What's New

Bug fixes.

App Description

The HotPaw Morse Code Decoder translates Morse Code sound into text. Just use the microphone or headset input on your iPhone or iPad for the audio signal input, and watch decoded text appear.

The Morse Code Decoder includes both an automatic decoding mode, plus manual controls to allow the decoding of weaker signals in noise and QRM. Manually adjustable parameters include the frequency of the audio filter, the WPM dot/dash speed used for detecting characters, the threshold level of background noise, and whether Farnsworth timing is to be used for detecting spaces between individual characters.

The Morse Code Decoder includes a built-in spectrogram to help determine the audio frequency of the Morse Code tones. Use the optional narrow-band DSP audio filter to help filter out background noise. The audio filter works for tone frequencies from 300 to 2400 Hz. Please do not try to decode tones outside this range.

The Morse code WPM (words per minute) detection speed is automatically adaptive from about 8 to 40 WPM, and can be locked to the current estimated WPM dot speed. You can also manually set the WPM code speed if the automatic speed detection guesses incorrectly. A QRQ High Speed WPM mode setting allows decoding much higher WPM speeds in the range of 30 to 80 WPM.

Please aim your iPhone microphone at the Morse Code sound source so that the iPhone's noise cancelling microphone doesn't cancel it out. You can see if sound is getting to the iPhone by seeing a peak in the spectrum display. Please use the manual settings if automatic decoding does not adjust to the frequency, WPM. or background noise threshold level properly. Decoding will not work if the audio filter or WPM are set incorrectly, or there is a lot of background noise or room echoes above the threshold setting. Please see the help file on the HotPaw website for hints as to how to solve decoding issues.

iPhone Screenshots

(click to enlarge)

MorseDecoder screenshot 1

iPad Screenshots

(click to enlarge)

MorseDecoder screenshot 2

App Changes

  • June 25, 2011 New version 1.7.0
  • September 28, 2011 New version 1.8.0
  • October 22, 2011 New version 1.8.3
  • February 21, 2012 New version 1.9.0
  • March 06, 2012 New version 1.9.2
  • June 14, 2012 New version 1.9.4
  • September 26, 2012 New version 1.9.6
  • February 15, 2013 New version 2.0.0
  • May 03, 2013 New version 2.0.4
  • May 24, 2013 New version 2.0.5
  • October 09, 2013 New version 2.1.0
  • January 20, 2014 New version 2.2.0
  • January 25, 2014 Price decrease: $9.99 -> $0.99
  • January 26, 2014 Price increase: $0.99 -> $19.99
  • January 30, 2014 New version 2.2.1
  • January 30, 2014 Price decrease: $19.99 -> $9.99
  • March 28, 2014 New version 2.2.4
  • April 24, 2014 New version 2.2.6
  • November 03, 2014 New version 2.3.0
  • November 05, 2014 New version 2.3.2
  • March 20, 2015 New version 2.3.3
  • November 15, 2015 New version 2.4.1
  • January 13, 2018 New version 2.5.1
  • June 15, 2019 New version 2.5.3
  • July 15, 2020 New version 2.5.4
  • August 06, 2021 New version 2.5.5