AI meeting notes without a bot: how it works.
TL;DR
- Noted takes notes from your computer’s audio, so nothing joins the call: no bot, no extra name in the participant list.
- Speech becomes text on your computer. Audio is never sent to us or anyone else; the transcript text goes to our AI providers to write the note. Audio isn’t kept after your note is written unless you turn on Keep audio for 7 days.
- It works with calls on Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack huddles, FaceTime and Webex, with headphones on, and in the room.
- Noted doesn’t announce itself on the call, so tell people you’re taking notes.
Two ways to take notes on a call
There are two ways an AI note taker can hear a meeting.
A bot joins the meeting. The note taker sends its own participant into the call. It records from inside the meeting, and everyone can see it in the participant list.
The app listens to your computer. This is how Noted works. It runs on your Mac and records two things: your microphone, which is you, and the sound your computer plays, which is everyone else. Nothing is added to the meeting, because the meeting app isn’t involved at all.
| A bot | Noted | |
|---|---|---|
| What joins the call | An extra participant | Nothing |
| Where it listens | Inside the meeting | Your microphone and your computer’s audio |
| Rooms without a call | Nothing to join | Your Mac’s microphone |
macOS asks you once to allow it. On macOS 14.4 and later, Noted asks for System Audio Recording Only; on earlier versions it needs Screen Recording.
After the call, Noted tells the other voices apart and names them from the call app’s participant list where it can. A name it only heard in the conversation shows as a suggestion until you accept it.
What the other side sees
Nothing changes on their screen. No participant joins, nothing is posted in the chat, and the meeting app’s own record button isn’t used.
That is exactly why it’s on you to say so. Let people know you’re taking notes, as you would with any recording. One line at the start does it: “I’m using an app to take notes on this call. Is that OK?” If someone would rather you didn’t, stop recording.
Headphones and meetings in the room
Headphones. Noted takes the other side’s voices from the sound your computer plays, not from your speakers, so headphones don’t get in the way. It hears the call either way.
In the room. With no call, there’s no computer audio to take, so Noted hears the room through your Mac’s microphone. Put the Mac where it can hear everyone.
The limits
- It hears what your computer hears. Noted runs on the computer that’s on the call. Join from your phone, and it can’t hear the meeting.
- It needs a Mac. Noted runs on macOS 13 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel.
- The notes are written in the cloud. The transcript is made on your computer, but the AI meeting note is written from it by our AI providers: Noted sends them the transcript text, never the audio.
- Telling people is your job. Noted doesn’t tell them for you.
FAQ
Does Noted join my Zoom or Teams call?
No. It takes notes from your computer’s audio, so nothing joins the call and nobody sees a bot.
Can I get notes from a meeting I don’t host?
Yes. Noted doesn’t use the meeting app’s recording feature, so it works the same whether you host or join. Let people know you’re taking notes.
Does it work with headphones?
Yes. The other side’s voices come from the sound your computer plays, not from your speakers.
Does it work for meetings in person?
Yes. With no call, Noted listens through your Mac’s microphone.
Which call apps does it work with?
Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Slack huddles, FaceTime and Webex, or none at all, in the room.
Is my audio sent anywhere?
No. Speech becomes text on your computer, and audio is never sent to us or anyone else. Audio isn’t kept after your note is written, unless you turn on Keep audio for 7 days. The AI meeting note is written from the transcript text, which goes to our AI providers. Read the privacy page for the details.
Should I tell people I’m using it?
Yes, every time. Noted doesn’t announce itself on the call, so it’s on you to say so, as with any recording.
Is it free?
Meeting recording and transcripts are free forever. AI meeting notes use cloud requests; the pricing says how many come with Free.
See it on a call: Noted Notetaker.