Local Recorder Overview

100% local, 100% private, 100% free meeting recorder for macOS

Beta Software - The BuildBetter Local Recorder is currently in beta. We’re actively improving it based on user feedback. Use the chat widget in the bottom-right corner to report issues or request features.

Download for macOS

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Download for iOS

Join the TestFlight beta

BuildBetter Local Recorder

The BuildBetter Local Recorder is a privacy-first desktop application for macOS that combines three tools in one app — a no-bot meeting recorder, a global dictation tool, and a native screen recorder — all running entirely on your device by default.

100% Local

All processing happens on your Mac. Your audio never leaves your computer unless you opt in.

100% Private

No cloud uploads, no telemetry, no account required.

100% Free

Full-featured with no subscription or payment needed.

Three Products in One App

Meeting Recorder

No-bot, system-audio meeting capture with live transcription, templated summaries, Catch-me-up, and AI chat with your recordings.

Dictation

Global hotkey-driven voice-to-text that works in any app, with cleanup, a snippets library, and multilingual support.

Screen Recording

Native ScreenCaptureKit video with system audio, saved alongside meetings and dictation in one library.

Key Features

Smart Meeting Detection

Automatically detects when you join meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack Huddles, Discord, Webex, and more. Prompts you to record — or auto-starts on high-confidence matches.

Live Transcription with Speaker Diarization

Real-time speech-to-text with color-coded speaker identification. Click any line in the transcript to jump to that moment, or relabel speakers after the fact.

Templated Summaries & Catch-Me-Up

Built-in summary templates (discovery calls, 1:1s, standups) plus custom templates. Ask for a 3-bullet summary of the last 5 minutes mid-call when you step away or join late.

Pick Your AI Engine

Choose different providers for transcription, chat, and cleanup — locally with Apple Intelligence, Whisper, Parakeet, Ollama, or LM Studio, or via BYO keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, or Deepgram.

AI Chat With Your Recordings

Ask questions about any recording — summaries, action items, decisions, quotes — grounded in the transcript.

Dictation Anywhere

Press a hotkey anywhere on your Mac and speak. Cleaned-up text lands at your cursor in any app. Save reusable snippets and apply custom cleanup instructions per context.

Screen Recording with System Audio

ScreenCaptureKit-powered screen recording with hardware-encoded video and speaker audio included. Saved to your library with your meetings and dictation.

Notes & Annotations

Take timestamped rough notes during recordings; the app combines them with the transcript afterward into a clean Markdown summary.

Optional BuildBetter Sync

Optionally connect to BuildBetter for team-wide search, shared summaries, role-based access, and Slack / Linear / Notion integrations. SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA-ready.

System Requirements

Operating System

macOS 12 (Monterey) or later. macOS 14 (Sonoma) required for screen recording. macOS 26+ required for Apple Intelligence.

Processor

Apple Silicon (M-series) recommended for best AI performance

Storage

~2GB for app + AI models

RAM

8GB minimum, 16GB recommended for AI features

Other Platforms

• iOS — beta available via TestFlight with on-device transcription, local AI chat, and phone call capture.
• Android — coming soon (waitlist).

How It Works

1. Capture - Records both your microphone and system audio (what others say on calls)
2. Transcribe - Whisper AI converts speech to text in real-time
3. Store - Everything saved locally in your Documents folder
4. Analyze - Ask the local AI questions about your recordings

Privacy Commitment

Your data stays on your device. We don’t collect telemetry, require sign-in, or upload anything to servers. The only exception is if you explicitly choose to sync with BuildBetter cloud services.

What We Don’t Do	What You Control
No audio uploads	Choose what to record
No transcript uploads	Delete recordings anytime
No usage tracking	Optional cloud sync
No account required	Export your data freely

Next Steps

Get Started

Download, install, and set up the recorder

Explore Features

Learn about all the features in detail

Configure Settings

Customize the app to your preferences

Troubleshooting

Common issues and how to fix them