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By default, Steno runs Ollama on the same machine where you record. If you have a more powerful Mac on your local network — a desktop, a Mac Studio, or a Mac mini — you can run Ollama there and point Steno at it. This keeps summarization local to your network (no cloud involvement) while freeing your laptop’s resources.

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Set up Ollama on the remote machine

1

Install Ollama

Download and install Ollama on the remote machine from ollama.com.
2

Pull the model you want to use

You can use any model supported by Ollama, including larger ones that would not run on your laptop.
3

Configure Ollama to accept remote connections

By default, Ollama only listens on 127.0.0.1. To accept connections from other machines on your network, set the OLLAMA_HOST environment variable before starting Ollama:
For a persistent setup on macOS, add OLLAMA_HOST=0.0.0.0:11434 to a launchd plist or use a tool like LaunchControl.
4

Note the remote machine's local IP address

On the remote Mac, go to System Settings → Network and note the local IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.10).

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Point Steno at the remote Ollama

  1. Open Settings → AI
  2. Select Private Server
  3. Enter the remote machine’s address: http://192.168.1.10:11434
  4. Select the model you want to use
Steno will send the transcript to the remote Ollama for summarization. Audio is never transmitted — only the text transcript is sent over your local network.

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Notes

  • Both machines must be on the same network. This does not work over the internet without additional configuration (VPN or tunnel).
  • If the remote machine is not reachable, summarization fails with an error rather than falling back to the local model — switch back to Local in Settings if you need to keep working offline.
  • The remote Ollama address is saved in your local Steno config and persists across app updates and reinstalls, as long as your ~/Library/Application Support/stenoai/ data is not deleted.
Ollama has no authentication by default. Anyone on your local network who can reach the IP and port can send requests to it. For a trusted home or small office network this is usually acceptable. On a shared or corporate network, use a firewall rule to restrict access to specific IPs.
Not directly without additional setup. You would need a VPN or an SSH tunnel. This is outside the scope of Steno itself — set up the tunnel first, then point Steno at http://localhost:[forwarded-port].