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

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Settings Reference

Access Settings from the Dashboard by clicking the gear icon in the sidebar, or from the menu bar dropdown.

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General Settings

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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.
SettingDescription
MicrophoneSelect which microphone to use for recording
System AudioSelect 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.

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Recording Preferences

SettingDescriptionDefault
Auto-transcribe recordingsAutomatically transcribe when recording stopsOn
Launch at loginStart the app when you log into macOSOn
Offline modeWork without network connectionOn
Auto-open notes on recordingOpen the notes panel when you start recordingOff

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Meeting Detection

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Basic Settings

SettingDescriptionDefault
Enable meeting detectionDetect meetings using mic, apps, and networkOn
Advanced detectionAlso check browser URLs (requires Automation permission)Off
Auto-record on meetingAutomatically start/stop recordingOn

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Detection Sensitivity

Controls when the app shows the “Record this meeting?” prompt.
LevelThresholdBest For
Low40% confidenceCatching more potential meetings
Medium60% confidenceBalanced approach
High85% confidenceFewer false positives (Recommended)
Very High95% confidenceOnly obvious meetings

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Auto-Record Threshold

Controls when automatic recording starts (if auto-record is enabled).
LevelThresholdBehavior
Medium60%More aggressive auto-recording
High85%Balanced (Recommended)
Very High95%Only very confident detections

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Auto-Stop Settings

SettingDescriptionDefault
Auto-stop when meeting endsAutomatically stop recording when the meeting endsOff
Grace periodWait time before stopping (prevents false stops)30 seconds

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Hide Until Meeting

SettingDescriptionDefault
Hide until meetingKeep the floating bar hidden until a meeting is detectedOff
When enabled, the recorder runs silently in the background and only appears when it detects a meeting.

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Appearance

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Theme

OptionDescription
DarkDark background, light text
LightLight background, dark text

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Window Style

StyleDescription
Floating BarDraggable window that can be placed anywhere on screen
Notch ModeCompact mode that tucks into the MacBook notch area

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AI Models

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Transcription (Whisper)

Manage speech-to-text models:
ActionDescription
DownloadDownload additional Whisper models
Set ActiveChoose which model to use for transcription
DeleteRemove downloaded models to free space
Available Models:
ModelSizeDescription
Base English140MBFast, accurate for English
Small460MBMulti-language support
Medium1.5GBHigher accuracy

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AI Chat (LLM)

Manage local language models:
ActionDescription
DownloadDownload LLM models for AI chat
Enable/DisableTurn AI chat feature on or off
Available Models:
ModelSizeDescription
Llama 3.2 3B2GBRecommended - good balance
Llama 3.2 1B700MBFaster, less capable

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Privacy & Security

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Content Protection

SettingDescriptionDefault
Hide from screenshotsPrevent the app from appearing in screenshots and screen recordingsOn
When enabled, the recorder window appears black in screenshots and screen shares.

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Data Location

View where your recordings are stored: 
~/Documents/BuildBetter Recordings/

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About

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Version Information

View current app version and check for updates.
ActionDescription
Check for UpdatesLook for new versions
Current VersionShows installed version number
  • Documentation: Link to these docs
  • Report a Bug: Submit issues on GitHub
  • Request a Feature: Suggest improvements

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Permissions Reference

The app may request these macOS permissions:
PermissionLocation in System SettingsRequired?
MicrophonePrivacy & Security → MicrophoneYes
Screen RecordingPrivacy & Security → Screen RecordingYes (for system audio)
AccessibilityPrivacy & Security → AccessibilityOptional (for meeting detection)
AutomationPrivacy & Security → AutomationOptional (for browser URL detection)

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Granting Permissions

  1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
  2. Go to Privacy & Security
  3. Select the permission type
  4. Enable the toggle for BuildBetter.ai Recorder
After granting Screen Recording permission, you may need to restart the app for changes to take effect.

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Resetting Settings

To reset all settings to defaults:
  1. Quit the app completely
  2. Delete the preferences file: 
    rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.buildbetter.recorder/
  3. Restart the app
This will reset all settings but will not delete your recordings.