Record on Mac
The controls on the Live screen, display modes, audio sources, and what happens when you stop recording.
- macOS
Live in the sidebar is where you record and see the live translation.
Controls
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Start recording | Starts a new recording |
| Pause / Resume | Pauses recording; paused time doesn't count toward the duration |
| Cancel | Discards the recording. The app asks you to confirm, and the audio and text are deleted |
| Stop & save | Ends and saves the recording |
| Floating window icon | Opens the floating window |
| Two-arrows icon | Turns compact mode on or off |
The status in the top corner shows READY, PREPARING (loading the model), RECORDING, or PAUSED, along with the timer and the audio level bar. If you're on the Free plan, a left today countdown also appears here (see Free and Pro plans).
Display modes
Choose one of three modes:
- Transcript only: shows only the original, with no translation (saves resources).
- Bilingual (default): the translation in large text and the original in smaller text below it.
- Translation only: shows only the translation.
When you switch from Transcript only to a mode with translation, the app translates the earlier sentences to catch up.
Each line has a timestamp. When no one is speaking, the app shows Listening…. If you hover to reread earlier text, the screen stops scrolling and returns to the end when you move the pointer away.
Audio sources
The Live screen has no source selector. You choose in Settings → Audio:
- Microphone: the default is System default. If the device you chose has an error, the app automatically tries other microphones, preferring the built-in one.
- Include call audio: on by default. It also captures the people on the other end of Zoom, Meet, Teams, and more through the Screen Recording permission. See Capture call audio on Mac.
- Recording quality: 96 kbps (smaller), 128 kbps (balanced, the default), or 256 kbps (archival).
The microphone and call audio are mixed into a single recording.
When you stop recording
- The app waits for the final translation to finish.
- The recording is saved to the folder you chose, with a name like Recording · date and time.
- The Saved recording screen opens for the recording you just saved.
The app doesn't summarize the recording automatically. You click Create summary when you want one. See Meeting summaries.
Record from the menu bar
You can start and stop recording from the app icon in the menu bar without opening the main window. See Menu bar and meeting auto-detect.
Free plan limit
When you reach 30 minutes of recording in a day, the app stops automatically and saves everything, then shows a Daily limit reached box with two choices: Save and stop or Continue with Pro.