Stroke Survivors Review Recallify as a Brain Injury Memory App on "What Memory...?" Podcast
Josh Reed and Stephen Masters are both stroke survivors and the hosts of What memory…?, a podcast dedicated to the daily realities of living with a brain injury. Over 93 episodes, they have built a community covering everything from neuroscience to the practical challenges of recovery.
In Episode 92, they dedicated an entire episode to Recallify as a brain injury memory app. Without any input or prompting from our team, they walked through how it works, described how stroke survivors in their community are using it daily, and compared it to having a personal Alexa that actually understands what you need.
Stephen's experience with the NIHR study
Stephen recently enrolled in our NIHR funded feasibility study, run by Dr Sarah Rudebeck and Professor Andrew Bateman at the University of Essex. He was placed in the app group (rather than the control group, known as “treatment as usual”) and has been using Recallify as part of the eight week trial.
On the podcast, he shared his early impressions. A few things stood out to him:
- Voice recording with AI summaries. Stephen described recording a voice note and having Recallify generate a text summary of what he said. For someone who can talk at length about a topic and lose track of the key details, this was immediately useful. As he put it, you can be rambling about a dentist appointment and the app pulls out the date, time, and what you need to do.
- Everything in one place. Before Recallify, Stephen used a calendar in one app, notes in another, and reminders elsewhere. Keeping track of all of those was a challenge in itself. With Recallify, tasks, recordings, reminders, and summaries sit on a single homepage.
- Search that works. Stephen highlighted the search feature, which lets you type a word and instantly find every recording or note where you used it. No scrolling through layers of menus.
- Simpler than juggling multiple apps. Both Josh and Stephen reflected on how long it took them to learn the different apps on their phones after their strokes. A single, straightforward interface removes a significant barrier.
"Outsourcing the brain"
One of the most interesting moments came when Josh connected Recallify to a theme from an earlier episode about outsourcing the brain. He described Recallify as an organisational tool that works in the background, so you do not have to hold everything in your head. You just speak, and the app takes care of where it goes.
Stephen also compared it to using Alexa at home, but with a key difference: Recallify is on your phone, so it goes with you. If a reminder goes off while you are out walking the dog, you actually see it.
What a brain injury memory app needs to get right
The conversation also touched on what a brain injury memory app actually needs to do well: simplicity and accessibility. Stephen, who relied heavily on text to speech software after his stroke due to vision difficulties, felt that Recallify’s voice first design would have made it usable even earlier in his recovery. The simple interface and the fact that you can record rather than type makes a real difference for someone navigating cognitive fatigue.
Listen to the episode
This is Part 1. Part 2 is on the way.
You can listen to Episode 92 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Podbean.
Hearing people describe in their own words how Recallify is helping them day to day is the best feedback we could ask for. Thank you, Josh and Stephen.
If you would like to try Recallify yourself, you can get started here.
iOS App
Get Recallify from App Store today.
Android App
Get Recallify from Google Play today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Recallify?
Recallify is a brain injury memory app designed by clinical neuropsychologists. It combines voice recording, AI generated summaries, task reminders, and a searchable timeline in a single interface. It is also used by people with ADHD and other cognitive challenges.
Is Recallify part of a research study?
Yes. Recallify is currently being evaluated in an NIHR funded feasibility study in collaboration with the University of Essex. The study compares outcomes for people using the app against a control group over an eight week period.
Can I use Recallify if I have difficulty reading or typing?
Yes. Recallify is built around voice input, so you can record notes and reminders by speaking rather than typing. The app then generates a text summary using AI, which can also be read back using your phone’s built in text to speech features.
Is Recallify a medical device?
No. Recallify is an everyday support tool designed to reduce cognitive load and help with organisation. It does not provide diagnosis or clinical decision support, and is intended to complement, not replace, professional medical care.