A bot-free AI note taker records your meeting from your own computer instead of sending a bot into the call. It captures your microphone and the call audio playing on your Mac or PC, then writes the transcript, summary and action items. Nothing joins the call as a participant, and it works with any app that plays sound, including Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.
Unidesk is a bot-free AI note taker for Apple-silicon Macs and Windows 10 or 11 PCs. On the Free plan, transcripts and summaries are made on your computer, with no time limit and no card.
Tell people you're recording
Bot-free does not mean secret. Recording laws differ by place, and some US states require everyone on the call to agree. Tell everyone before you record, including people who join later, and stop if anyone objects. You are responsible for following the recording laws that apply to you.
How bot-free recording works
- Your computer captures the audio. The app records your mic and your computer's sound, so it hears everyone on the call, even with headphones on.
- The audio becomes a transcript. A speech-to-text model turns the recording into text. In Unidesk this runs on your computer by default, or in the cloud on a paid plan.
- A language model writes the notes. You get a summary, decisions and action items with owners and deadlines.
Because nothing joins the call, there is no bot to admit and no meeting link to share with a third party.
Bot-free vs a meeting bot
| Feature | Bot-free (on your computer) | Meeting bot |
|---|---|---|
| Joins the call as a participant | No | Yes |
| Works with any app that plays sound | Yes | Only the meeting platforms the bot supports |
| Needs a meeting link | No | Yes |
| Can work without internet | Yes, if transcription runs on your computer | No |
| Can record a meeting you don't attend | No | Some can, for example Otter's Notetaker |
Other bot-free note takers
Several apps now record without a bot. These statements are quoted from each vendor's own site, as checked on 24 October 2026.
| App | What the vendor says |
|---|---|
| Granola | "Uses your computer audio, so doesn't invite a bot." Available for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. Audio is passed to a transcription provider (source). |
| Jamie | "Jamie runs on your device without a bot joining your calls." |
| Meetily | Open source. "Transcription runs 100% locally on your device by default." Windows and macOS. |
| MacWhisper | A Mac app that "records all your online meetings. No bots joining." |
What Unidesk offers
- Free AI on your computer, on Mac and Windows. Unlimited meetings, transcripts and summaries on the Free plan, made by models running on your machine. Your meeting audio, transcripts and summaries stay on your computer.
- Your data stays local. Recordings, transcripts, summaries and notes live in a database and folder on your computer. There is no cloud sync or cloud backup.
- One app after the call. Notes, tasks, whiteboards, a time tracker and dictation into any app sit next to your meetings.
- Cloud when you want speed. Pro and Max add cloud transcripts and summaries for older laptops. Unidesk doesn't store cloud audio on its servers; the model providers process it under their own terms. We don't use your meetings to train AI models.
When another app is a better fit
- You need a phone app. Unidesk runs on Mac and Windows only. Granola lists iOS and Android apps.
- You use an Intel Mac or Linux. Unidesk doesn't support them yet.
- Your team needs shared notes in the cloud. Unidesk keeps meetings on your computer and doesn't sync them.
- You need on-device transcripts in a language other than English. Unidesk's on-device transcripts are currently in English.
- Your computer has less than 16 GB of memory. On-device AI needs a capable machine. On an older laptop, use a cloud plan or a cloud app.
Questions
Does Unidesk join my call? No. It listens on your computer, so it doesn't join the call as a participant. Tell people you're recording anyway.
Does it work with Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams? Yes. It works with any app that plays sound, including the desktop apps and calls in the browser. On a Mac, Unidesk can also spot a call starting and offer to record.
Does it work offline? Yes, on the Free plan, after a one-time download of the on-device models. Transcripts and summaries are then made on your computer without an internet connection.
What computer do I need? A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later), or a Windows 10 or 11 PC. On-device AI runs best with 24 GB of memory; 16 GB works, but slower.
Download Unidesk free for Mac or Windows.
Granola, Jamie, Meetily, MacWhisper, Otter.ai, Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are trademarks of their respective owners. They are named only to identify the products discussed. Unidesk is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. Statements about other products are quoted from their public websites on the date shown and may have changed since; check their sites for current information.