Three different things “local” can mean in a Mac app

Ryan Lai — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:29:07 +0000

When an app says it works “locally,” that can sound like one simple promise. For a meeting transcription app, it covers several independent decisions.

While working on HyNote for Mac, I found it more useful to separate those decisions instead of placing one local label over the whole product.

1. Where transcription runs

A supported Mac can turn speech into text on-device once the required transcription model is ready. Initial setup can still require an account, an internet connection, and model downloads.

That tells you where the speech processing happens. It does not tell you where the resulting notebook will live.

2. Where the notebook is stored

Storage is selected separately. In HyNote, choosing “On This Mac” before recording or importing audio keeps that notebook on the Mac.

This distinction matters because “on-device transcription” and “local storage” answer different questions. A user should not have to infer one from the other.

3. Where AI summaries run

Summaries add a third path. Local AI has stricter requirements than the basic Mac app: Apple Silicon, macOS 26.4 or later, and Apple Intelligence ready on the device. Online AI is an optional paid alternative.

HyNote itself supports macOS 14 or later on both Intel and Apple Silicon. Putting the stricter requirement beside the feature it affects is clearer than presenting one compatibility statement for everything.

Capturing a meeting without a bot

The Mac app records microphone and system audio directly, so it does not add a participant to the call. System Audio permission is required, and the app captures audio rather than screen video.

Core recording and supported on-device transcription are free. The result is a live transcript and a notebook that can be stored in the location the user chooses.

The current build and setup requirements are here: HyNote for Mac

The wording is still something I am testing. When you see “on-device transcription” and “On This Mac,” do those labels make the processing and storage choices clear?

What 'local' means in a Mac meeting transcription app

Ryan Lai — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 02:55:48 +0000

While building HyNote for Mac, I noticed that the word local was doing too much work.

It can describe at least three separate things:

Where audio is transcribed
Where recordings and notes are stored
Where AI summaries are generated

If a product answers only one of those questions, it is easy to assume it answers all three. That is a problem for meeting software, where the location of the data matters as much as the quality of the transcript.

How we separated the choices

HyNote records microphone and system audio directly on the Mac, so a bot does not need to join the meeting.

For transcription, a supported Mac can process audio on-device after the required model is ready. The first setup can still require a sign-in, an internet connection, and model downloads. On-device transcription describes the processing path; it does not automatically describe where the notebook is stored.

Storage is a separate choice. To keep a notebook on the Mac, the user selects On This Mac before recording or importing audio. We made that choice visible instead of treating “local” as one broad promise.

AI summaries are another layer. Local AI has stricter requirements than recording and transcription: Apple Silicon, macOS 26.4 or later, and Apple Intelligence ready on the device. Online AI remains an optional paid path.

The product lesson

A single “local” badge hides too much. Clearer labels answer concrete questions:

On-device transcription: where speech becomes text
On This Mac: where the notebook is stored
Local AI: where supported AI processing runs
Online AI: when a cloud service is used

This also makes limitations easier to explain. HyNote itself supports macOS 14 or later on Intel and Apple Silicon, while some local AI features need a newer Apple Silicon setup. Putting those requirements next to the relevant feature is more useful than a blanket compatibility claim.

What is available now

The Mac app can capture microphone and system audio, show a live transcript, and save the result as a notebook. Core recording and supported on-device transcription are free. System Audio permission is required for capturing meeting audio, and the app does not record the video on the screen.

You can see the current Mac build and setup details here: HyNote for Mac

I would especially value feedback on one question: after reading the page, is the difference between on-device processing and on-Mac storage clear within the first minute?

DEV Community: Ryan Lai