1
A bot joins the call
The notetaker joins Zoom, Teams or Meet as a participant and records from there, on the company's servers. Everyone sees it in the list. It can record a meeting you're not at.
Guide · 2 October 2026
Meeting notes without a bot in the call.
Some notetakers join your meeting as a participant. Others record from your computer, so nothing joins. And a few also keep the transcript on your computer, so nothing is uploaded. Here's how to tell them apart.
I make Quern; Quern for Mac is coming soon. What each other app does is from its own website, read on 2 October 2026, linked beside it. For prices, see Quern and cloud notetakers.
Three ways to hear a call.
"No bot" answers one question: does something join the meeting. Where the audio goes is a second one.
2
An app records, online services transcribe
An app on your computer records the call's sound and your microphone, so nothing joins. The audio is sent to a transcription service as you go, and the notes are kept in your account online.
3
An app records and transcribes
The same recording on your computer, but the transcript and summary are made there too. Nothing joins the call and nothing is uploaded. It only works for calls on that computer, and only for you.
Who does what.
From each company's own website on 2 October 2026. Things change: follow the links for today's.
| App | How it hears the call | Where it's transcribed | What's kept, and where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fireflies | Its notetaker, Fred, joins the meeting: you invite it, or let it join your calendar’s meetings. | On Fireflies’ side: the bot runs there, not on your computer | In your Fireflies account | fireflies.ai |
| Otter | Either its meeting agent, which you invite to Zoom calls, or its Mac and Windows app, which records without a bot. | Otter’s service, online | On Amazon Web Services storage, Otter says | meeting agent, desktop app, security |
| Granola | Its Mac and Windows app; it doesn’t add a bot to the call. | Transcription providers such as Deepgram and Assembly, as the call happens | The transcript and your notes; Granola says it doesn’t store the audio | granola.ai/security |
| Quern for Mac (coming soon) | The call app’s sound and your microphone, recorded on your Mac. No bot. | On your Mac, with Apple’s speech recognition and Apple Intelligence | On your Mac, with the audio. The app has no network access | Quern for Mac |
Which suits you.
Each way is right for someone. These are the questions that decide it.
Notes from meetings you miss
Only a bot can be in a call you aren't. If that's what you need, a bot-based notetaker does it.
Notes shared across a team
Cloud notetakers keep notes in a shared account. Quern is for one person's recordings, which you export or share yourself.
No bot in the call
An app on your computer: Granola, Otter's desktop app, or Quern for Mac when it's out.
Nothing leaves your Mac
An app that also transcribes on the computer. Quern for Mac makes the transcript, speakers and summary on the Mac, and isn't allowed to use the network. Quern for Mac
With no bot, telling people is up to you.
A bot in the participant list tells everyone a notetaker is there. Without one, nobody knows unless you say. Let people know you're recording, at the start and in the chat. Recording laws vary, and some places need everyone's agreement.
How-tos: record a Zoom call on a Mac without a bot, and transcribe Teams and Meet calls on a Mac.
Quern for Mac · Coming soon
Quern for Mac is coming soon.
Records your Zoom, Teams and Meet calls on your Mac. No bot joins. Nothing is uploaded.
Tell me when Quern for Mac is out.
The plan: free for 30 days, then £19.99 once, with one purchase covering iPhone and Mac. Requires a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26.4 or later. More about Quern for Mac
Questions
Anything else: support, or [email protected]
Is there a notetaker that doesn’t join the meeting?
Yes, several. Granola's app records from your computer and doesn't add a bot to the call, and Otter's desktop app records Zoom, Google Meet and Slack huddles without one (Granola, Otter). Granola transcribes with online providers, and Otter keeps its data on Amazon Web Services (Otter). Quern for Mac, coming soon, also records without a bot and does the transcription on your Mac.
Is there a Granola alternative that works offline?
Quern for Mac, coming soon. Like Granola, it records the call from your Mac with no bot; unlike Granola, the transcript, speaker labels and summary are all made on the Mac, so it works with no connection. Granola and Quern, side by side.
Do the other people know if there’s no bot?
Not unless you tell them. A bot shows up in the participant list; an app on your computer doesn't. That makes telling people your job: say so at the start, and put it in the chat. Quern gives every call a line to copy into the chat.
Why do some notetakers use a bot?
A bot can record a call you aren’t at, record for a whole team, and work whatever device you use. An app on your computer records only the calls you join on that computer.
What does Quern for Mac need?
A Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26.4 or later. Summaries need Apple Intelligence turned on.