storyworth and Remento include one or two.
- The storyteller lives far away: Storyworth and Remento send them questions to answer on their own, and Tellbook can record a call on speaker.
What people ask for, and what Hearthtold does
Their words, not a rewrite
Some story services rewrite recordings into a polished story, and families ask for their parent’s actual words. Hearthtold only tidies away ums and repeats.
Knowing the recordings are safe
People worry about losing recordings, or access when a subscription ends. Hearthtold keeps files on your iPhone and in your own iCloud Drive, and deletes nothing if Plus ends.
Questions
Which app lets you hear them say each sentence of their story?
Hearthtold. Every chapter is made of the storyteller’s own recorded sentences, and tapping any sentence plays their voice saying it. In their own descriptions, Tellbook has a Listen button for each chapter, and Remento a QR code for each chapter.
How much is Hearthtold?
Recording and transcribing are free, and so are your first conversation’s chapters. Hearthtold Plus is £2.99 a month or £19.99 a year, for chapters from every conversation, follow-up questions and the book’s PDF.
Does Hearthtold print the book?
No. It makes a PDF of the pages, 6 × 9 in or 8 × 10 in, for any print shop or online printer. Storyworth and Remento print and post hardbacks themselves.
Which iPhone do I need?
Any iPhone with iOS 26 records and transcribes. To have chapters made for you, you need an iPhone 15 Pro or later with Apple Intelligence switched on: your first conversation’s chapters are free, and Plus does the rest. On an iPhone that can’t run Apple Intelligence, Hearthtold sells nothing: you split chapters by hand and make the book free.
Checked 25 October 2026. Other apps change; if something here is out of date, tell us. Back to Hearthtold, or see its support page.