# Steno

## Docs

- [Local vs cloud meeting AI](https://docs.stenoai.co/compare/local-vs-cloud.md): A comparison of local and cloud-based AI meeting recorders: privacy, accuracy, cost, and the trade-offs of each approach.
- [Steno vs Fireflies.ai](https://docs.stenoai.co/compare/steno-vs-fireflies.md): A direct comparison of Steno and Fireflies.ai: privacy, cost, features, and which is the right fit for your workflow.
- [Steno vs Otter.ai](https://docs.stenoai.co/compare/steno-vs-otter.md): A direct comparison of Steno and Otter.ai: privacy, cost, transcription accuracy, and which to choose for your needs.
- [FAQ](https://docs.stenoai.co/faq.md): Answers to common questions about Steno -- installation, privacy, recordings, and models.
- [Apple Shortcuts](https://docs.stenoai.co/features/apple-shortcuts.md): Automate meeting recordings on macOS using Apple Shortcuts and the Steno deep link protocol. Start and stop recordings from a keyboard shortcut, menu bar script, or calendar event.
- [Ask your meetings](https://docs.stenoai.co/features/ask-your-meetings.md): Query any saved meeting note in plain English. Steno answers from your local transcript and summary -- no data leaves your Mac.
- [Recording](https://docs.stenoai.co/features/recording.md): Record microphone audio, system audio, or both. Steno captures audio locally and never uploads your recordings.
- [Speaker labels](https://docs.stenoai.co/features/speaker-labels.md): Steno labels transcript lines as [You] or [Others] when system audio is enabled, making it easy to follow who said what in virtual meetings.
- [Summaries and notes](https://docs.stenoai.co/features/summaries.md): After transcription, Steno generates structured meeting notes: a summary paragraph, key topics, and action items -- all from a local language model.
- [Transcription](https://docs.stenoai.co/features/transcription.md): Steno transcribes recordings using Whisper running locally on your Mac. 99 languages, automatic language detection, no audio uploads.
- [Your first recording](https://docs.stenoai.co/getting-started/first-recording.md): Make your first recording with Steno. From pressing record to reading your summary takes about two minutes.
- [Installation](https://docs.stenoai.co/getting-started/installation.md): Download and install Steno on macOS. The setup takes about five minutes, most of which is downloading the local AI models.
- [What is Steno?](https://docs.stenoai.co/getting-started/what-is-steno.md): Steno is a macOS app that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings entirely on-device. Your audio never leaves your Mac.
- [Remote Ollama setup](https://docs.stenoai.co/models/remote-ollama.md): Offload summarization to a more powerful Mac or workstation on your network. Useful if your laptop cannot run larger models comfortably.
- [Summarization models](https://docs.stenoai.co/models/summarization-models.md): Steno generates meeting summaries using local Ollama models by default, with optional cloud model support. Choose a model based on your hardware, privacy requirements, and the quality of notes you need.
- [Transcription models](https://docs.stenoai.co/models/transcription-models.md): Steno uses Whisper models for local transcription. Choose the right model based on your accuracy requirements and available hardware.
- [Confidential use cases](https://docs.stenoai.co/privacy/confidential-use-cases.md): Steno is used by healthcare, legal, and finance professionals who cannot send meeting audio to cloud services. Here is how it fits each context.
- [How on-device processing works](https://docs.stenoai.co/privacy/how-on-device-works.md): Steno transcribes and summarizes your meetings using AI models that run entirely on your Mac. No audio is sent to any server.

## Optional

- [GitHub](https://github.com/ruzin/stenoai)
- [Discord](https://discord.gg/DZ6vcQnxxu)