Quick Start

What do I need to run MimicScribe?

  • macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later
  • Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer)
  • ~830 MB disk space for speech recognition, speaker diarization, and document retrieval models

How do I install it?

Download MimicScribe from mimicscribe.app. Drag to Applications and launch — it appears in your menu bar, not the Dock.

What happens on first launch?

A setup wizard walks through three pages:

  1. Models & permissions — Downloads speech recognition, speaker diarization, and document retrieval models (~830 MB). Also grants Microphone and System Audio Recording Only permissions. A progress bar shows status; if the download fails, a Retry button appears.
  2. Meeting & voice typing — Set your Meeting hotkey (default: Control+Space), choose a preferred microphone, and optionally enable voice typing tools (Insert Mode and Transform Mode). If voice typing is enabled, Accessibility permission is requested the first time you use it.
  3. Finish — Choose launch-at-login, anonymous usage signals, and anonymous crash logs.

What permissions does MimicScribe need?

PermissionWhat it enablesWhen required
MicrophoneAll speech inputAlways
System Audio Recording OnlyCapturing audio from video callsAlways
AccessibilityKeyboard shortcuts, reading selected text, pasting resultsOnly if voice typing is enabled
CalendarsPulling attendee names into meeting prep notesOnly if calendar auto-fetch is enabled

Grant or re-grant these in System Settings > Privacy & Security.

What are the default hotkeys?

ActionDefault
Start / Stop MeetingHold Control + Space
Meeting Assistant (toggle)Control + Space (while recording)
Voice Input (meeting window)Cmd + D (when meeting window is active)
Insert ModeLeft Option (tap to toggle, or hold for push-to-talk)
Transform ModeLeft Option + Shift (tap to toggle, or hold for push-to-talk)
CancelEscape

Meeting hotkeys can be changed in Settings > Meeting Recording. Voice typing hotkeys are in Settings > Voice Typing.