Can Eclipse record audio with the screen off?

No. The recording is bounded by the app being open on screen. You can put a mask over it so the screen shows something unremarkable, but the app has to stay in the foreground — iOS does not grant third-party apps a background microphone mode of this kind.

How long can one recording run?

Until the auto-stop you set, the battery runs down, or you leave the app. The optional low-battery stop exists so a long session ends with a saved file rather than a phone that dies mid-write.

Where do audio recordings go?

Into the same private vault as photos and video, saved as .m4a. You can export them to the Files app or share them from the gallery.

Audio recording

When you need the conversation, not the picture.

Not every situation calls for video. Audio mode records sound alone — smaller files, far less battery, and nothing on screen to explain. It behaves like the rest of the app: the screen shows whatever mask you chose, and the recording is bounded by that screen being open.

Starting and stopping

Audio mode is built for situations where you cannot touch the phone once it has begun, so both ends can be automatic. Auto-start begins recording a set number of seconds after you enter the mode. Auto-stop ends it after a set number of minutes, whether or not you are there.

Auto-start after a configurable delay on entry
Hard auto-stop after a set number of minutes
Optional stop when the battery gets low, so a long session ends with a saved file rather than a dead phone
Any deliberate exit stops and saves rather than discarding

Quality and files

Three quality levels trade file size against fidelity. Recordings are saved as .m4a, which keeps them distinguishable from video by extension alone, and can be exported straight to the Files app.

Low, standard or high quality (AAC)
Saved as .m4a into the same private vault
Save to Files for export

What bounds a recording

There is no background audio mode. A recording lives as long as the screen is open — leave the app and it stops and saves. This is a deliberate limit rather than an oversight: an app that keeps recording after you think you have left it is a worse product, and iOS would not permit the camera equivalent anyway.

Specifics

Format: AAC in .m4a
Quality: Low · standard · high
Auto-start: Configurable delay on entry
Auto-stop: After N minutes, or off
Battery: Optional stop on low battery
Export: Save to Files, or share

Read from Models/AudioRecorderManager.swift and Constants/Constants.swift.

What it will not do

No background recording. Leaving the app stops the recording and saves it — there is no audio mode that survives the app being backgrounded.
A long recording is bounded by battery before it is bounded by storage, which is why the low-battery stop exists.
iOS shows a recording indicator while the microphone is live, and no app can suppress it.

Common questions

Can Eclipse record audio with the screen off?: No. The recording is bounded by the app being open on screen. You can put a mask over it so the screen shows something unremarkable, but the app has to stay in the foreground — iOS does not grant third-party apps a background microphone mode of this kind.
How long can one recording run?: Until the auto-stop you set, the battery runs down, or you leave the app. The optional low-battery stop exists so a long session ends with a saved file rather than a phone that dies mid-write.
Where do audio recordings go?: Into the same private vault as photos and video, saved as .m4a. You can export them to the Files app or share them from the gallery.

Try it yourself

Eclipse is free to download. The black screen mask, Face ID lock and slideshow stay free.

Download free on the App Store