Install and open the app for the first time
The first-time setup steps and the system permissions Sonasi Meetings needs.
- macOS
- iPhone
- iPad
The first time you open Sonasi Meetings, a short guide helps you choose your languages and grant permissions. No technical setup is needed.
On Mac
- Welcome to Sonasi Meetings: click Get started.
- Which languages? Choose the language you speak (I speak) and the language you want to read the translation in (Translate into). You can change these at any time. The app tells you whether Apple's translation pack for this language pair is ready to use offline or will download in a later step.
- Allow the microphone: click Continue so macOS shows the permission dialogs (see below).
- Help make Sonasi Meetings better: choose whether to share anonymous usage statistics. Choosing Not now doesn't affect any features.
- Preparing your languages…: the app downloads Apple's offline translation pack for the language pair you chose. When You're all set! appears, you can start recording.
Permissions on Mac
| Permission | Used for | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone | Hearing the voices in the room | Yes |
| Screen Recording | Capturing call audio (Zoom, Meet, Teams, and more) | No, but you need it if you want to record the people on the other end |
| Speech recognition | On-device transcription (macOS 15 to 25 only) | Yes, on those versions |
If you deny the Screen Recording permission, Sonasi Meetings still records your microphone as usual. You can grant it later in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Recordings folder
The first time you record, the app asks you to choose a folder for your audio recordings. You can open this folder in Finder at any time. If you cancel this dialog, the app doesn't start recording.
On iPhone and iPad
- Welcome to Sonasi Meetings: tap Get started.
- Which languages? Choose Spoken language and Translate to.
- Allow the microphone: tap Allow & continue.
- Help make Sonasi Meetings better: choose to share anonymous usage statistics, or tap Not now.
The actual iOS permission dialogs (Microphone and Speech recognition) appear the first time you record, not at step 3.
To see the guide again: Settings → About → Replay onboarding.
If you denied a permission by mistake
You'll see the message "Microphone access needed" (Mac) or "Microphone & Speech needed" (iPhone, iPad). Open your system's privacy settings, turn the permission back on for Sonasi Meetings, then try recording again. See also No meeting audio captured.