📻 IeumTalk
IeumTalk · Group Walkie-Talkie
Several people talk in real time with nothing but a phone and earphones.
Built for situations where your hands are busy, such as group cycling.
About
Not a phone call and not a messenger — a group walkie-talkie where everyone talks and listens at once.
①What it is for
Speak now, heard now
A phone call is one-to-one, and a voice message always arrives after a delay. IeumTalk works like a walkie-talkie: turn the mic on and everyone in the channel hears you right away.
Made for group cycling
It was built so riders strung out along the road can pass on signals, hazards and route changes immediately — hands on the bars, eyes ahead.
No radio hardware to buy
It runs on the phone and earphones you already own. Because it goes over the internet there is no range limit like a two-way radio.
②How you use it
- What you need — A phone (Android or iPhone), earphones or a Bluetooth headset, and an internet connection (LTE, 5G or Wi-Fi). There is no sign-up and no login — pick a nickname and you are in.
- The flow — Pick a nickname → create or join a channel → turn the mic on to talk → turn it off to listen. A channel can be public (listed) or private (hidden, password required).
- Hands stay free — One press of the button on your earphones or headset turns the mic on, another turns it off. It keeps going with the screen off or while you use other apps.
- Tuned for riding — Noise reduction for wind and traffic, three ways to keep listening to music while you talk, a choice of output between phone speaker, earpiece and Bluetooth, and an incoming call automatically mutes the mic and hands it back when the call ends.
③Good for
- Group rides by bike or motorcycle — The front and the back of the group share signals, stops and hazards at once.
- Hiking, trekking and camping — Stay in touch when the group spreads out, with no range limit.
- Events and on-site coordination — Staff give and confirm instructions hands-free. Designated speaker mode lets only the host talk.
- Travelling in several cars — Car-to-car contact and updates from the car ahead or behind.
- Work sites and shops — Call a colleague who is somewhere else on site.
- Family outings — Tell each other where you are when you split up with children.
④Why it is worth using
Free
There is no charge, no radio hardware to buy and no extra carrier fee.
No range limit
Anywhere the internet reaches — across the country or abroad — shares one channel.
Voice is never stored
Audio is relayed in real time only and never recorded. Even the operator cannot review or recover a past conversation. The relay server is our own server, so nothing is handed to a third party or sent abroad.
No sign-up
Pick a nickname and start. No ID, no password, no contact details.
Hands-free
Toggle the mic with the headset button; it keeps running with the screen off.
Designed for the road
Noise reduction, listening to music at the same time, automatic handling of phone calls, and a tone that tells you the mic state.
⑤Everything it does, at a glance
- Create and join channels (public / private)
- Talk modes (everyone / designated speaker)
- Toggle the mic with a headset button
- Ambient noise reduction
- Listen along with music
- Choose the audio and mic device
- Keeps running in the background
- Automatic handling of phone calls
- Choice of mic tone
- Host controls (grant the floor, remove a user)
- Announcements
- Contact form
- Korean and English
Features
What the app can do today.
Create and join channels
Public channels are listed and searchable; a private channel is hidden from the list and needs its password. Channel names are 3–20 letters or digits.
Talk modes
In everyone mode anybody can turn the mic on; in designated speaker mode only the person the host picked may talk. The server enforces it.
Toggle the mic with a headset button
One press of the button on your earphones or Bluetooth headset turns the mic on and off. Because the signal reaches the app differently on every device, you teach it once in Settings → Mic button setup.
Ambient noise reduction
Turn the processing that cuts wind and traffic noise on or off in settings.
Listen along with music
Choose between keep playing as is, lower the music while talking, and pause the music when the mic turns on and resume afterwards.
Choose the audio and mic device
Send the sound to the phone speaker (loud enough for people nearby), the earpiece (held to your ear) or a Bluetooth headset.
Keeps running in the background
The channel stays up with the screen off or while you use other apps. On Android, allowing notifications shows the ongoing-session notice.
Automatic handling of phone calls
An incoming call mutes the mic, and when the call ends the mic and the button go back to the channel.
Choice of mic tone
Pick between radio, electronic, low and spoken tones and set the volume. Turning on and turning off sound different.
Host controls
Grant the floor in designated-speaker mode, and remove someone who breaks the rules for 10 minutes or permanently. The host cannot be removed.
Announcements
Operator announcements appear as a dialog when the app starts and on this site. Past ones stay in the announcement list in the app settings.
Contact form
Send an enquiry from the app settings or from this site. Leave a reply address and the answer comes by e-mail.
Korean and English
Both the app and this site are available in Korean and English.
Frequently asked questions
Answers follow what the app and the service actually do.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free, and there are no paid features inside the app.
Is my conversation recorded?
It is not stored. The relay server passes audio to the other participants in real time and never records it or writes it to a file. That is also why the operator cannot review or recover a past conversation.
How many people can join?
The number of people in a single channel is not limited. The service as a whole does have operator-set caps on concurrent users and on the number of channels, and past the cap you are asked to try again shortly.
Does it use a lot of data?
Not much, because only voice is sent. Reckon on roughly 20–30 MB per hour; it is an estimate that moves with the number of people and the network.
Does it work on both iPhone and Android?
Yes. On Android you download the APK file from this site and install it; on iPhone you install the test build through Apple's TestFlight app. Step-by-step instructions are in the Download section.
My Bluetooth headset button does nothing
The way a button signal reaches the app differs per device, so it has to be taught once. Leave the channel, then open Settings → Mic button setup and press the button as prompted. Setup only works outside a channel. If the headset handles the button itself and sends no signal, use the mic button on screen.
Is it safe to use while riding?
Earphones make it harder to notice what is around you. Use one ear only, or a headset that leaves your ears open, so you still hear traffic and pedestrians. Stop somewhere safe before operating the phone, and follow the local rules on wearing earphones while riding or driving. Responsibility for how you ride remains with you.
Can I turn the screen off?
Yes. The channel keeps running with the screen off or while you use other apps. If Android keeps dropping it, allow notifications and use Request battery optimisation exemption in the app settings.
My nickname is gone
A nickname is held for you while you take part in channels. Once you have stayed out of every channel for 30 minutes, someone else may take it.
What happens if I am removed from a channel?
A normal removal blocks you from that channel for 10 minutes; a permanent removal blocks you from it for good. Either way it applies to that channel only and the rest of the service stays open to you. The host cannot be removed.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Just pick a nickname and start. There is no ID or password to create and no contact details are collected.
When does a channel disappear?
A channel with nobody in it is removed automatically after 1 minute(s). It stays as long as someone is connected.
Download
Android installs from an APK file, iPhone through TestFlight.
Installation guide
Download the APK
Pressing [Download for Android] above fetches mpc-1.0.38.apk (32MB).
It is installed from a file because the app is not on Play yet. If the browser warns that "this type of file can harm your device", choose [Continue].
If it will not install on an older (32-bit) phone, get the 32-bit build v1.0.38 instead.
Open the downloaded file
Tap the finished download in the notification shade, or open My Files → Download and tap mpc-1.0.38.apk.
Allow this source (once only)
Android 8 and later block installs from outside the store by default. When the warning appears, choose [Settings] → turn on Allow from this source and go back.
On some phones the path is Settings → Apps → Special access → Install unknown apps, where you allow your browser (Chrome, Samsung Internet).
Install, then open
Press [Install]. If Play Protect mentions an "unknown developer", choose [Install anyway] or [More details → Install anyway].
When it finishes press [Open], or tap the 📻 IeumTalk icon on the home screen.
Grant permissions (microphone, notifications)
On first launch the app asks for the microphone — it is required to talk. Allowing notifications as well keeps the channel alive with the screen off (ongoing-session notice).
With a Bluetooth headset, please also allow Nearby devices.
Exclude it from battery saving (recommended on Samsung and Xiaomi)
Some phones let battery saving kill background apps. If the channel keeps dropping, use Settings → Request battery optimisation exemption in the app.
Install TestFlight
First install Apple's TestFlight from the App Store. Pre-release builds are distributed through it.
Works on iOS 16 or later, on iPhone and iPad. There is no charge.
Open the invitation link
On your iPhone, pressing [Install for iPhone] above opens TestFlight. To open it by hand, paste the address below into Safari.
[Accept] → [Install]
In TestFlight, [Accept] IeumTalk and press [Install]; the app then appears on your home screen.
Grant permissions (microphone, notifications)
On first launch the app asks for the microphone — it is required to talk. Allowing notifications lets you hear about new builds.
With a Bluetooth headset, connect it and then pick it under 🎧 Audio / mic device in the app.
Set up the headset button (recommended)
After picking a headset the app offers Mic button setup. Press the play or call button on the headset once as prompted, and from then on that button toggles the mic. Headsets with only a call button, such as Shokz or BiKom, work too.
While you are in a channel, iPhone shows an "IeumTalk" call on the call screen — that is normal and is what lets the headset call button reach the app. The red button there toggles the mic instead of leaving the channel; leave the channel from the app. Nothing is added to your call history.
With two or more Bluetooth headsets connected, the sound may go to the other one. Pick the device under 🎧 Audio / mic device in the app, and when prompted select the same device in the iPhone settings.
How long a test build lasts
A build installed through TestFlight expires after 90 days. When it does, open TestFlight and install the new one.
Using the app
Recent changes
Release notes are written in Korean.
- 홈페이지(ieumtalk.com)를 새로 열었습니다 — 서비스 소개·기능목록·FAQ·다운로드 메뉴와 한국어·영어 전환을 제공합니다
- 홈페이지에서도 문의를 보낼 수 있습니다 (앱 [설정 → 문의하기] 와 같은 곳으로 접수됩니다)
- 헤드셋 버튼으로 마이크를 켤 때 신호음이 끊기거나 겹쳐 들리던 문제 해결
- 신호음은 버튼을 누른 뒤 1초에 한 번만, 끝까지 재생됩니다
- 이용약관·개인정보 처리방침·오픈소스 라이선스를 안내 페이지와 앱 설정에서 볼 수 있습니다
- 개인정보 처리방침을 16개 조항으로 보강했습니다 — 수집 항목 표, 수집하지 않는 항목, 국외 이전·위치정보 해당 없음, 음성 통신 특칙, 권익 침해 구제 기관 안내
- 이용약관을 14개 조항으로 보강했습니다 — 유료 서비스 없음, 음성 콘텐츠 특칙, 주행 중 안전 고지
- 오픈소스 라이선스 고지를 핵심 구성요소만 남겨 정리했습니다
- 오픈소스 라이선스 고지 페이지를 공개했습니다 — 안내 페이지 맨 아래에서 볼 수 있습니다
- 개인정보 처리방침과 이용약관을 공개했습니다 — 안내 페이지 맨 아래와 앱 설정에서 볼 수 있습니다
- 개인정보 열람·정정·삭제 요청은 앱 [설정 → 문의하기] 로 접수합니다
- 설정에 오픈소스 라이선스 고지를 추가했습니다
- 서버 접속 기록은 90일, 문의 내역은 1년이 지나면 자동으로 삭제됩니다
- 에어팟 등 이어폰 버튼을 한 번 눌러 마이크를 켜고 끕니다 (기존에는 두 번 눌러야 했습니다)
- 채널 만들기 화면의 비밀번호·공개 여부·발언 모드 입력 폭을 맞춤
- 설정 정리: 주변 소음 줄이기를 켜기/끄기 하나로, 음악 설정 이름을 알기 쉽게
- 채널 화면 상단에 연결 상태와 방 이름을 나눠 표시
- 마이크 켜고 끌 때 실제 휴대폰 마이크가 함께 꺼지고 켜집니다
- 신호음은 버튼을 누른 뒤 1초에 울리고 끝까지 재생됩니다
- 약관·개인정보 처리방침·오픈소스 라이선스를 앱 설정에서 바로 볼 수 있습니다
- 헤드셋 버튼: 마이크 버튼 설정을 3단계로 바꿔 에어팟은 한 번 누름으로 인식 (기존에는 두 번 눌러야 했습니다)
- 전화가 오면 마이크가 꺼지고, 통화가 끝나면 마이크와 버튼 조작이 자동으로 돌아옵니다
- 에어팟 등 일부 기기에서 통화 중인데도 무전이 멈추지 않던 문제 해결
- 채널 밖에서는 이어폰 버튼이 음악 앱으로 정상 전달됩니다
- 설정 신호음을 종류별로 정리하고 제목을 '신호음 선택' 으로 변경
- 참여자 목록에 마이크를 켠 사람 표시
- 공지 기능 추가 — 관리자가 올린 공지를 앱 실행 시·안내 페이지 접속 시 알림창으로 표시 (오늘 그만 보기 지원)
- 앱 색상을 아이콘과 같은 파란 계열로 변경
- 마이크 버튼 설정은 채널 밖에서만 — 채널 안에서는 버튼을 비활성화하고 안내
- 강퇴 10분 · 영구강퇴 재입장 불가로 변경, 강퇴 시 방장과 대상 모두에게 안내창 표시
- 별명은 채널 미참여 30분 뒤 다른 사람이 쓸 수 있음 (기존 2시간)
- 채널 검색·만들기 화면 정리, 알림은 위로 밀어 닫기
- iPhone: 통화 중이 아닌데 마이크 버튼 설정이 시작되지 않던 문제 해결
- 채널 밖에서는 음악 앱·전화가 소리와 마이크를 우선 쓰도록 정리 (앱은 채널 안에서만 오디오를 잡습니다)
- 신호음에 음성 안내 추가 — 한국어 "마이크 온/오프", 영어 "Mic on/off" (켤 때와 끌 때 말이 다릅니다)
- 폰 스피커는 주변에 들리도록 크게, 수화부는 일반 통화 음량으로 — 목록에 소리 크기 안내 표시
- 알림 문구를 화면 맨 위에 밝은 바탕으로 표시 — 시트가 열려 있어도 보이고 어두운 화면에서 잘 읽힘
- 수화부(귀에 대고 통화)를 골라도 소리가 스피커로 나오던 문제 해결
- 앱 동작 로그를 서버로 보내 관리자 화면에서 조회 (문제 재현 없이 원인 파악)
- 마이크 전환이 일시적으로 실패해도 듣기 전용으로 잠기지 않게
Contact
Tell us about a bug, an idea or anything you are unsure of. Leave a reply address and we will answer by e-mail.