Questions & answers
The things people ask most — answered straight, including the honest bits.
Privacy & security
Does my voice leave my device?
No. Transcription and the AI writing both run on your own computer. The audio is turned into text locally and then discarded — nothing is sent to us or any server. You can prove it by switching on airplane mode and dictating; it keeps working.
Do you store my recordings or transcripts?
We never receive them, so we can't. Your dictation history lives in a folder on your machine that you control — keep it, export it, or wipe it whenever you like.
Does the AI send my text to OpenAI, Google or Anthropic?
No. The writing model runs locally, just like the speech model. Your text is never sent to any AI provider and is never used to train a model — there's no API key and no account.
Is recording meetings private — and legal?
Private, yes: meeting audio never leaves your computer, and the raw recording is deleted after transcribing by default (a Preferences toggle can keep it). Legally, laws on recording conversations vary by place, so get consent from participants where it's required.
Pricing
Is it a subscription?
No. VoiceNote is a one-time purchase — Solo $49 (1 device), Duo $79 (2 devices), Family $99 (4 devices). Every future update is included, and there's nothing more to pay.
How does the cost compare to subscription tools?
A typical cloud dictation subscription is around $15 a month (~$180 a year). VoiceNote is $49 once, so it pays for itself in about three months and costs nothing after that.
What if I don't like it?
There's a 7-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Email hello@voicenote.au within seven days and we'll refund you.
Can I use it on more than one device?
Yes — Solo covers 1 device, Duo covers 2, and Family covers 4. Pick the plan that matches how many of your own machines you'll use it on.
The product
What does VoiceNote actually do?
You hold one key, talk, and finished, punctuated text appears where your cursor is — in any app. It's more than transcription: it formats your speech to suit the app and learns your names and vocabulary over time.
Can it take meeting notes?
Yes. Press record — in the app, from the tray, or with Alt+Shift+M — and when you stop you get a timestamped transcript labeled You and Others, plus a summary and action items, all generated on your computer. It captures your computer's own audio, so it works with any meeting app and no bot ever joins the call.
Does it work offline?
Completely. After a one-time model download on first launch, it works with no internet at all — on a plane, in a tunnel, or on an air-gapped machine.
It got a name wrong — does it improve?
Any speech model can misjudge an unfamiliar name the first time. VoiceNote fixes this: correct a name once and it's remembered for good, and you can seed it with your own vocabulary. Wrong once, right forever.
Do I need an account?
No account, no login, no sign-up. Download it and hold a key.
Is it code-signed?
Not yet, so on first launch your operating system shows a one-time warning (Windows: "More info → Run anyway"; Mac: right-click → Open). Code signing is on our near-term roadmap. Only download VoiceNote from voicenote.au.
Compatibility
Which operating systems does it support?
Windows 10 and 11 — including Windows-on-ARM (Snapdragon / Copilot+ laptops) natively — and macOS on Apple Silicon.
Which apps does it work in?
Any app you can type in — email, Slack, Teams, documents, browsers, code editors. There are no plugins or integrations; it types wherever your cursor is.
Which platforms can record meetings?
Windows today — Mac support is coming in a later update. Dictation works on both Windows and Mac now.
Is there a mobile app?
Not yet. VoiceNote is desktop-only (Windows and Mac) for now.
How much memory (RAM) does it need?
On first launch it recommends a speech model sized to your machine, so it runs well on a typical laptop. Larger writing models want more memory — you choose what fits your hardware.
Compliance
Is VoiceNote GDPR compliant?
Yes, by design. Because we never process your data, there's no Data Processing Agreement to sign and no cross-border transfer. See our GDPR guide for the detail.
Is it HIPAA compliant?
PHI never leaves the clinician's device, so there's no Business Associate and no BAA required. It's compliant by architecture — not a "HIPAA certification," which doesn't officially exist. See our HIPAA guide.
Can it run in air-gapped or government environments?
Yes. After the one-time model download it needs no connection, so it runs on fully air-gapped and locked-down machines, with data resident on the device.
Still have a question?
Email hello@voicenote.au — a real person in Sydney replies.