Beta Software - The BuildBetter Local Recorder is currently in beta.

Settings Reference

Access Settings from the Dashboard by clicking the gear icon in the sidebar, from the menu bar dropdown, or by searching with ⌘K / Ctrl+K. Settings open as an integrated in-app page with sidebar navigation and built-in search. Search results can take you directly to the relevant setting, which is useful when you need to adjust permissions, meeting detection, dictation, AI providers, or appearance without browsing every section.

General Settings

Audio Devices

The app uses your system defaults automatically. Only change these if you have multiple audio devices and need to select a specific one.

Setting	Description
Microphone	Select which microphone to use for recording
System Audio	Select which audio output to capture

Use System Default: Select this option to always use whatever device macOS has set as default. This is recommended for most users.

If you change audio devices (e.g., plug in a USB mic), the app will use the new system default automatically if “Use System Default” is selected.

Recording Preferences

Setting	Description	Default
Auto-transcribe recordings	Automatically transcribe when recording stops	On
Launch at login	Start the app when you log into macOS	On
Offline mode	Work without network connection	On
Auto-open notes on recording	Open the notes panel when you start recording	Off
Retain audio for transcripts	Keep the audio needed to generate or regenerate transcripts later	On

Meeting Detection

Basic Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Enable meeting detection	Detect meetings using mic, apps, and network	On
Advanced detection	Also check browser URLs (requires Automation permission)	Off
Auto-record on meeting	Automatically start/stop recording	On

Detection Sensitivity

Controls when the app shows the “Record this meeting?” prompt.

Level	Threshold	Best For
Low	40% confidence	Catching more potential meetings
Medium	60% confidence	Balanced approach
High	85% confidence	Fewer false positives (Recommended)
Very High	95% confidence	Only obvious meetings

Auto-Record Threshold

Controls when automatic recording starts (if auto-record is enabled).

Level	Threshold	Behavior
Medium	60%	More aggressive auto-recording
High	85%	Balanced (Recommended)
Very High	95%	Only very confident detections

Auto-Stop Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Auto-stop when meeting ends	Automatically stop recording when the meeting ends	Off
Grace period	Wait time before stopping (prevents false stops)	30 seconds

Calendar Access

Calendar-based meeting detection can be connected or disconnected from inside the app. Disconnecting calendar access fully stops calendar reading and calendar-based meeting detection until you reconnect.

Hide Until Meeting

Setting	Description	Default
Hide until meeting	Keep the floating bar hidden until a meeting is detected	Off

When enabled, the recorder runs silently in the background and only appears when it detects a meeting.

Appearance

Theme

Option	Description
Dark	Dark background, light text
Light	Light background, dark text

Window Style

Style	Description
Floating Bar	Draggable window that can be placed anywhere on screen
Notch Mode	Compact mode that tucks into the MacBook notch area

Dictation

Hotkey Behavior

Setting	Description
Hold to dictate	Dictate while the hotkey is held, then paste when released
Tap to toggle	Start dictation with one press and stop with another
Double-tap to toggle	Use a double-tap gesture as the toggle
Esc to cancel	Cancel active dictation without pasting text

Dictation Engine

Choose a specific dictation engine or let the app automatically select the best available option. Engine choices can include local transcription for privacy-first use and cloud transcription when you are signed in or have configured a supported provider.

Cleanup and Snippets

Setting	Description
Cleanup dictated text	Add punctuation, remove filler words, and format dictated text before paste
Save failed dictation audio	Preserve captured audio in Snippets when transcription fails so you can retry
Snippets library	Store reusable dictated clips for later search, retry, or reuse

AI Models

Transcription and Dictation

Manage speech-to-text providers and local models:

Action	Description
Download	Download additional local transcription models
Set Active	Choose which model or provider to use for transcription
Delete	Remove downloaded models to free space
Automatic Selection	Let the app pick an available local or cloud engine based on your setup

Available Models:

Model	Size	Description
Base English	140MB	Fast, accurate for English
Small	460MB	Multi-language support
Medium	1.5GB	Higher accuracy

AI Chat (LLM)

Manage local language models:

Action	Description
Download	Download LLM models for AI chat
Enable/Disable	Turn AI chat feature on or off

Available Models:

Model	Size	Description
Llama 3.2 3B	2GB	Recommended - good balance
Llama 3.2 1B	700MB	Faster, less capable

If a selected cloud option is unavailable because you are signed out or no workspace is selected, the app can fall back to an available local option and show a clearer status message.

Recording Library and Playback

Setting or Area	Description
Call Recordings	Manage meeting recordings and cloud playback availability
Screen Recordings	Manage captured videos and transcript generation
Snippets	Review dictated clips and retry failed dictation when audio was captured
Favorites	Keep important recordings and snippets in one place
Folders	Organize recordings by project, customer, or workflow
Archive	Move older items out of active views without deleting them

Supported cloud recordings can be played in the app. If a playback link expires, the recorder refreshes it automatically when possible.

Privacy & Security

Content Protection

Setting	Description	Default
Hide from screenshots	Prevent the app from appearing in screenshots and screen recordings	On

When enabled, the recorder window appears black in screenshots and screen shares.

Data Location

View where your recordings are stored:

~/Documents/BuildBetter Recordings/

About

Version Information

View current app version and check for updates.

Action	Description
Check for Updates	Look for new versions
Current Version	Shows installed version number

The update button appears only when a newer version is available.

Support Links

Documentation: Link to these docs
Report a Bug: Submit issues on GitHub
Request a Feature: Suggest improvements

Permissions Reference

The app may request these macOS permissions:

Permission	Location in System Settings	Required?
Microphone	Privacy & Security → Microphone	Yes
Screen Recording	Privacy & Security → Screen Recording	Yes (for system audio)
Accessibility	Privacy & Security → Accessibility	Optional (for meeting detection)
Automation	Privacy & Security → Automation	Optional (for browser URL detection)

Granting Permissions

Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
Go to Privacy & Security
Select the permission type
Enable the toggle for BuildBetter.ai Recorder

After granting Screen Recording permission, you may need to restart the app for changes to take effect.

Resetting Settings

To reset all settings to defaults:

Quit the app completely

Delete the preferences file:

rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.buildbetter.recorder/

Restart the app

This will reset all settings but will not delete your recordings.

Getting Started

Using the App

Help

Settings Reference

Settings Reference

General Settings

Audio Devices

Recording Preferences

Meeting Detection

Basic Settings

Detection Sensitivity

Auto-Record Threshold

Auto-Stop Settings

Calendar Access

Hide Until Meeting

Appearance

Theme

Window Style

Dictation

Hotkey Behavior

Dictation Engine

Cleanup and Snippets

AI Models

Transcription and Dictation

AI Chat (LLM)

Recording Library and Playback

Privacy & Security

Content Protection

Data Location

About

Version Information

Support Links

Permissions Reference

Granting Permissions

Resetting Settings

​Settings Reference

​General Settings

​Audio Devices

​Recording Preferences

​Meeting Detection

​Basic Settings

​Detection Sensitivity

​Auto-Record Threshold

​Auto-Stop Settings

​Calendar Access

​Hide Until Meeting

​Appearance

​Theme

​Window Style

​Dictation

​Hotkey Behavior

​Dictation Engine

​Cleanup and Snippets

​AI Models

​Transcription and Dictation

​AI Chat (LLM)

​Recording Library and Playback

​Privacy & Security

​Content Protection

​Data Location

​About

​Version Information

​Support Links

​Permissions Reference

​Granting Permissions

​Resetting Settings

Settings Reference

General Settings

Audio Devices

Recording Preferences

Meeting Detection

Basic Settings

Detection Sensitivity

Auto-Record Threshold

Auto-Stop Settings

Calendar Access

Hide Until Meeting

Appearance

Theme

Window Style

Dictation

Hotkey Behavior

Dictation Engine

Cleanup and Snippets

AI Models

Transcription and Dictation

AI Chat (LLM)

Recording Library and Playback

Privacy & Security

Content Protection

Data Location

About

Version Information

Support Links

Permissions Reference

Granting Permissions

Resetting Settings