User Manual
PDVOICE BUDDY
A light that stays on while your voice is carrying
For tablets and phones (Android) and for computers (Windows and Mac).
=============================================================================
WHAT IT DOES
=============================================================================
Parkinson's makes voices quieter without the person noticing. You feel like
you're speaking normally; the room hears a whisper.
PDVoice Buddy listens to the room and shows you one thing: a glowing dot.
Bright means your voice is carrying. Dim means it's fading, and it's time to
push a little.
That's the whole app. No exercises, no scores, nothing to read while you're
mid-sentence.
It works out how loud the room is and asks you to rise above it. That means it
adjusts itself — a quiet kitchen and a busy café both work, without you
changing anything.
Nothing is ever recorded. It measures how loud the room is, about twenty times
a second, keeps that one number, and throws the sound away. There is no
recording to find, because none is ever made.
The tablet version and the computer version are the same app, with the same
measurement and the same settings.
It works in English and Spanish. Normally it just matches your device, so
there is nothing to do — but if your device is set to English and you'd
rather read Spanish, you can change it in settings. See Part 4.
=============================================================================
PART 1 — GETTING IT ONTO A TABLET OR PHONE (ANDROID)
=============================================================================
PDVoice Buddy isn't in the Play Store yet, so Android will try to stop you
three times while installing. None of the warnings mean anything is wrong --
they appear for every app that doesn't come from the store.
1. Tap the download link. If your browser says the file can't be scanned
or may be harmful, choose "Download anyway".
2. Open the downloaded file — tap it in the notification, or find it in
Files > Downloads.
3. If Android says your browser isn't allowed to install apps, tap
"Settings" on that message, switch on "Allow from this source", then
press Back.
4. If you see a warning about an unsafe app or an unknown developer, tap
"More details" or "Install anyway", then Install.
5. Tap Open, and allow the microphone when asked.
If you get stuck:
No "Download anyway" option
Pull down the notification shade and tap the download, or open
Files > Downloads and tap the file there.
"App wasn't installed"
An older copy is already there. Uninstall PDVoice Buddy, then retry.
Can't find "Allow from this source"
Settings > Apps > Special app access > Install unknown apps > choose
your browser > switch it on.
Play Protect won't let me
Tap "More details" first — the Install anyway option is hidden until
you do.
=============================================================================
PART 2 — GETTING IT ONTO A COMPUTER (WINDOWS)
=============================================================================
There's no real installation — it's a single file.
1. Download PDVoice Buddy.exe and put it somewhere you'll find again.
Your Desktop is fine.
2. Double-click it.
3. Windows will probably show a blue box saying "Windows protected your
PC". This is expected — it only means the app doesn't come from a big
software company. Click "More info", then "Run anyway".
4. Allow the microphone when asked, or the light can't work.
A small pill appears in the corner of your screen. After a second or two it's
listening.
To make it easier next time: open the gear and turn on "Open at login". Then
it starts by itself and there's nothing to remember.
=============================================================================
PART 3 — USING IT (BOTH VERSIONS)
=============================================================================
THE FIRST FEW SECONDS
When it starts it says "Listening to the room" for a second or two. That's it
learning what your room sounds like with nobody talking.
If you move to a different room, or the room gets much noisier, pause and
unpause it so it relearns.
JUST TALK
Watch the dot out of the corner of your eye.
Bright and glowing ......... They can hear you. Keep going.
Dim and small .............. You're fading. Speak up.
Growing and shrinking ...... It follows every word, so you can see
yourself getting louder before you reach
the target.
Don't stare at it. The dot is meant for the corner of your eye, while your
attention stays on the person you're talking to.
THE BUTTONS
Pause (two bars) ..... Stops it listening. Press it for private calls, or
when you're watching television. Press again — it
becomes a triangle — to start listening again.
Gear ................. Settings.
✕ .................... Tablet: closes the app.
Computer: hides it, still listening. The icon stays
near the clock — click that to bring it back. To
stop it completely, use Quit in settings.
On the full-screen size you can also tap or click anywhere to open settings.
On a computer, Esc hides it.
=============================================================================
PART 4 — SETTINGS
=============================================================================
Six things, and you'll probably only ever change the first.
HOW LOUD YOU NEED TO BE
Five choices, from Gentle to Strong.
Pick one you can already manage. If the dot is dark most of the time, the
setting is too high — go down a step. You want a dot that's lit more often
than not.
If you're working with a speech therapist, ask them where to set it, and
raise it a step every week or two rather than all at once.
COLOUR
Mint, amber, sky or white. Whichever you notice most easily.
SIZE
Full screen — a large dot in the middle. Easiest to see across a room. On a
tablet this can also run as the screensaver, so a docked tablet becomes a
permanent desk light with nothing to launch.
Small pill — a narrow bar that floats on top of whatever else you're doing,
so you can use the device normally. Drag it wherever you like; it remembers.
It has its own pause, gear and ✕ buttons.
On a tablet, the first time you choose Small pill, Android will send you to a
settings screen to allow it. Allow it, then come back — the pill will be
running.
LANGUAGE
English or Spanish.
"Automatic" means it follows whatever your phone, tablet or computer is set
to. That's how it arrives, and for most people it's already correct.
Change it if the device is set to one language but you'd rather read the
other — which is common when somebody else set the device up for you. The
choices are shown in their own language, so "Español" reads as Español no
matter which language the app is currently in.
The change happens immediately. Nothing restarts, and nothing else is
affected.
OPEN AT LOGIN (computer only)
Starts it automatically when you turn the computer on. Recommended.
IN THE CAR (tablet and phone only)
A device cannot tell whether you're driving or in the passenger seat, so it
has to ask.
Not in a car ...... normal.
I'm a passenger ... the dot stays on. Nobody is steering.
I'm driving ....... the screen goes dark and you get a short buzz when
your voice drops. Nothing to look at.
IMPORTANT: this resets every time you open the app. If you're going to drive,
set it to "I'm driving" each time. A moving light in a driver's line of sight
is dangerous and against the law in many places.
=============================================================================
PART 5 — LEAVING IT RUNNING
=============================================================================
TABLET OR PHONE
While it's listening there's a notice in the top bar. That's Android's rule,
not a choice — any app using the microphone has to show one. Tap it to come
back to PDVoice Buddy.
To stop it completely: the ✕ on the pill, or close the app.
COMPUTER
It's meant to be left on. Hiding it with ✕ keeps it listening.
The icon near the clock — on Windows you may need to click the small arrow to
see hidden icons — shows it's running. Click it to show or hide, right-click
for Settings and Quit.
=============================================================================
PART 6 — IF SOMETHING'S WRONG
=============================================================================
The dot never lights up, even when I speak up
The setting is probably too high. Open settings and go down a step or
two — try Easy or Gentle.
The dot is always lit, even when I whisper
Something in the room is noisy — a television, a fan, a dishwasher, or
the fan inside the computer itself. Turn it off if you can, then pause
and unpause so it relearns the room.
It says "Listening to the room" and stays that way
Give it two seconds. If it doesn't change, pause and unpause.
It says "No microphone", or the dot doesn't react at all
Check the microphone is allowed:
Android: Settings > Apps > PDVoice Buddy > Permissions > Microphone
Windows: Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone > allow
desktop apps
Mac: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone
On a computer, if you have several microphones — a webcam, a headset, a
docking station — it may be listening through one facing away from you.
Change the default input device in your sound settings.
I chose Small pill on the tablet and nothing happened
Android needs permission for a floating pill. Tap Small pill again and
it'll take you to the right screen.
I can't find the pill
Tablet: open the app from its icon, switch to Full screen, then back to
Small pill.
Computer: look for the icon near the clock, behind the arrow for hidden
icons. Click it.
=============================================================================
ONE HONEST NOTE
=============================================================================
This is a homemade tool, not a medical device.
It's good at telling louder from quieter in one place. It is not a
measurement, and it should not be used to make any decision about treatment.
Use it as a reminder. Set the level with your speech-language pathologist
rather than guessing, especially if you're already doing speech therapy.
If the dot helps you stay audible, that's the whole point. If it turns into
one more thing nagging at you, close it and say so — it can be changed.
A light that stays on while your voice is carrying
For tablets and phones (Android) and for computers (Windows and Mac).
=============================================================================
WHAT IT DOES
=============================================================================
Parkinson's makes voices quieter without the person noticing. You feel like
you're speaking normally; the room hears a whisper.
PDVoice Buddy listens to the room and shows you one thing: a glowing dot.
Bright means your voice is carrying. Dim means it's fading, and it's time to
push a little.
That's the whole app. No exercises, no scores, nothing to read while you're
mid-sentence.
It works out how loud the room is and asks you to rise above it. That means it
adjusts itself — a quiet kitchen and a busy café both work, without you
changing anything.
Nothing is ever recorded. It measures how loud the room is, about twenty times
a second, keeps that one number, and throws the sound away. There is no
recording to find, because none is ever made.
The tablet version and the computer version are the same app, with the same
measurement and the same settings.
It works in English and Spanish. Normally it just matches your device, so
there is nothing to do — but if your device is set to English and you'd
rather read Spanish, you can change it in settings. See Part 4.
=============================================================================
PART 1 — GETTING IT ONTO A TABLET OR PHONE (ANDROID)
=============================================================================
PDVoice Buddy isn't in the Play Store yet, so Android will try to stop you
three times while installing. None of the warnings mean anything is wrong --
they appear for every app that doesn't come from the store.
1. Tap the download link. If your browser says the file can't be scanned
or may be harmful, choose "Download anyway".
2. Open the downloaded file — tap it in the notification, or find it in
Files > Downloads.
3. If Android says your browser isn't allowed to install apps, tap
"Settings" on that message, switch on "Allow from this source", then
press Back.
4. If you see a warning about an unsafe app or an unknown developer, tap
"More details" or "Install anyway", then Install.
5. Tap Open, and allow the microphone when asked.
If you get stuck:
No "Download anyway" option
Pull down the notification shade and tap the download, or open
Files > Downloads and tap the file there.
"App wasn't installed"
An older copy is already there. Uninstall PDVoice Buddy, then retry.
Can't find "Allow from this source"
Settings > Apps > Special app access > Install unknown apps > choose
your browser > switch it on.
Play Protect won't let me
Tap "More details" first — the Install anyway option is hidden until
you do.
=============================================================================
PART 2 — GETTING IT ONTO A COMPUTER (WINDOWS)
=============================================================================
There's no real installation — it's a single file.
1. Download PDVoice Buddy.exe and put it somewhere you'll find again.
Your Desktop is fine.
2. Double-click it.
3. Windows will probably show a blue box saying "Windows protected your
PC". This is expected — it only means the app doesn't come from a big
software company. Click "More info", then "Run anyway".
4. Allow the microphone when asked, or the light can't work.
A small pill appears in the corner of your screen. After a second or two it's
listening.
To make it easier next time: open the gear and turn on "Open at login". Then
it starts by itself and there's nothing to remember.
=============================================================================
PART 3 — USING IT (BOTH VERSIONS)
=============================================================================
THE FIRST FEW SECONDS
When it starts it says "Listening to the room" for a second or two. That's it
learning what your room sounds like with nobody talking.
If you move to a different room, or the room gets much noisier, pause and
unpause it so it relearns.
JUST TALK
Watch the dot out of the corner of your eye.
Bright and glowing ......... They can hear you. Keep going.
Dim and small .............. You're fading. Speak up.
Growing and shrinking ...... It follows every word, so you can see
yourself getting louder before you reach
the target.
Don't stare at it. The dot is meant for the corner of your eye, while your
attention stays on the person you're talking to.
THE BUTTONS
Pause (two bars) ..... Stops it listening. Press it for private calls, or
when you're watching television. Press again — it
becomes a triangle — to start listening again.
Gear ................. Settings.
✕ .................... Tablet: closes the app.
Computer: hides it, still listening. The icon stays
near the clock — click that to bring it back. To
stop it completely, use Quit in settings.
On the full-screen size you can also tap or click anywhere to open settings.
On a computer, Esc hides it.
=============================================================================
PART 4 — SETTINGS
=============================================================================
Six things, and you'll probably only ever change the first.
HOW LOUD YOU NEED TO BE
Five choices, from Gentle to Strong.
Pick one you can already manage. If the dot is dark most of the time, the
setting is too high — go down a step. You want a dot that's lit more often
than not.
If you're working with a speech therapist, ask them where to set it, and
raise it a step every week or two rather than all at once.
COLOUR
Mint, amber, sky or white. Whichever you notice most easily.
SIZE
Full screen — a large dot in the middle. Easiest to see across a room. On a
tablet this can also run as the screensaver, so a docked tablet becomes a
permanent desk light with nothing to launch.
Small pill — a narrow bar that floats on top of whatever else you're doing,
so you can use the device normally. Drag it wherever you like; it remembers.
It has its own pause, gear and ✕ buttons.
On a tablet, the first time you choose Small pill, Android will send you to a
settings screen to allow it. Allow it, then come back — the pill will be
running.
LANGUAGE
English or Spanish.
"Automatic" means it follows whatever your phone, tablet or computer is set
to. That's how it arrives, and for most people it's already correct.
Change it if the device is set to one language but you'd rather read the
other — which is common when somebody else set the device up for you. The
choices are shown in their own language, so "Español" reads as Español no
matter which language the app is currently in.
The change happens immediately. Nothing restarts, and nothing else is
affected.
OPEN AT LOGIN (computer only)
Starts it automatically when you turn the computer on. Recommended.
IN THE CAR (tablet and phone only)
A device cannot tell whether you're driving or in the passenger seat, so it
has to ask.
Not in a car ...... normal.
I'm a passenger ... the dot stays on. Nobody is steering.
I'm driving ....... the screen goes dark and you get a short buzz when
your voice drops. Nothing to look at.
IMPORTANT: this resets every time you open the app. If you're going to drive,
set it to "I'm driving" each time. A moving light in a driver's line of sight
is dangerous and against the law in many places.
=============================================================================
PART 5 — LEAVING IT RUNNING
=============================================================================
TABLET OR PHONE
While it's listening there's a notice in the top bar. That's Android's rule,
not a choice — any app using the microphone has to show one. Tap it to come
back to PDVoice Buddy.
To stop it completely: the ✕ on the pill, or close the app.
COMPUTER
It's meant to be left on. Hiding it with ✕ keeps it listening.
The icon near the clock — on Windows you may need to click the small arrow to
see hidden icons — shows it's running. Click it to show or hide, right-click
for Settings and Quit.
=============================================================================
PART 6 — IF SOMETHING'S WRONG
=============================================================================
The dot never lights up, even when I speak up
The setting is probably too high. Open settings and go down a step or
two — try Easy or Gentle.
The dot is always lit, even when I whisper
Something in the room is noisy — a television, a fan, a dishwasher, or
the fan inside the computer itself. Turn it off if you can, then pause
and unpause so it relearns the room.
It says "Listening to the room" and stays that way
Give it two seconds. If it doesn't change, pause and unpause.
It says "No microphone", or the dot doesn't react at all
Check the microphone is allowed:
Android: Settings > Apps > PDVoice Buddy > Permissions > Microphone
Windows: Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone > allow
desktop apps
Mac: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone
On a computer, if you have several microphones — a webcam, a headset, a
docking station — it may be listening through one facing away from you.
Change the default input device in your sound settings.
I chose Small pill on the tablet and nothing happened
Android needs permission for a floating pill. Tap Small pill again and
it'll take you to the right screen.
I can't find the pill
Tablet: open the app from its icon, switch to Full screen, then back to
Small pill.
Computer: look for the icon near the clock, behind the arrow for hidden
icons. Click it.
=============================================================================
ONE HONEST NOTE
=============================================================================
This is a homemade tool, not a medical device.
It's good at telling louder from quieter in one place. It is not a
measurement, and it should not be used to make any decision about treatment.
Use it as a reminder. Set the level with your speech-language pathologist
rather than guessing, especially if you're already doing speech therapy.
If the dot helps you stay audible, that's the whole point. If it turns into
one more thing nagging at you, close it and say so — it can be changed.