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?
Top comments (1)
The split between processing location, storage location, and optional cloud features is exactly the contract users need. I’d make the first screen after recording show a compact provenance line—audio captured here, transcript processed here, notebook stored here—plus a link to change each setting. It turns “local” from a marketing adjective into an inspectable state.