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Help Center · Capture

Windows, Mac, and Linux

Desktop capture is a local agent. The website remains the product UI. The agent records microphone and system audio and uploads to your account so you can take notes in the browser (or in the Windows / Mac / Linux product window).

Windows native app

New in 2026-09-21: The Windows app is a native WinUI 3 / Windows App SDK client — not a WebView wrapper. The same ss-capture.exe agent handles recording, just like the older Tauri shell did.

Install from summitscribe.app/beta/windows (beta channel) or summitscribe.app/downloads/windows/stable (stable). The installer bundles the capture agent + ffmpeg.exe — no manual dependencies.

Daily loop:

  1. Launch SummitScribe from the Start menu.
  2. The Dashboard opens — recent meetings, capture state, Record / Open in browser / Settings tiles. Sign in is once via the browser-connect flow (System tray → Settings → Sign in, or Dashboard if signed out). JWT paste is never required.
  3. Press Ctrl+N to record, Ctrl+. to stop. Region screenshot is Ctrl+Shift+S. Settings is Ctrl+,.
  4. Notes + AI + photos live at summitscribe.app — the dashboard's Open in browser button takes you there, or the optional in-app WebView2 pane (toggle in Settings) keeps it inside this window.
  5. Close the window while recording → the shell hides to the tray and capture continues. Quit (System tray → Quit) finalizes capture and exits cleanly.

System audio uses Windows loopback (WASAPI). Meeting apps often play call audio on the communications device (headset). The agent prefers that endpoint when it differs from speakers.

If you start recording before anyone is speaking, the app may briefly show microphone-only, then flip to system audio once sound actually plays (up to a bounded wait). If both endpoints are silent at start, it defaults to the console (speakers) device you are likely listening to.

Updates arrive via signed Velopack delta releases — the shell checks at startup + on demand (Settings → Updates) and applies on the next quit.

If you previously installed the Tauri-based Windows shell: the new package uses the same app.summitscribe.desktop AppUserModelID so taskbar pins + jump lists survive the upgrade. The two shells can coexist during the transition; uninstall the Tauri build once you're settled on the new one.

Mac

The Mac app is the Tauri product window: it loads live summitscribe.app and records microphone plus system audio (ScreenCaptureKit). Min macOS 13.

  1. Open the app. Use Connect in this window — do not finish only in Safari.
  2. After Connect, tap Record. Capture starts from the signed-in session on this Mac.
  3. macOS may ask for Screen Recording (audio from other apps) and the microphone. Allow both for duplex.
  4. Stop from the title bar. Take notes in the same window.

The capture helper does not bounce a second Dock icon. Region screenshot uses the system interactive select (not a silent fullscreen grab).

The native Mac app is not yet shipped — the Tauri shell remains the production Mac client.

Linux

Linux uses the Tauri product shell: ss-capture plus a tray. Install with the .deb, .rpm, or AppImage from the desktop package docs. Distro ffmpeg and PipeWire are expected. A native Linux shell is not yet shipped — capture and upload already work.

Sign in (do not paste tokens)

  1. Start the desktop app / tray.
  2. Choose Sign in or Connect. A browser or in-window Connect flow opens.
  3. Log in on summitscribe.app.
  4. The session is posted to the local app. You should never copy a JWT or set an environment token.

On Mac, Connect stays in the product window.

During capture

  • The agent creates the meeting at start so you can open notes on the web without starting a second browser recorder.
  • Meetings stamped as desktop capture skip the website microphone.
  • Take notes in the web meeting, or in the offline notes editor if you are disconnected.
  • Region screenshot (not a silent fullscreen grab) attaches a picture when you need a slide or window.

Offline

Audio, notes, and images sit on disk first (under your user data directory). The agent retries upload when you are online, about every 15 seconds, and you can run a manual sync. See Offline.

Website button

On Home, Record with desktop app appears next to browser Start Recording when you are on a computer. If the tray is off, the button still shows and explains that the app is off. The website does not hide browser recording just because the tray exists.

Billing

Windows and Mac use Stripe, same as the website — not Google Play. See Plans and billing.

Video calls on an iPhone

If you are already in Webex, Zoom, or Teams on an iPhone, that phone cannot capture the call. Put the meeting on this computer and Record here. See iOS app.