SWLtools
Utilities
$3.99
Point it at a signal and read it. CW, RTTY, weather fax and ACARS, decoded live from your receiver, with every callsign heard collected for you.
SWLtools: The Companion for Shortwave Listening Enthusiasts
SWLtools is an app designed specifically for Shortwave Listening (SWL)
enthusiasts who want to enhance their listening experience. It records what you
hear, shows you the band, and reads the digital modes that carry text on the air.
Whether you are a hobbyist or a dedicated DXer, SWLtools supports your activity
from the antenna to the logbook.
DECODING THE ON-AIR TEXT MODES
Point the app at a signal and it turns it into readable text.
- Morse (CW). The app follows the tone by itself and measures the sending speed
from the signal, so it keeps up with hand-sent Morse as well as machine-sent.
A side panel collects the callsigns it has heard, and each transmission starts
on its own line when the operator hands over.
- RTTY, in both ITA2 and SITOR-B.
- Weather fax (WEFAX). The chart builds up line by line as it arrives, and can
be saved straight to your photo library.
- ACARS aircraft messages, with the ones carrying a position shown on a map.
Decoded text can be saved, reopened later and shared. All times, on screen and
in the saved files, are UTC — the way radio logs are kept.
SPECTRUM AND WATERFALL
If your receiver provides an IQ output, SWLtools displays the real-time spectrum
and spectrogram. Visually explore the bands and gain deeper insight into the
signals you are receiving. Where the two channels of a USB adapter do not arrive
perfectly in step — a common trait of audio codecs — a sample-delay correction
removes the mirror image that would otherwise appear beside every signal.
AUDIO RECORDING AND STORAGE
Easily record and store audio directly from your receiver. Capture signals from
around the world and listen to them again whenever you want, or turn a recording
into a video to share.
OPTIMIZED FOR THE BELKA RECEIVER
SWLtools was designed to work seamlessly with the Belka receiver. It is the
perfect companion for outdoor listening sessions, letting you record your DX,
explore frequencies with the spectrum view, or read a weather fax from the field.
The app is optimized for low power consumption when displaying the spectrum and
waterfall, making it ideal for portable use.
REQUIREMENTS
To use SWLtools you need an inexpensive USB audio adapter (ADC/DAC) connected to
your iOS device. These affordable dongles typically provide a microphone input
and a headphone output, which is enough to record, to decode, and to show a
single-channel spectrum.
A two-channel audio interface does more: it carries a true I/Q pair, so the
spectrum shows the full band above and below the tuned frequency, and it is the
only kind that can play the receiver's audio through the iPhone speaker while
you listen. The app tells you which class of device you have connected and what
it allows, and an audio diagnostics panel shows exactly what iOS is doing with
the signal if something does not sound right.
Note: please make sure your receiver is compatible with the app's features and
that you have the required accessories for optimal performance.
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
NEW: THE DECODE TAB
SWLtools no longer just records and displays signals — it reads them.
• Morse (CW). The app locks onto the tone by itself and measures the sending
speed from the signal, so it follows hand-sent Morse as well as machine-sent.
Each transmission starts on a new line when the operator hands over, and a
side panel collects the callsigns heard, leaving out the ones that were only
a misread of another.
• RTTY, in both ITA2 and SITOR-B.
• Weather fax (WEFAX). The chart builds up line by line as it arrives and can
be saved straight to the photo library.
• ACARS aircraft messages, with the ones carrying a position shown on a map.
Decoded text can be saved, reopened later and shared.
AUDIO CHAIN
• I/Q sample-delay correction. USB audio adapters do not sample their two
channels at the same instant, and that small gap puts a mirror image of every
signal on the wrong side of the spectrum, growing worse away from centre. The
delay can now be corrected, and the mirror drops out of sight.
• The app tells you what your adapter can and cannot do — full I/Q spectrum,
speaker monitoring — instead of letting you find out by trial.
• A new audio diagnostics panel shows what iOS is actually doing with the
signal: route, format, buffers, and whether the monitor has quietly taken the
dongle away.
• If microphone access is denied, the app now says so and explains why nothing
can be received: iOS routes USB audio adapters through that same permission.
• The screen no longer goes dark while a decoder is running.
ELSEWHERE
• All times, on screen and in saved files, are now UTC — the way radio logs are
kept.
• Recordings can be turned into a video to share.
• Corrected instructions: listening through the phone while recording needs a
two-channel interface, which the old text did not say.
The developer, Stefano Rampazzo, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Stefano Rampazzo
- Size
- 5.2 MB
- Category
- Utilities
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 17.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2026 Stefano Rampazzo

