---
title: "How bot-free meeting notes work on a Mac"
canonical: https://candor.inc/guides/how-bot-free-notetakers-work
author: Sarthak Singh, co-founder of Candor
date_published: 
date_modified: 
---

# How do bot-free meeting note takers capture audio on a Mac?

Bot-free Mac note takers can capture other people on a call by recording system audio through Apple's ScreenCaptureKit or Core Audio process taps, and capture your voice through the microphone. Apple's Core Audio tap sample requires macOS 14.2 or later, according to Apple's developer documentation. If you care where audio goes, bot-free capture alone does not prove on-device transcription.

You can join the Candor waitlist at candor.inc.

Disclosure: Candor is an app that will compete with some products named here. We describe every product, including Candor, from its own documentation, and we'll test them all with the same published method.

> **Short answer**
> - ScreenCaptureKit can deliver system audio; Core Audio taps can capture output from selected processes.
> - Microphone capture supplies your side of the call. System audio and microphone access have separate macOS controls.
> - System audio can be captured while you use headphones; it doesn't depend on remote voices reaching your microphone.
> - Bot-free capture alone proves neither on-device transcription nor an absence of participant notices.

We haven't run this test yet. Where a table shows a product's behaviour, it's what that product's maker says, checked on 4 November 2026.

## What does bot-free mean?

A bot-free recorder gets the conversation from the computer running the app or its microphone. It doesn't need a separate meeting participant to hear the call. This describes the route into the recorder; processing and storage happen afterward.

Think of a conference room with an interpreter wearing headphones. One recorder takes a feed from the interpreter's headset; another microphone hears people speaking in the room. Combining those feeds gives you both sides. A recorder aimed only at the room can miss the voices in the headphones. The Mac has the same split between playback audio and microphone input.

Apple documents access to those sources. The phrase “bot-free” doesn't tell you which API a particular app uses, or which sources it enables. Ask the vendor for its supported macOS versions and capture instructions before assuming every call will work. [1][3]

## How can a Mac app hear the other people in a call?

The meeting app plays remote voices as output audio. macOS can supply a digital copy to another app with the required access. The sound doesn't have to travel out of a speaker and back into a microphone.

| Capture path | What Apple documents | Limit to keep in mind |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ScreenCaptureKit | A configured stream delivers system audio as sample buffers. Audio capture must be enabled; it is off by default. [1][2] | Its audio filter works at the app level, even when the video selection is a single window. [4] |
| Core Audio process tap | A tap captures outgoing audio from a process or group of processes, with configurable mixdown. [3] | Apple's tap sample requires macOS 14.2 or later. That is a sample requirement, not proof that any particular note taker supports that version. |

The app-level filter is easy to miss. Apple's ScreenCaptureKit example selects one Safari window for video but captures audio from both Safari windows. Selecting the meeting window therefore doesn't necessarily isolate its sound. Close unrelated audio sources during a recording, especially when the call runs in a browser. An app may use another capture design; check its source controls. [4]

ScreenCaptureKit also supports screen capture. Its name and permission category don't establish whether a note taker saves screen images. Apple's sample registers separate outputs for screen frames and audio. A vendor must explain what its own app requests and saves. [1]

## How do system audio and microphone audio fit together?

Remote voices normally arrive through the meeting app's output. Your voice arrives through a microphone. Capturing the first source doesn't automatically capture the second.

Apple's published ScreenCaptureKit sample configures system audio and microphone capture separately, and delivers them through different output types. (That sample requires macOS 15 or later.) Apple's WWDC24 session explains how to select a microphone and receive its samples from the stream. An app can also obtain microphone input through a separate capture path. [1][5]

After capture, a recorder can keep the sources separate or combine them for transcription. Combining streams requires matching their timing and audio formats. Keeping them separate preserves the distinction between your microphone and the sound played by the computer. It doesn't give the software each remote participant's name: several remote voices can already be mixed into the same output.

Speaker separation is another processing step. A “Speaker 2” label and a verified person's name are different claims. The capture API alone supplies neither a reliable identity nor an accuracy guarantee.

With speakers, the microphone may pick up the remote voices as well as your own, creating a second copy of sound already present in the system stream. Headphones reduce that acoustic path. (They don't remove the need to select the right microphone.) An app's echo handling and mixing still need testing.

For an in-person meeting, the microphone hears everyone in the room. System audio cannot supply a separate track for each person sitting around the laptop. Test the seating and microphone placement you intend to use; clean capture and correct speaker labels are separate things to check.

## Why did meeting note takers use bots?

A bot gives a recording service its own connection to the meeting. That design lets it receive the conversation without capturing the output of your Mac. It also allows recording when you aren't attending: Otter documents that its Notetaker can join in your absence. Otter says the bot joins as a visible guest participant. [6]

That design can remain useful on a Mac with local capture support. Apple's own ScreenCaptureKit sessions demonstrated system audio capture in 2022. Bots remain a design choice even when a desktop capture API exists. [4][6]

Each route has a dependency. A desktop recorder needs the recording computer to receive the audio and run capture. A meeting bot needs admission to the call. Otter's troubleshooting page says its Notetaker cannot join when the host doesn't admit it from the waiting room. [7]

Choose the route around the job: recording a call you attend on a Mac is different from sending a service to a meeting you won't attend. Removing a participant bot changes the capture arrangement; the app still needs to turn sound into useful notes.

## What can other participants see?

The macOS permission dialog appears on the Mac requesting access. Its privacy indicators also appear on that Mac. Apple documents a purple dot for system audio recording and an orange dot for microphone use, but only one privacy indicator dot appears at a time. Control Centre may show which apps are using these sources. [8][9][10]

Local audio samples don't require an additional meeting participant. That is an inference from Apple's capture design, not a test of a meeting service's notification behaviour. Apple's API documentation doesn't promise that a particular recorder or meeting integration stays invisible.

| Signal | Where to check | What it establishes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| macOS permission request | Recording Mac | The app requests device access. It doesn't collect agreement from remote attendees. |
| Privacy indicator and Control Centre details | Recording Mac | macOS reports use of an audio source; it doesn't explain where the captured data goes. [9] |
| Bot participant | Meeting roster | A separate participant joined. Otter documents this for its Notetaker. [6] |
| Recording notice from the meeting service or recorder | Exact call and integration | Not verified for a bot-free product on this page. Check its documentation and an agreed test call. |

People who can see your screen may also see local UI. The Mac's own indicators are not evidence that everyone in the call received a notice.

Tell participants before recording and check your organization's rules. For legal requirements, consult qualified counsel about the laws that apply to the conversation. The US federal interception statute, [18 U.S.C. §2511](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2511), is one legal source, not a determination of what is allowed for your call. [11]

## What permissions should I check?

Apple's current Mac guide puts the controls under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording. It allows screen and audio access or audio-only access. Microphone access has a separate control under Privacy & Security → Microphone. Labels can differ on older macOS versions. [8][10]

For Core Audio taps, Apple requires an `NSAudioCaptureUsageDescription` entry explaining why the app wants system audio. Its sample prompts for system audio recording permission when recording first starts from an aggregate device containing a tap. ScreenCaptureKit's sample requests Screen Recording permission and requires an app restart after approval. These are different documented flows; don't expect identical prompts from every recorder. [1][3][12]

To check a recorder before a real meeting:

1. Start its capture setup and read the requested permission. Check the app's name before granting access.
2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording and review its access. Follow the app's restart instructions if it needs to reopen after approval.
3. Open Privacy & Security → Microphone and allow access if you want the app to hear you. Select the intended microphone in the recorder as well.
4. Arrange a short call with someone who agrees to the recording. Ask them to speak, then speak yourself. Use the headphones or speakers you plan to use later.
5. Open Control Centre to inspect audio use. Don't rely on a purple dot alone, since macOS shows only one privacy indicator dot at a time. [9]
6. Check that both sides reached the recording or transcript. If the app saves playable audio, listen to it; if it only keeps text, check both speakers' words. Record any missing speech before relying on it for a real meeting.

If only your voice appears, check system audio access and the selected app source. If only remote voices appear, check microphone access and the selected input. If neither appears, confirm capture actually started before changing more settings. Treat these as troubleshooting steps, not diagnoses proven for every app.

Consent is now being tested in court. Proposed class actions against Otter (filed 2025), Fireflies (2026) and Granola (2026) allege that each captured meeting participants without the notice or consent wiretap or biometric-privacy laws require. Each company disputes or has not yet answered the claims, and only the Otter court has ruled, letting some claims go forward, as of October 2026. When a notetaker joins without a visible bot, the person using it is responsible for telling the other participants [15][16][17].

## What this page can't tell you

Not verified: the capture API, default microphone setting, remote notices or data handling of any particular bot-free note taker. No app or meeting-platform test has been run for this page. The tables describe documentation and explicit gaps, not measured results.

A local capture can feed either an on-device model or a remote service. Audio may also be processed without the app keeping a playable recording. The capture API alone establishes neither the processing location nor retention. Before recording sensitive material, read the chosen vendor's current policy and settings; use the network-check guide to plan a separate check of what it sends.

## Frequently asked questions
### What is botless recording?

Botless recording captures a meeting through the computer running the app or its microphone, without adding a separate meeting participant. On a Mac, system audio can capture remote voices and the microphone can capture yours. [[1]][[3]]

### Will others know I’m recording without a bot?

A bot-free recorder does not add a meeting participant, but that alone does not establish whether others receive a notice. The capture method does not tell you what a particular app displays or saves. [[6]]

### How do I transcribe a Zoom meeting without a bot?

A Mac app can capture Zoom’s output through system audio and capture your voice through the microphone. The app still needs the relevant macOS access, and the capture route alone does not prove transcription stays on-device. [[1]][[3]][[8]][[10]]

### What does botless meeting recording mean?

It means the recorder gets audio from the computer or microphone instead of joining as a meeting participant. Processing and storage happen after that capture step. [[1]][[3]]

## About this page

Candor is being built as personal voice intelligence for everyone. You can join the Candor waitlist at candor.inc. Candor's own documentation is at [candor.inc/docs](https://candor.inc/docs).

<!-- candor:about start -->
Candor's docs on this page's topic: [Record a meeting](https://candor.inc/docs/meetings/recording), [Meeting capture and detection](https://candor.inc/docs/help/compatibility#meeting-capture-and-detection).
<!-- candor:about end -->

Last checked: 3 November 2026. This is a documentation-based explanation, with no product test results. Facts about Candor on this page come from Candor's documentation [14] and homepage. [13] Report an error to support@candor.inc.

## Sources

1. Capturing screen content in macOS — https://developer.apple.com/documentation/screencapturekit/capturing-screen-content-in-macos — checked 2026-11-04
2. ScreenCaptureKit: capturesAudio — https://developer.apple.com/documentation/screencapturekit/scstreamconfiguration/capturesaudio — checked 2026-11-04
3. Capturing system audio with Core Audio taps — https://developer.apple.com/documentation/CoreAudio/capturing-system-audio-with-core-audio-taps — checked 2026-11-04
4. Take ScreenCaptureKit to the next level, WWDC22 — https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2022/10155/ — checked 2026-11-04
5. Capture HDR content with ScreenCaptureKit, WWDC24 — https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2024/10088/ — checked 2026-11-04
6. Otter Notetaker Overview — https://help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/4425393298327-Otter-Notetaker-Overview — checked 2026-11-04
7. Notetaker is not joining my Zoom meeting — https://help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/24981554316567-Notetaker-is-not-joining-my-Zoom-meeting — checked 2026-11-04
8. Control access to screen and system audio recording on Mac — https://support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/mac-help/mchld6aa7d23/27/mac/27 — checked 2026-11-04
9. What's in the menu bar on Mac? — https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlp1446/27/mac/27 — checked 2026-11-04
10. Control access to the microphone on Mac — https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchla1b1e1fe/27/mac/27 — checked 2026-11-04
11. 18 U.S.C. §2511, statutory text via Cornell LII — https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2511 — checked 2026-11-04
12. NSAudioCaptureUsageDescription — https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/information-property-list/nsaudiocaptureusagedescription — checked 2026-11-04
13. Candor homepage — https://candor.inc/ — checked 2026-11-04
14. Candor documentation — https://candor.inc/docs — checked 2026-11-04

15. In re Otter.AI Privacy Litigation, 5:25-cv-06911 (N.D. Cal.), docket — https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71118721/in-re-otterai-privacy-litigation/ — checked 2026-11-03
16. Fricker v. Fireflies.AI Corp., 1:26-cv-02675 (N.D. Ill.), docket — https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72385478/fricker-v-firefliesai-corp/ — checked 2026-11-03
17. Chamberlain v. Granola, Inc., 3:26-cv-07926 (N.D. Cal.), docket — https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73698016/chamberlain-v-granola-inc/ — checked 2026-11-03