Why is it called Hörsaal?
Hörsaal is the German word for a university lecture hall, literally “a hall for listening”. That’s what the app wants to be: podcasts are your lectures, you listen, ask questions and take something away. The logo shows the rising rows of a lecture hall, curving like sound waves around a point.
Where do the answers in Ask come from?
From the transcripts of the episodes you’ve heard. Hörsaal transcribes an episode on your iPhone (in the app under Listen → Info → Follow along) and searches it for the right passages. Every answer shows its source, and a tap jumps to that exact moment in the episode.
Why are answers sometimes brief?
Hörsaal uses Apple’s model right on your iPhone. It’s much smaller than ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude and can only read a few passages at a time. Transcripts may also contain mishearings. In return, everything stays on your device and costs nothing. It works best when you ask specifically and narrow the question to one podcast or episode.
Why does an answer take a moment?
The model runs on your iPhone, not on a server. An answer usually takes a few seconds, an overview of a whole episode (“What’s it about?”) a little longer.
Which iPhone do I need?
An iPhone with iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence, so iPhone 15 Pro or newer. Listening, Keep and statistics also work without Apple Intelligence; Ask, Quiz and Week need it.
Does my data leave my iPhone?
No. Transcripts, answers and quizzes are made on the device. There is no account. If you like, Hörsaal backs up subscriptions, progress and kept moments to your own iCloud account so they come back on a new iPhone.
Is Hörsaal available for Apple Watch and CarPlay?
Yes. On Apple Watch you download episodes to the watch and listen without your iPhone. In CarPlay you have the queue, speed, chapters and Keep.
How much does Hörsaal cost?
Hörsaal is free during the beta. When it launches on the App Store, we’ll introduce a fair model. You’ll hear what it costs and what you get beforehand, and beta testers hear first.
