# Advanced Dictation Settings
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/dictation/advanced-settings
Choose how dictation shortcuts behave, import voice notes, pause background audio, and tune recording feedback.
The main [Dictation](/dictation/overview) workflow is intentionally simple, but a few settings let you make it fit the way you work.
## Choose A Shortcut Mode
Open **Settings -> Shortcuts -> Dictation** and choose **Shortcut mode**:
| Mode | Behavior |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Click + hold** | Tap once to start or stop, or hold the shortcut and release it to finish. This is the default. |
| **Click only** | Press once to start and press again to stop. |
| **Hold only** | Dictation runs only while the shortcut is held down. |
The shortcut itself can be a preset or a custom key combination. Snaply warns you about conflicts with the Writing Assistant and Meeting Notes shortcuts.
## Import A Voice Note
You do not need to record inside Snaply. From the **Dictation** page, click **Upload Voice Note** and choose a local audio file.
Supported formats:
* `WAV`
* `M4A`
* `MP3`
Snaply converts the file, transcribes it with your selected dictation model, and adds the result to **Recent Transcriptions**. The imported audio follows the same local history and retention behavior as a normal dictation.
## Pause Background Audio
Open **Settings -> Dictation** and enable **Auto-Pause Audio** if you want Snaply to pause music and videos when dictation starts. This is useful when media playing on your Mac would otherwise be picked up as background sound.
You can also enable **Dictation sound** in **Settings -> General** to hear a sound when recording starts and stops.
## Choose Punctuation Behavior
Under **Settings -> Dictation -> Punctuation behaviour**, choose:
* **Automatic**: Snaply adds punctuation from the way you speak.
* **Explicit**: in English, say words such as “comma”, “dot”, “question mark”, or “new line”. Other languages use automatic punctuation.
See [Punctuation](/dictation/punctuation) for examples and tradeoffs.
## Recover A Failed Dictation
If a transcription cannot be inserted, the result can still appear in history. From **Recent Transcriptions**, you can copy it, replay the audio, transcribe it again, show the audio file in Finder, or delete it. Audio is retained locally for seven days; after that, the text can remain while replay and retranscription are no longer available.
## Related Pages
* [Dictation overview](/dictation/overview)
* [Shortcuts](/dictation/shortcuts)
* [Clipboard behavior](/dictation/clipboard)
* [History](/dictation/history)
# Clipboard Behavior
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/dictation/clipboard
Choose what Snaply does with your clipboard after dictation.
Snaply tries to insert [dictation](/dictation/overview) directly into the active app. The **Clipboard behavior** setting decides whether that dictated text should also stay in your clipboard afterward.
## Available Modes
### Never save
* Snaply inserts the dictated text into the active app.
* Your previous clipboard contents are restored afterward.
* If insertion cannot be confirmed, Snaply does **not** leave the dictated text on your clipboard.
### If paste fails (Default)
* Snaply tries to insert the dictated text directly.
* If insertion succeeds, your clipboard is restored.
* If insertion cannot be confirmed, Snaply keeps the dictated text on your clipboard so you can paste it yourself.
This is the default because it gives you a fallback without overwriting your clipboard after every successful dictation.
### Always save
* Snaply inserts the dictated text into the active app.
* The dictated text also stays on your clipboard after dictation finishes.
## Which One Should You Use?
* Use **Never save** if you rely on your clipboard constantly and do not want Snaply to touch it after dictation.
* Use **If paste fails** if you want the safest general default.
* Use **Always save** if you often want to paste the same dictated text somewhere else right away.
## Change Clipboard Behavior
1. Go to **Settings -> Dictation**.
2. Find **Clipboard behavior**.
3. Choose **Never save**, **If paste fails**, or **Always save**.
When Snaply uses the clipboard as a fallback, the dictated text still remains local on your Mac.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Dictation overview](/dictation/overview)
* [Review dictation history](/dictation/history)
* [Change your dictation shortcut](/dictation/shortcuts)
# Custom Words
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/dictation/custom-words
Teach Snaply your names, acronyms, and jargon so AI dictation on Mac transcribes your vocabulary more accurately and keeps everyday writing flowing.
**Your work has its own language.** Snaply lets you teach [dictation](/dictation/overview) the names, acronyms, product terms, company jargon, and uncommon spellings that matter to you.
## What A Custom Word Does
Each entry has:
* The **final word** you want in the transcript
* Optional **misspellings or variants** that should resolve to that word
This is most useful when Snaply consistently hears the right term the wrong way.
## Good Use Cases
| Use case | Without custom words | With custom words |
| --------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------- |
| Technical terms | "EBITDA" -> "a bit da" | "EBITDA" -> "EBITDA" |
| Company names | "Nvidia" -> "in video" | "Nvidia" -> "Nvidia" |
| Acronyms | "LLM" -> "el el em" | "LLM" -> "LLM" |
| Product names | "Jira" -> "jeer a" | "Jira" -> "Jira" |
| Industry jargon | "SaaS" -> "sass" | "SaaS" -> "SaaS" |
Custom words are not just cosmetic. They also help Snaply's runtime vocabulary recognize unusual terms more reliably, which makes everyday dictation feel much smoother once your common vocabulary is covered.
## Add A Word
Click on **Settings** in the bottom left corner of Snaply.
![Open Settings]()
Navigate to the **Dictation** section in the settings menu.
![Select Dictation Settings]()
Find the **Words dictionary** section and click **Configure**.
![Open Custom Dictionary]()
Type the word you want to add and press **Enter** or click **Add word**.
![Open Custom Dictionary]()
## Add Common Misspellings
After adding the main word, you can attach the mistakes Snaply is most likely to make under it.
Examples:
* `Snaply` with misspellings like `snapy` or `snapply`
* `FluidAudio` with a misspelling like `Fluidaudio`
* `Giacomo` with variants that people often pronounce or spell differently
Each word can store up to **10** misspellings or variants.
## Tips
* Add words after **real misses** instead of trying to predict everything up front.
* Focus on **names, acronyms, products, and domain-specific words** first.
* Add misspellings only for **repeated failures**, not every imaginable variation.
## Managing Your Dictionary
From **Settings -> Dictation -> Words dictionary**, you can:
* Search by word or misspelling
* Sort alphabetically or by newest
* Add and remove misspellings
* Delete words you no longer need
If you want to change the main word itself, remove the old entry and add it again with the spelling you want.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Dictation overview](/dictation/overview)
* [Add text snippets for repeated phrases](/dictation/snippets)
* [Review punctuation options](/dictation/punctuation)
# History
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/dictation/history
Review, replay, retry, and manage past dictations
Snaply keeps a local history of recent [dictations](/dictation/overview) on the **Dictation** page, so a good take does not disappear the moment you move on.
## What You Can Do
Open **Dictation** from the sidebar and look for **Recent Transcriptions**. For each item, you can:
* Read the saved text
* Copy the text to your clipboard
* Replay the original recording
* Retranscribe the recording
* Reveal the audio file in Finder
* Delete the transcription entry
* Select multiple entries and delete them together
If a transcription fails, Snaply keeps the entry in history and lets you retry it later from the saved recording.
## Bulk Cleanup
Use selection mode when you want to clean up several history items at once.
You can select individual transcriptions, select all visible items, unselect everything, and delete the selected entries in one action.
## What Gets Saved
Each item can include:
* The final transcription text
* The date and time
* Recording duration
* Detected language
* The original audio file, when it is still available
## Audio Retention
Snaply stores transcription history locally on your Mac.
* The text history stays local.
* The source audio is saved locally so you can replay or retranscribe it.
* Audio files are automatically cleaned up after 7 days.
After the audio file has been cleaned up, the text entry can still remain in history, but replay, retranscribe, and Finder actions are no longer available for that item.
## Privacy
Dictation history is local-only. Audio and transcription text do not need to leave your Mac for normal dictation.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Dictation overview](/dictation/overview)
* [Adjust clipboard behavior](/dictation/clipboard)
* [Add custom words for better accuracy](/dictation/custom-words)
# Languages
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/dictation/languages
See which languages Snaply supports for AI dictation on Mac, when to choose English or Multi-language, and how language settings affect transcription.
In the app, Snaply shows two [dictation](/dictation/overview) language choices:
* **English**
* **Multi-language**
That is the choice you make in the app. Behind the scenes, Snaply may use a smaller or larger local model depending on your Mac's available memory, but the user-facing setup remains the same.
## Which One Should You Pick?
### English
Use **English** if you mostly dictate in English and want the simplest setup.
### Multi-language
Use **Multi-language** if you speak any supported non-English language or switch languages often.
Snaply supports 25 European languages in Multi-language mode:
| Language | Code | Language | Code |
| ---------- | ---- | ---------- | ---- |
| Bulgarian | `bg` | Maltese | `mt` |
| Croatian | `hr` | Polish | `pl` |
| Czech | `cs` | Portuguese | `pt` |
| Danish | `da` | Romanian | `ro` |
| Dutch | `nl` | Russian | `ru` |
| English | `en` | Slovak | `sk` |
| Estonian | `et` | Slovenian | `sl` |
| Finnish | `fi` | Spanish | `es` |
| French | `fr` | Swedish | `sv` |
| German | `de` | Ukrainian | `uk` |
| Greek | `el` | | |
| Hungarian | `hu` | | |
| Italian | `it` | | |
| Latvian | `lv` | | |
| Lithuanian | `lt` | | |
## Default Selection
On first launch, Snaply chooses a starting option from your Mac's primary language:
* If your Mac is set to English, Snaply starts with **English**.
* If your Mac's primary language is one of the supported non-English languages above, Snaply starts with **Multi-language**.
* Otherwise, it falls back to **English**.
## How To Change It
1. Go to **Settings -> Dictation**.
2. Under **Dictation language**, choose **English** or **Multi-language**.
3. If needed, Snaply downloads and initializes that language option.
The download only happens once on that Mac for each language option.
### Change language model from the main page
![Language settings on main page]()
### Change language model from settings
![Language selection dropdown]()
## Notes
* You only need one language option active at a time.
* **Explicit punctuation** is English-first. In other languages, **Automatic** punctuation is the safer default.
* [Meeting Notes](/meeting-notes/overview) uses the same English vs Multi-language setting as Dictation.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Dictation overview](/dictation/overview)
* [Control punctuation behavior](/dictation/punctuation)
* [Use these languages in Meeting Notes](/meeting-notes/multi-language)
# Overview
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/dictation/overview
Learn how Snaply AI dictation for Mac turns speech into clean text fast, with local transcription, custom words, snippets, and flexible punctuation.
**Press, speak, release.**
That is the core [dictation](/dictation/overview) loop in Snaply. It runs locally on your Mac, works across apps, and can be tuned through [custom words](/dictation/custom-words), [snippets](/dictation/snippets), [punctuation](/dictation/punctuation), and [clipboard behavior](/dictation/clipboard).
If Snaply does one thing you end up using every day, it is usually this.
## Start Talking
The everyday flow is simple:
1. Press your dictation shortcut.
2. Speak naturally.
3. Stop dictation and let Snaply insert the text into the active app.
By default, the shortcut is `Right Command`.
* With a **single-key shortcut**, tap once to start and tap again to stop. You can also hold the key to talk and release to stop.
* With a **multi-key shortcut**, you usually press once to start and again to stop.
* Press `Esc` any time to cancel the current recording.
You can also import a `WAV`, `M4A`, or `MP3` voice note from the Dictation page and save its transcription to Recent Transcriptions.
## What Makes It Good
Snaply dictation is not just "speech to text." It is designed to turn casual speech into text you can actually send.
## Key Features
Pick between **English** and **Multi-language** dictation.
Teach Snaply **names, acronyms, product terms, and jargon**.
Expand short keywords into **repeated phrases or full text blocks**.
Choose between **automatic cleanup** and **explicit spoken punctuation**.
Choose click, hold, or combined shortcuts, pause background audio, and import voice notes.
## Where Dictation Shines
* Everyday typing in chat, email, docs, and internal tools
* Longer message drafting when you want to stay in flow
* Technical vocabulary once custom words are set up
* Repeated phrases and signatures through snippets
* Automatic cleanup for natural prose when automatic punctuation is enabled
## Smart Formatting
In **Automatic** punctuation mode, Snaply does more than insert periods and commas. It can also lightly clean up longer prose so emails and messages read more naturally.
If you want exact structure, switch to **Explicit** punctuation and speak the formatting yourself.
## Microphone Choice
By default, Snaply uses the system default microphone. If you use an external mic, headset, or studio setup, open **Settings -> General -> Microphone** and choose the input Snaply should use for audio capture.
**Private by default:** dictation stays local. Audio does not need to leave your Mac, and once the model is downloaded you can keep dictating offline.
## History And Recovery
Snaply also keeps you from losing a good take.
Open **Dictation** from the sidebar to review **Recent Transcriptions**.
From there you can:
* Copy the final text
* Replay the original recording
* Retranscribe the saved audio
* Reveal the audio file in Finder
* Delete the item
* Select multiple items and delete them together
Failed transcriptions are kept too, so you can retry them later instead of losing the recording.
## Related Pages
* [Choose your dictation language](/dictation/languages)
* [Teach Snaply custom words](/dictation/custom-words)
* [Create text snippets](/dictation/snippets)
* [Review dictation history](/dictation/history)
* [Tune advanced dictation settings](/dictation/advanced-settings)
* [See the AI Dictation website page](https://snaply.ai/ai-dictation)
# Punctuation
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/dictation/punctuation
Learn how Snaply handles punctuation in AI dictation for Mac, from automatic cleanup for natural speech to spoken commands for exact, reliable formatting.
Snaply gives [dictation](/dictation/overview) two input styles:
* **Automatic** for natural speech
* **Explicit** when you want to say punctuation and structure out loud
## Choose A Mode
| Mode | Best for | Example input | Example output |
| --------- | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| Automatic | email, messages, normal prose | `hello how are you today` | `Hello, how are you today?` |
| Explicit | precise structure, lists, symbols | `hello comma how are you today question mark` | `Hello, how are you today?` |
Explicit punctuation is documented in the app as an English-first workflow. In other languages, Snaply reverts to automatic punctuation behavior.
## Automatic Punctuation
* Best for normal prose, messages, and most email dictation
* Works well across English and Multi-language dictation
* Handles capitalization and punctuation for you
* Can format longer email-style dictation when Snaply detects an email
## Explicit Punctuation
* Best for exact line breaks, lists, symbols, and manual formatting
* Lets you speak commands like `comma`, `new line`, or `open parenthesis`
* Does **not** apply automatic email polishing
* Works best in English
## Change The Setting
Go to **Settings -> Dictation -> Punctuation behaviour** and choose **Automatic** or **Explicit**.
Click on **Settings** in the bottom left corner of Snaply.
![Open Settings]()
Navigate to the **Dictation** section in the settings menu.
![Select Dictation Settings]()
Find the **Punctuation** setting and select your preferred mode.
![Edit Punctuation Settings]()
| Spoken command | Result |
| ---------------------------------------- | --------------- |
| `period`, `full stop`, `dot` | `.` |
| `comma` | `,` |
| `question mark` | `?` |
| `exclamation mark` | `!` |
| `colon` | `:` |
| `semicolon` | `;` |
| `new line` | line break |
| `new paragraph` | paragraph break |
| `new bullet point` | bullet item |
| `new numbered list item` | numbered item |
| `open parenthesis` / `close parenthesis` | `(` / `)` |
| `open bracket` / `close bracket` | `[` / `]` |
| `double quote` | `"` |
| `single quote` | `'` |
| `slash` | `/` |
| `back slash` | `\` |
| `at sign` | `@` |
| `ampersand` | `&` |
| `underscore` | `_` |
## Practical Advice
* Use **Automatic** unless you need very deliberate structure.
* Use **Explicit** for lists, symbols, or formatting-heavy dictation.
* Brief pauses help Automatic mode place sentence boundaries cleanly.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Dictation overview](/dictation/overview)
* [Choose your dictation language](/dictation/languages)
* [Create snippets for repeated structures](/dictation/snippets)
# Shortcuts
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/dictation/shortcuts
Choose a dictation shortcut from preset single-key and multi-key options, or record a custom one
Snaply lets you trigger [dictation](/dictation/overview) globally from almost anywhere on your Mac.
## Default Shortcut
By default, dictation uses **Right Command**.
* Press it once to start dictation.
* Press it again to stop and insert the transcription.
* Or hold it to talk and release it to stop.
* Press `Esc` while recording to cancel the current recording.
## How Shortcut Types Behave
### Single-key options
* `Fn`
* `Left Control`
* `Left Option`
* `Right Command`
* `Right Option`
Single-key shortcuts support both patterns:
* Tap once to start, then tap again to stop.
* Hold the key to talk, then release to stop.
### Multi-key options
* `Option + Space`
* `Control + Space`
* `Command + Shift + Space`
* `Option + Shift + Space`
Multi-key shortcuts behave like toggles: press once to start and press again to stop.
## Custom Shortcuts
If the presets do not fit your setup, you can record your own custom shortcut.
## Change the Dictation Shortcut
1. Go to **Settings -> Dictation**.
2. In the **Shortcuts** section, find **Start/Stop dictation**.
3. Click **Change**.
4. Pick a preset or record a custom shortcut.
## Shortcut Conflicts
Snaply keeps dictation shortcuts separate from other global shortcuts:
* If you choose the current **Writing Assistant** shortcut for dictation, Snaply asks whether the two shortcuts should be swapped.
* Meeting Notes should use a different shortcut.
This prevents one key press from opening the wrong workflow.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Dictation overview](/dictation/overview)
* [Writing Assistant shortcuts](/writing-assistant/shortcuts)
* [Meeting Notes shortcuts](/meeting-notes/shortcuts)
* [See the AI Dictation website page](https://snaply.ai/ai-dictation)
# Text Snippets
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/dictation/snippets
Expand short keywords into full text blocks while dictating.
Text Snippets are [dictation](/dictation/overview) shortcuts. You say a short trigger, and Snaply expands it into a longer block of text.
## How Text Snippets Work
When Snaply hears one of your saved snippet keywords, it swaps that keyword for the replacement text you stored.
Snippets are stored locally, and their keywords are added to Snaply's runtime vocabulary so odd triggers are easier to recognize.
## Examples
| Keyword | Replacement |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| "myemail" | `john.doe@company.com` |
| "myaddress" | `123 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94102` |
| "sig" | `Best regards, John Doe - Head of Product` |
| "standup" | `Yesterday I worked on... Today I will work on... Blockers:` |
Snippets are best for text you repeat often but do not want to say in full every time.
## Add A Snippet
Click on **Settings** in the bottom left corner of Snaply.
Navigate to the **Dictation** section in the settings menu.
Find the **Snippets** section and click **Configure**.
Enter a **keyword** and a **replacement**, then click **Add new snippet**.
## Good Uses
* Email addresses
* Signatures
* Postal addresses
* Standup or meeting boilerplate
* Repeated links, product names, or internal phrases
You can use a single word or a short phrase as the trigger.
## Managing Your Snippets
From **Settings -> Dictation -> Snippets**, you can:
* Search by keyword or replacement
* Edit an existing snippet
* Delete snippets you no longer need
## Tips
* Use keywords you would not normally say in a sentence.
* Keep triggers short.
* Save snippets for genuinely repetitive text.
* Avoid near-duplicate triggers that are easy to confuse.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Dictation overview](/dictation/overview)
* [Teach Snaply custom words](/dictation/custom-words)
* [Tune clipboard fallback behavior](/dictation/clipboard)
# Getting Started
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/getting-started
Get started with Snaply on your Mac: install the app, grant permissions, and set up dictation, Writing Assistant, and Meeting Notes in minutes.
**The fastest way to understand [Snaply](https://snaply.ai) is to use it for one real task.**
Install it, grant the right permissions once, and then try one of the three core flows: **[dictation](/dictation/overview)**, **[writing help](/writing-assistant/overview)**, or **[meeting notes](/meeting-notes/overview)**.
**System requirements:** Snaply requires macOS 14 or newer and Apple Silicon.
## Install Snaply
### 1. Download the app
Get the latest Apple Silicon build
See the product story, feature pages, and latest download links
### 2. Move it to Applications
Double-click **Snaply.dmg** in your Downloads folder.
![Open DMG]()
Drag the Snaply icon into the Applications folder.
![Drag to Applications]()
Open Snaply from your Applications folder.
![Launch App]()
## Complete Onboarding
On first launch, Snaply asks whether you want to start with **Dictation** or **Meeting Notes**, then walks you through the setup for that workflow. This is the only "setup-heavy" part; after that, the app is mostly shortcuts and quick overlays.
1. Grant **Microphone** access for dictation and meetings.
2. Grant **Accessibility** access so Snaply can insert text into other apps.
3. Review **System Audio** when you want Meeting Notes to capture the other side of a call.
4. Choose your default transcription language: **English** or **Multi-language**.
5. Pick your shortcut flow.
6. If you want Writing Assistant, Translation, or AI meeting notes, set up the model behind those features.
For [Meeting Notes](/meeting-notes/overview), Snaply may also ask you to review **System Audio** so it can capture the other side of a call, not just your microphone. On Macs with diarization support, Snaply can also separate the transcript into speaker turns.
## What To Try First
Pick one workflow and finish it end to end. That is the quickest way to make Snaply click.
**Speak into any text field** and let Snaply type for you.
**Select text, press a shortcut,** and clean it up instantly.
**Record one meeting** and inspect the transcript, notes, and Ask AI flow.
**Translate a paragraph** with a local Translation model or a cloud model.
## Popular Setups
Snaply is useful out of the box, but a few setups are especially worth knowing about:
* If you already use **Ollama**, **LM Studio**, **LiteLLM**, or another OpenAI-compatible server, connect it from **Settings -> Writing Assistant -> AI Models -> Advanced model setup**.
* If a meeting already happened, upload the `WAV`, `M4A`, or `MP3` recording from the **Meeting Notes** page.
* If you use Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, turn on **Detect meeting start and end automatically** so Snaply can suggest starting and stopping capture.
* If your notes live in Obsidian, Codex workflows, project tools, or plain files, set a **Markdown export** folder in **Settings -> Meeting Notes**.
## Default Shortcuts
| Action | Default | What it does |
| ----------------- | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Dictation | `Right Command` | Starts and stops dictation |
| Writing Assistant | `Control + Space` | Opens the writing menu for selected text |
| Meeting Notes | None | Optional shortcut you can add in **Settings -> Meeting Notes** |
Dictation also supports **Click + hold**, **Click only**, and **Hold only** behavior. See [Advanced Dictation Settings](/dictation/advanced-settings).
## Local-First Setup
* **[Dictation](/dictation/overview)** runs locally on your Mac.
* **[Meeting recordings and transcripts](/meeting-notes/overview)** stay on your Mac.
* **[Writing Assistant](/writing-assistant/overview)** can use the built-in local model for private, fast edits.
* **[Translation](/translation/overview)** can use one of two local models or Gemini 3 Flash.
* **[Meeting Notes](/meeting-notes/overview)** builds on the same local-first foundation.
For advanced model setup, open **Settings -> Writing Assistant -> AI Models**. You can keep things local, choose a built-in cloud provider, or connect an OpenAI-compatible endpoint with your own base URL.
## Next Steps
* [Start with Dictation](/dictation/overview)
* [Set up the Writing Assistant](/writing-assistant/overview)
* [Record your first meeting](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Translate text](/translation/overview)
* [Read the website feature overview](https://snaply.ai)
# Snaply
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/index
Explore Snaply for Mac: fast AI dictation, a writing assistant for cleaner text, and automatic meeting notes with transcripts and follow-up help.
**[Snaply](https://snaply.ai) is AI, designed for your Mac.**
It gives you three primary workflows you can reach for all day, plus a dedicated translation workspace:
* **[AI dictation](/dictation/overview)** when you want to talk instead of type
* **[Writing Assistant](/writing-assistant/overview)** when you want to fix grammar, polish tone, or rewrite fast
* **[Automatic meeting notes](/meeting-notes/overview)** when you want a transcript, a summary, and follow-up tasks without doing cleanup by hand
* **[Translation](/translation/overview)** when you want a focused translation workspace or a quick translation from selected text
Snaply is **local-first**. Dictation, meeting recordings, transcripts, and history are designed to stay on your Mac. It feels fast because it lives close to your keyboard, your apps, and the work you are already doing.
## Pick Your Starting Point
If you are new to Snaply, start with the workflow that matches the problem in front of you. The app is one product, but each part is built to feel immediate.
**Forget typing.** Press a shortcut, speak naturally, and drop text into almost any Mac app.
**Clean up writing in place.** Fix grammar, polish tone, translate, or run your own custom AI mode.
**Leave the meeting with something useful.** Record once, get a transcript, structured notes, and follow-up help.
**Move between languages quickly.** Translate selected text in the Writing Assistant or use the dedicated workspace.
## Most Requested Workflows
These are the workflows people tend to look for first when they try Snaply seriously.
Choose OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, OpenRouter, Groq, Mistral, xAI, or connect **Ollama, LM Studio, LiteLLM, and other OpenAI-compatible endpoints**.
Bring in existing `WAV`, `M4A`, or `MP3` recordings from a phone, iPad, recorder, or another meeting app.
Get a prompt when Snaply detects a supported Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams call, then stop and process notes when the call ends.
Copy notes as Markdown or keep generated meeting notes synced to a local export folder.
## Why Snaply Feels Different
Snaply is not trying to become another full-screen AI destination. It is built to stay close to your keyboard, your apps, and your actual work.
**Private by default.** Dictation, recordings, transcripts, and history stay on your Mac, so the core capture workflows feel personal and dependable.
**Fast enough to become muscle memory.** The app is built around shortcuts, lightweight overlays, and low-friction setup instead of long prompting rituals.
**Flexible when you need it.** Use the built-in local model, choose from major cloud providers, or connect an OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
**Built for real work.** Custom words, snippets, reusable writing modes, translation, transcript search, folders, speaker naming, and meeting templates are all part of the core flow.
## Start In Minutes
You do not need a long setup session. Start with [Getting Started](/getting-started), grant the right permissions once, and try one workflow end to end. If you want the broader product pitch first, the main site lives at [snaply.ai](https://snaply.ai).
Install Snaply, grant the right permissions, and get your first shortcut working.
Learn the fastest way to use Snaply: **press, speak, release, continue**.
Set up your model, choose your modes, and learn the keyboard flow.
Understand recording, transcripts, templates, and Ask AI before your first meeting.
Translate selected text or use the source-and-result workspace.
## Private, Fast, Local
Snaply is built around Mac-native workflows that stay out of your way. Dictation runs locally. Meeting recordings and transcripts stay on your Mac. Writing help and meeting follow-up can also run locally with the built-in model.
That means the default experience is simple: speak, write, record, search, and follow up without turning Snaply into another workspace you have to manage.
## Keep Exploring
* [Open the Dictation guide](/dictation/overview)
* [Open the Writing Assistant guide](/writing-assistant/overview)
* [Open the Meeting Notes guide](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Open the Translation guide](/translation/overview)
* [Download Snaply for Mac](https://snaply.ai/download)
# Ask AI
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/ask-ai
Chat with a saved meeting and use AI for meeting follow-up work.
**Ask AI is how you keep working after the call ends.**
Instead of rereading the [transcript](/meeting-notes/transcripts-and-speakers) line by line, ask Snaply to work from the meeting context directly.
## What Ask AI Can Do
Ask AI can help you:
* **draft follow-up emails**
* **list action items**
* **summarize decisions**
* Answer questions about what happened in the meeting
* Surface open questions and unresolved topics
## How It Works
1. Open a completed meeting in the Meeting Notes workspace.
2. Click **Ask AI**.
3. Ask a question or choose a starter prompt.
Snaply keeps conversations attached to the meeting. You can start a new chat, reopen older chats, or delete chats you no longer need.
## Starter Prompts In The App
* `Draft follow-up email`
* `List action items`
* `Summarize decisions`
* `What were the open questions?`
## What Context It Uses
Ask AI uses the meeting transcript and notes, when available. That makes it useful for:
* Fast recap work
* Preparing follow-up messages
* Checking what was agreed
* Turning discussion into structured next steps
It works for live recordings and uploaded recordings after Snaply has created the meeting session.
## Privacy
Ask AI can stay local with the built-in Writing Assistant model.
If you change your model setup in [Writing Assistant models](/writing-assistant/models), Ask AI follows that same choice for meeting follow-up. If you choose a cloud model, the meeting context needed for the answer is sent to that provider.
## Model Readiness
If Ask AI or generated notes need attention, Snaply shows a recovery card in the meeting workspace instead of leaving you with a blank result.
Common fixes include downloading the local model, connecting a cloud model, adding a missing API key, or choosing another model.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Meeting Notes overview](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Meeting templates](/meeting-notes/templates)
* [Transcripts and speakers](/meeting-notes/transcripts-and-speakers)
* [Multi-language meetings](/meeting-notes/multi-language)
* [Set up cloud models](/writing-assistant/cloud-models)
# Automatic Meeting Detection
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/automatic-detection
Let Snaply suggest Meeting Notes capture when it detects a supported video call on your Mac.
**Snaply can notice when a meeting starts, then ask before recording.**
This is for the very normal moment when you join a call, start talking, and only later remember that you wanted notes.
It is also useful if you are replacing a meeting-notes tool that starts from calendar or call context. Snaply detects supported meeting apps locally, so you get the reminder without connecting an external calendar or inviting a bot to the call.
## What It Does
After Meeting Notes onboarding is complete, Snaply can show a small top-right prompt when it detects a supported video call.
If you accept, Snaply starts a normal [Meeting Notes recording](/meeting-notes/recording-controls). When the call appears to end, Snaply can ask whether you want to stop and process the notes.
## Supported Platforms
Snaply currently detects:
| Platform | Browser calls | Desktop app |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Google Meet | Supported on `meet.google.com` | Not applicable |
| Zoom | Supported on `zoom.us` and `zoom.com` | Supported in the Zoom desktop app |
| Microsoft Teams | Supported on `teams.microsoft.com`, `teams.live.com`, `teams.cloud.microsoft`, and `join.microsoft.com` | Supported in the Microsoft Teams desktop app |
For supported calls, Snaply can detect both the meeting starting and the meeting ending. When a meeting starts, it can suggest starting Meeting Notes capture. When the call appears to end, it can suggest stopping and processing the notes.
## Supported Browsers
Browser-based detection works in these Mac browsers:
* Google Chrome
* Safari
* Microsoft Edge
* Firefox
* Opera
* Brave
* Arc
* Dia
Snaply also supports browser web apps/PWAs where the browser exposes them as app windows, such as Google Meet, Zoom, or Teams opened from a supported browser.
Need another platform, browser, or meeting app?
[Send a request by email][platform-request]. Include the meeting platform, browser or desktop app, and anything unusual about your setup.
## How Detection Works
Snaply uses local Mac signals such as window information, browser context, and audio activity. It does not connect to an external meeting API or your calendar for this.
For example, Snaply may look for a supported meeting URL, a meeting-looking window title, visible in-call controls, and active audio input or output from the browser or desktop app. A single signal is not enough on its own; Snaply combines local evidence before showing a suggestion.
## Turn It On Or Off
1. Open **Settings -> Meeting Notes**.
2. Find **Detect meeting start and end automatically**.
3. Turn the setting on or off.
You can still start Meeting Notes manually from the app, tray menu, or shortcut. Turning this off only disables the suggestion prompt.
## How It Fits With The Live Indicator
Automatic detection helps you start or stop capture.
The live recording indicator helps while a capture is already running. If enabled, it appears on the right side of the screen during recording and lets you open, stop, or cancel the live meeting note.
## Privacy
Automatic detection is local-first.
Snaply looks at local signals on your Mac to decide whether it should show a suggestion. Meeting audio is not recorded until you choose to start capture.
## Related Pages
* [Recording controls](/meeting-notes/recording-controls)
* [How Meeting Notes works](/meeting-notes/how-it-works)
* [Import and export recordings and notes](/meeting-notes/import-export)
[platform-request]: mailto:giacomo@snaply.ai?subject=Snaply%20meeting%20detection%20platform%20request&body=Hi%20Giacomo%2C%0A%0AI%27d%20like%20Snaply%20to%20support%20automatic%20meeting%20detection%20for%3A%0A%0APlatform%3A%20%0ABrowser%20or%20desktop%20app%3A%20%0AMac%20browser%2Fapp%20version%20%28optional%29%3A%20%0A%0AThanks!
# How It Works
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/how-it-works
Understand the Meeting Notes workflow from recording to transcript, speakers, and AI notes.
[Meeting Notes](/meeting-notes/overview) is designed to stay quiet during the meeting and become useful right after it ends.
## The Flow
1. Start recording from the Meeting Notes page, the tray menu, an optional shortcut, or an automatic meeting-detection prompt.
2. Snaply records the meeting audio on your Mac.
3. During recording, live transcription can show the first sentences as they arrive. If live transcription is unavailable, Snaply continues recording and processes the audio after you finish.
4. When you stop recording, Snaply syncs the audio and completes the transcript.
5. If speaker diarization is available, Snaply separates the transcript into speaker turns.
6. Snaply generates a meeting title and structured notes using the current Writing Assistant model and the selected notes template.
7. You keep working from the saved meeting: browse recent meetings in list or calendar view, organize folders, search saved meetings, search inside the transcript, rename or reassign speakers, edit polished notes or your own notepad, copy or export content, change summary style, regenerate notes, reprocess the meeting, or open Ask AI.
You can also upload an existing `WAV`, `M4A`, or `MP3` recording. Snaply converts the file and sends it through the same transcript, notes, and Ask AI workflow.
## First-Time Setup
Before the first real recording, Snaply may ask you to finish a few checks:
* Grant **Microphone** access
* Review **System Audio** so calls can capture the other side of the conversation too
* Download and initialize the **meeting diarizer** when your Mac supports it
* Choose **English** or **Multi-language** transcription
* Make sure the selected AI model is available if you want generated notes or Ask AI
* Choose whether to enable deeper reasoning for notes; it can improve quality while making generation slower
## What Runs Locally
Meeting Notes is built around local capture and local transcripts:
* The recording
* The transcript
* The saved meeting session
* Saved-meeting search
* Speaker renaming and transcript search
* Folders, calendar browsing, and meeting organization
With the built-in local Writing Assistant model, these can stay local too:
* Generated title
* Generated notes
* Ask AI responses
If you change the Writing Assistant model in **AI Models**, Meeting Notes follows that model choice for generated titles, notes, and Ask AI.
## Recovery And Reprocessing
If a meeting cannot finish one step, Snaply keeps the session and shows the next action when possible. The goal is to avoid the worst outcome: losing the meeting or guessing what failed.
Common recovery paths include:
* Downloading or reconnecting the AI model
* Adding a missing cloud API key
* Regenerating notes after changing the template or notes language
* Reprocessing the meeting from the saved audio
* Recovering an interrupted recording after the app restarts
While a meeting is active, you can pause and resume capture from the workspace or live indicator. Canceling deletes the active recording instead of processing it.
## Markdown Sync
If you set a Markdown export folder in **Settings -> Meeting Notes**, Snaply keeps local Markdown copies of generated notes in sync as meeting notes are created or updated.
## Best Results
* Use a decent microphone and avoid overlapping voices when you can.
* Review System Audio before recording calls.
* Use **Multi-language** for meetings that are not English-only.
* Pick a summary style that matches the meeting type before regenerating notes.
* Use folders when you want a folder-specific notes template or Markdown export destination.
## Next
* [Back to Meeting Notes overview](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Meeting templates](/meeting-notes/templates)
* [Transcripts and speakers](/meeting-notes/transcripts-and-speakers)
* [Recording controls](/meeting-notes/recording-controls)
* [Import and export recordings and notes](/meeting-notes/import-export)
* [Multi-language meetings](/meeting-notes/multi-language)
# Import And Export
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/import-export
Upload existing meeting recordings, copy notes and transcripts, and keep Markdown exports of Snaply Meeting Notes.
**Meeting Notes is not only for live calls.**
Use import when the meeting already happened. Use export when you want the final notes to live in a folder you already use.
This is the page for the practical handoff workflows: recordings from another device, raw transcripts you want to copy, Markdown notes for Obsidian, and meeting summaries you want to send into Codex, Trello, email, or your own folder system.
## Upload A Meeting Recording
From the **Meeting Notes** page, click **Upload audio recording**.
Supported formats:
* `WAV`
* `M4A`
* `MP3`
Snaply converts the file, creates a meeting session, transcribes the audio, and generates notes using the default notes template and your current AI model.
After import, you can change the template or notes language and regenerate notes from the same workspace.
Use this when:
* You recorded the meeting on a phone, iPad, recorder, or another app
* Someone sent you a meeting recording after the call
* You want Snaply's transcript, speaker turns, notes, and Ask AI on audio that was not captured live
## What Imported Recordings Can Do
Imported recordings use the same workspace as live recordings.
That means you can:
* Read and search the transcript
* Generate a title and structured notes
* Rename speakers when diarization is available
* Edit the generated notes
* Regenerate notes with another template
* Reprocess the meeting from saved audio
* Ask AI follow-up questions
## Copy Notes Or Transcript
Inside a meeting workspace, open the actions menu when you need to get the content out fast:
* Copy meeting notes as Markdown
* Copy the transcript
* Export meeting notes or the transcript as `TXT`, `Markdown`, `DOCX`, or `PDF`
* Search across the meeting
* Regenerate notes
* Reprocess the meeting
## Markdown Export Folder
If you like keeping notes in files, set a Markdown export folder:
1. Open **Settings -> Meeting Notes**.
2. Find **Markdown export**.
3. Click **Set folder**.
4. Enter an existing local folder path.
When Markdown export is enabled, Snaply writes Markdown copies of generated notes to that folder and keeps them in sync when notes are updated.
Folder-specific export paths are also available from [Meeting organization](/meeting-notes/organization), so different folders can write to different local destinations.
This works well for Obsidian vaults, local knowledge bases, agent workflows, project folders, and any setup where meeting notes should be plain files instead of trapped inside one app.
## Audio Storage
Meeting recordings stay local on your Mac.
You can limit recording storage from **Settings -> Meeting Notes -> Audio storage**. Snaply compresses meeting audio into one merged file after 72 hours. If retained audio exceeds your selected limit, the oldest audio is deleted first. Snaply keeps the meeting notes and transcript.
## Related Pages
* [Meeting Notes overview](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Transcripts and speakers](/meeting-notes/transcripts-and-speakers)
* [Templates](/meeting-notes/templates)
* [Ask AI](/meeting-notes/ask-ai)
# Multi-Language Meetings
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/multi-language
Use Meeting Notes with Snaply's English transcription mode or the 25-language European model.
[Meeting Notes](/meeting-notes/overview) reuses the same transcription language choice as [Dictation](/dictation/overview):
* **English**
* **Multi-language**
That means there is no second transcription-language setting to babysit. Changing the selector on Meeting Notes changes the same English or Multi-language model used by Dictation.
## Supported Languages
Multi-language supports these 25 European languages:
| Language | Code | Language | Code |
| ---------- | ---- | ---------- | ---- |
| Bulgarian | `bg` | Maltese | `mt` |
| Croatian | `hr` | Polish | `pl` |
| Czech | `cs` | Portuguese | `pt` |
| Danish | `da` | Romanian | `ro` |
| Dutch | `nl` | Russian | `ru` |
| English | `en` | Slovak | `sk` |
| Estonian | `et` | Slovenian | `sl` |
| Finnish | `fi` | Spanish | `es` |
| French | `fr` | Swedish | `sv` |
| German | `de` | Ukrainian | `uk` |
| Greek | `el` | | |
| Hungarian | `hu` | | |
| Italian | `it` | | |
| Latvian | `lv` | | |
| Lithuanian | `lt` | | |
## Notes And Titles Follow The Meeting Language
By default, Snaply detects the meeting language from the transcript and asks the Writing Assistant model to write generated titles and notes in that same language.
If the meeting is in Italian, German, Spanish, or another supported language, the generated output follows that language too.
## Choose The Notes Language
Inside a processed meeting, the notes language can be left on **Auto** or set to a specific supported language.
Use **Auto** for most meetings. Choose a specific language when the transcript contains multiple languages, product names, or short side comments that could confuse the output language.
After changing the notes language, regenerate notes to rewrite the meeting summary in the selected language.
## When to Use the Multi-Language Model
Choose the multi-language model when:
* Your meetings are not English-only
* Your team switches languages
* You regularly record meetings in languages such as Italian, German, Spanish, or Russian
## Where to Change It
You can change it from:
* **Settings -> Dictation**
* The language selector in the **Meeting Notes** setup card
## Related Pages
* [Back to Meeting Notes overview](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [How Meeting Notes works](/meeting-notes/how-it-works)
* [Meeting templates](/meeting-notes/templates)
* [Ask AI](/meeting-notes/ask-ai)
* [Voice Dictation languages](/dictation/languages)
# Organize And Find Meetings
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/organization
Use folders, list and calendar views, search, bulk actions, and folder-specific settings to manage saved Meeting Notes.
Meeting Notes is more than a single stream of recent recordings. You can organize saved meetings into folders, browse them as a calendar, and search across the content you have already captured.
## List And Calendar Views
The Meeting Notes home page can show recent meetings as:
* **List**: a compact Finder-style view with folders and meeting rows.
* **Calendar**: a weekly calendar with meetings placed at their recording times.
Use the view control in the Meeting Notes header. To choose the default, open **Settings -> Meeting Notes -> Default recent meetings view**.
The **Recent meetings** folder remains available from the list view even when you organize meetings into custom folders.
## Create And Use Folders
From the Meeting Notes list:
1. Choose **Create a folder**.
2. Give the folder a name.
3. Open it and use **Add meeting** to place existing sessions inside it.
Folders can be nested. Use a folder's context menu to rename it, create a child folder, or delete the folder tree. Removing a meeting from a folder does not delete the meeting itself.
## Folder Settings
Each folder can define:
* A default notes template for meetings added to that folder.
* A local Markdown export path for notes in that folder.
Folder settings are useful when different kinds of meetings belong in different note systems, such as a project folder, a customer folder, or a personal one-on-one folder.
## Search And Bulk Actions
Meeting search can search across titles, generated notes, and transcripts. You can narrow it by date range, including today, this week, the last 30 days, or a custom range.
In a list, activate selection mode to select several meetings, select all visible meetings, and delete them together. Deleting a meeting removes its saved session and associated audio; it is separate from simply removing the meeting from a folder.
## Related Pages
* [Meeting Notes overview](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Transcripts and speakers](/meeting-notes/transcripts-and-speakers)
* [Import and export](/meeting-notes/import-export)
* [Templates](/meeting-notes/templates)
# Overview
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/overview
Automatic meeting notes for Mac with recordings, transcripts, summaries, speaker turns, and follow-up help in one flow.
**Your meeting should not end with a blank page.**
[Meeting Notes](/meeting-notes/overview) turns a conversation into something you can actually use:
* A saved recording on your Mac
* A full transcript
* Structured AI notes
* Speaker-aware transcript turns with the meeting diarizer
* Imported recordings when the meeting already happened
* Search and calendar views for finding saved meetings
* Folders with folder-specific templates and Markdown export paths
* Follow-up work through Ask AI
It is Snaply's way of taking you from "*what just happened?*" to "*here is the summary, here are the action items, and here is the follow-up email.*" The main pieces are the [transcript](/meeting-notes/transcripts-and-speakers), [templates](/meeting-notes/templates), [Ask AI](/meeting-notes/ask-ai), and optional [import/export workflows](/meeting-notes/import-export).
## What People Usually Want First
Meeting Notes covers the high-friction parts of meeting capture:
* **Forget-to-start protection** through [automatic detection for supported Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls](/meeting-notes/automatic-detection)
* **Existing recording upload** for `WAV`, `M4A`, and `MP3` files from other devices or apps
* **Recent meeting search** across titles, notes, transcripts, and date ranges
* **Local Markdown export** when notes need to land in Obsidian, Codex workflows, Trello, email drafts, or a folder you already use
* **Speaker-aware transcripts** when the meeting diarizer is available
* **Ask AI follow-up** for action items, decisions, open questions, and post-call emails
## What You Keep
* The audio recording on your Mac
* The transcript
* The generated title
* Structured AI notes from the selected template
* Ask AI conversations linked to that meeting
## The Main Pieces
Understand **recording, transcription, diarization, and note generation**.
Pick or build **note structures that match the kind of meeting you run**.
Ask follow-up questions, draft emails, and keep a **meeting-specific AI chat**.
Search saved meetings and transcripts, rename detected speakers, and review **who said what**.
Reuse your Dictation language choice for **English or 25 European languages**.
Start from the app or tray, then monitor, pause, resume, stop, or cancel from the live indicator.
Browse list or calendar views, create folders, search meetings, and manage saved sessions in bulk.
Let Snaply suggest meeting capture when it detects a supported video call.
Upload existing recordings and keep Markdown copies of generated notes.
## Privacy
**Meeting Notes is local-first.**
Meeting recordings and transcripts stay on your Mac. With the built-in local Writing Assistant model, generated titles, AI notes, and Ask AI can stay local too.
## Good To Know
* Meeting Notes is labeled **Beta** in the app.
* Speaker separation is available with the meeting diarizer on macOS 15 or newer.
* Meeting Notes does **not** have a default shortcut until you assign one.
* Automatic meeting detection can be turned off in **Settings -> Meeting Notes**.
* Audio storage defaults to 10 GB and can be set to 5, 10, 25, 50, 75 GB, or unlimited. Notes and transcripts are kept when old audio is cleaned up.
## Related
* [Voice Dictation overview](/dictation/overview)
* [Writing Assistant overview](/writing-assistant/overview)
* [See the Meeting Notes product page](https://snaply.ai/meeting-notes)
# Recording Controls
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/recording-controls
Start, stop, cancel, and monitor Meeting Notes recordings from the app, tray, live indicator, or shortcut.
[Meeting Notes](/meeting-notes/overview) gives you a few ways to start recording, because meetings do not all start the same way.
## Start a Recording
You can start a meeting recording in a few ways:
1. From the **Meeting Notes** page in the Snaply app
2. From the **tray menu**
3. From an optional **Meeting Notes shortcut**
4. From an automatic meeting-detection prompt when a supported video call starts
## Stop Or Cancel
Once a meeting is recording, you can:
* **Stop and transcribe** to save and process the meeting
* **Pause** when you need a break, then **Resume** when the conversation continues. Paused time is not counted in the meeting duration.
* **Cancel** if you do not want to keep the recording
## Live Recording Indicator
Meeting Notes includes a live recording indicator you can show while a recording is active.
When enabled, it appears on the right side of your screen during recording. From there, you can open the live meeting, stop and transcribe, or cancel the capture.
It also exposes pause/resume controls while capture is active.
To change it:
1. Open **Settings -> Meeting Notes**
2. Toggle **Display live recording indicator**
## Before You Record
Snaply may ask you to complete setup before the first full recording:
* Microphone access
* System audio review
* Diarizer download and initialization on compatible Macs
Live transcription normally begins showing sentences after the first part of the recording. If it is unavailable, Snaply still saves the audio and runs the normal transcription pipeline when you finish.
If you try to start recording from a shortcut and setup is incomplete, Snaply can send you straight back to **Settings -> Meeting Notes**.
## What Audio Gets Captured
* Your microphone
* System audio, when macOS permissions allow it
For calls, System Audio is what helps Snaply hear the other participants instead of only you.
If you use a specific microphone, choose it from **Settings -> General -> Microphone** before recording.
If your Mac switches microphone input during a meeting, Snaply tries to follow the correct input and continue recording from the active microphone.
## Automatic Meeting Detection
When **Detect meeting start and end automatically** is enabled, Snaply can show a top-right suggestion when it detects a supported video call.
For supported calls, Snaply can ask whether you want to start taking notes when the call begins and whether you want to stop when the call ends.
You can change this in **Settings -> Meeting Notes**.
## Upload A Recording Instead
If the meeting already happened, click **Upload audio recording** from the Meeting Notes page.
Supported formats are:
* `WAV`
* `M4A`
* `MP3`
Snaply converts the file, transcribes it, and creates a meeting note from the default notes template. You can change the template or notes language afterward and regenerate the notes.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Meeting Notes overview](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Automatic meeting detection](/meeting-notes/automatic-detection)
* [Import and export recordings and notes](/meeting-notes/import-export)
* [Meeting Notes shortcuts](/meeting-notes/shortcuts)
* [How Meeting Notes works](/meeting-notes/how-it-works)
* [See the Meeting Notes product page](https://snaply.ai/meeting-notes)
# Shortcuts
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/shortcuts
Configure how you start and stop Meeting Notes recordings.
[Meeting Notes](/meeting-notes/overview) supports an optional global shortcut for starting and stopping recording.
## Default Shortcut
By default, **Meeting Notes does not have a shortcut set**.
If you want one, you can add it in **Settings -> Meeting Notes**.
## What the Shortcut Does
Once configured, the Meeting Notes shortcut toggles recording:
* Press once to start recording
* Press again to stop and process the meeting
## Available Shortcut Types
Meeting Notes uses the same preset options as the rest of Snaply.
### Single-key
* `Fn`
* `Left Control`
* `Left Option`
* `Right Command`
* `Right Option`
### Multi-key
* `Option + Space`
* `Control + Space`
* `Command + Shift + Space`
* `Option + Shift + Space`
## Custom Shortcuts
If the presets are not right for you, record a custom shortcut.
## Change the Meeting Notes Shortcut
1. Open **Settings -> Meeting Notes**
2. Go to the **Shortcuts** section
3. Click **Set Shortcut** or **Change**
4. Choose a preset or record a custom shortcut
## Shortcut Conflicts
Meeting Notes should not use the same shortcut as:
* **Dictation**
* **Writing Assistant**
If you pick a shortcut that is already in use, Snaply tells you which workflow owns it and asks you to choose a different one.
## Setup Behavior
If you use the Meeting Notes shortcut before setup is ready, Snaply can open the Meeting Notes settings page so you can finish the missing steps.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Meeting Notes overview](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Recording controls](/meeting-notes/recording-controls)
* [Dictation shortcuts](/dictation/shortcuts)
* [Writing Assistant shortcuts](/writing-assistant/shortcuts)
# Templates
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/templates
Shape AI meeting notes with built-in and custom templates.
[Templates](/meeting-notes/templates) decide what kind of AI notes Snaply writes from a [meeting transcript](/meeting-notes/transcripts-and-speakers).
Instead of getting the same generic summary every time, you can choose a structure that matches the conversation you just had.
## What A Template Controls
Each template defines:
* A title
* A short description
* The note sections Snaply should produce
That means a daily stand-up, one-on-one, sales demo, and design review can all produce different notes from the same transcript pattern.
## Built-In Templates
Snaply ships with a library of defaults, including:
* Default Notes
* Daily stand-up
* Weekly team meeting
* One-on-one
* Sales demo call
* Sales discovery call
* Customer onboarding call
* Project status meeting
* Product prioritization meeting
* Technical design review
* Operations review meeting
Some appear in the meeting workspace dropdown by default. The full library is available from the templates screen.
## Custom Templates
You can create your own template with:
* A clear meeting name
* A description of what matters
* Custom sections such as `Decisions`, `Risks`, `Blockers`, or `Next steps`
This is useful if your team has a repeatable meeting format and you want the notes to mirror it every time.
## How To Apply A Template
1. Open a processed meeting.
2. In the **Notes** view, choose a **Summary style**.
3. Click **Regenerate notes** if the meeting already has notes and you want Snaply to rewrite them in the new structure.
If you change the summary style without regenerating, the meeting keeps the previously generated notes and shows that the notes need regeneration.
The same is true when you change the notes language. Pick the language you want, then regenerate notes to rewrite the meeting in that language.
## Managing Templates
From the **AI Notes Templates** screen, you can:
* Search the built-in and custom template library
* Create a new custom template
* Duplicate a built-in template and customize it
* Choose whether a template appears in the workspace summary-style menu
* Preview the prompt Snaply will use for the template
* Edit or delete your own templates
Built-in templates are read-only. Duplicate one if you want to turn it into your own version.
## Good Template Design
* Use section names people already recognize from the meeting.
* Ask for outcomes, not just summaries.
* Include ownership where it matters.
* Keep the section list short enough that the notes stay sharp.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Meeting Notes overview](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Understand the full Meeting Notes flow](/meeting-notes/how-it-works)
* [Use Ask AI on top of your notes](/meeting-notes/ask-ai)
* [Choose meeting notes language](/meeting-notes/multi-language)
# Transcripts and Speakers
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/meeting-notes/transcripts-and-speakers
Review the full transcript, search it, separate speakers, and rename detected speakers across the meeting.
Every saved [meeting](/meeting-notes/overview) includes a transcript. With the meeting diarizer, Snaply can also split that transcript into speaker turns.
## Full Transcript
The transcript is useful for more than rereading:
* Search for names, topics, and decisions
* Copy the transcript
* Re-check a disputed detail
* Feed Ask AI with the exact meeting context
* Reprocess the meeting when you want Snaply to rebuild notes from saved audio
## Speaker Diarization
When the diarizer is available and set up, Snaply separates the meeting into speaker turns so the conversation is easier to scan.
This helps you:
* See who spoke when
* Scan the conversation faster
* Connect decisions and action items to the right person
Speaker separation uses Snaply's meeting diarizer, available on macOS 15 or newer.
## Rename Speakers
Inside the workspace, you can rename a detected speaker.
That name applies across the meeting session, not just one line.
It is a quick way to replace `Speaker 1` and `Speaker 2` with real names after the call.
## Correct Speaker Assignments
If diarization assigned a passage to the wrong person, select the relevant transcript range and choose another speaker. Snaply updates the affected speaker turns for that range while keeping the rest of the transcript unchanged.
## Transcript Search
Use transcript search to find:
* Specific keywords
* People or company names
* Decisions
* Open questions
The workspace supports `Cmd + F` for fast search. The same search box works across **Notes** and **Transcript**.
## Audio Playback
Saved meetings include playback for the recorded audio.
You can use the waveform to scan the meeting, or play a transcript segment directly when you want to hear the exact moment something was said.
## Polished Notes And Your Notepad
The **Notes** view has two layers:
* **Polished notes**: the AI-generated notes from the selected template.
* **Notepad**: your own editable meeting notes.
You can edit your notepad while keeping the generated summary separate.
## Saved Meeting Search
From the main Meeting Notes page, you can also search across saved meetings.
Meeting search can look through:
* Titles
* Generated notes
* Transcripts
You can narrow results to today, this week, the last 30 days, or a custom date range.
## Copy And Reuse
From the meeting workspace, you can copy the transcript directly to your clipboard.
You can also copy the generated meeting notes as Markdown, or enable [Markdown export](/meeting-notes/import-export) if you want Snaply to keep local `.md` files in sync.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Meeting Notes overview](/meeting-notes/overview)
* [Meeting templates](/meeting-notes/templates)
* [Ask AI and chat with your transcript](/meeting-notes/ask-ai)
* [How Meeting Notes works](/meeting-notes/how-it-works)
* [Import and export recordings and notes](/meeting-notes/import-export)
# Settings, Permissions, And Privacy
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/settings/overview
Understand Snaply's system permissions, general settings, updates, local storage, and recovery tools.
Most Snaply behavior is configured from **Settings**. The app also includes a system-status view for checking permissions and model readiness when something needs attention.
## Permissions
Open **Settings -> Permissions** to review:
* **Microphone**: required for dictation and your microphone track in Meeting Notes.
* **Accessibility**: required for inserting dictation and replacing selected text in other apps.
* **System Audio**: required when Meeting Notes should capture audio from the other side of a call.
* **Open at Login**: starts Snaply when you sign in to your Mac.
If a permission is missing, Snaply can open the relevant macOS settings page and recheck the status.
## General Settings
Under **Settings -> General**, you can:
* Turn start/stop sounds on or off.
* Show or hide the floating dictation widget.
* Hide Snaply from the Dock while it continues running in the background.
* Choose a microphone device.
* Choose whether updates install automatically as soon as available or on a weekly schedule.
* Check for updates and restart when an update is ready.
The floating widget is separate from the Meeting Notes live recording indicator. The widget is the idle dictation control; the live indicator is the meeting capture control shown while a meeting is recording.
## Model Readiness
Snaply downloads local models only when a workflow needs them. The model screens show download progress, pause/resume controls, initialization status, storage errors, and the option to remove a local model.
The **Mission Control** view is a diagnostic checklist for permissions and feature resources. Open it from the app menu or press `Cmd + K` and choose **Run System Check** when dictation, Meeting Notes, or Writing Assistant reports that a model or permission is missing.
## Local Storage And Cloud Requests
Snaply stores app state, dictation history, meeting recordings, meeting transcripts, and generated notes locally on your Mac.
* Local dictation and local AI models keep the text and audio on your Mac.
* A cloud Writing Assistant or Translation model receives the text needed for that request.
* Meeting Notes still stores the recording and transcript locally, but cloud title generation, note generation, or Ask AI sends the relevant transcript or notes context to the provider you selected.
* OpenAI-compatible endpoints send requests to the base URL you configure. A `localhost` endpoint can stay on your Mac; a hosted proxy or company gateway receives the request.
API keys are stored in Snaply's encrypted local vault. You can add, reveal, remove, or recover keys from older Snaply installations in the model setup screens.
## If Something Fails
Keep the saved item when possible, then retry the smallest failed step:
* Missing microphone or Accessibility access: use **Settings -> Permissions**.
* Missing local model or insufficient disk space: use the relevant model screen and retry after freeing space.
* Missing cloud key or provider failure: check the provider key, quota, and model selection.
* Meeting notes that stopped during processing: open the meeting and use **Reprocess** or **Regenerate notes**.
## Related Pages
* [Getting started](/getting-started)
* [AI models](/writing-assistant/models)
* [Meeting Notes recording controls](/meeting-notes/recording-controls)
# Translation
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/translation/overview
Translate text with Snaply from the Writing Assistant menu or the Translation workspace, using a local or cloud model.
Snaply can translate selected text in place through the [Writing Assistant](/writing-assistant/overview), or translate longer passages in the dedicated **Translation** workspace.
## Translate Selected Text
1. Select text in a Mac app.
2. Open the Writing Assistant with its shortcut or selection button.
3. Choose **Translate**.
4. Pick a target language, or use the default shown in the menu.
5. Snaply returns the translated text in the assistant panel so you can apply it or continue in chat.
The language submenu supports favorites. Star a language to keep it near the top, and change the default target language in **Settings -> Writing Assistant**.
## Use The Translation Workspace
Open **Translation** from its app route when you want a source-and-result workspace:
1. Choose the source and target languages.
2. Type or paste the source text.
3. Select **Translate**.
4. Copy the result from the target panel.
Use the swap button to reverse the source and target languages.
## Supported Models
The Translation workspace offers:
* **Translation Expert**: a faster local model
* **Translation Expert Max**: a larger, slower local model for higher accuracy
* **Gemini 3 Flash**: a cloud option that requires a Google API key
Local models run on your Mac after download and initialization. The cloud option sends the text needed for the translation to Google.
## Privacy
With either local translation model, your text stays on your Mac. When you use Gemini, the source text is sent to Google according to your Google API settings. Cloud model keys are managed from the same API key dialog used by Writing Assistant.
## Related Pages
* [Writing Assistant overview](/writing-assistant/overview)
* [Writing Assistant modes](/writing-assistant/modes)
* [AI models](/writing-assistant/models)
# Cloud Models
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/writing-assistant/cloud-models
Use OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, xAI, Groq, Mistral, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint with Snaply.
**Bring the model setup you already like into Snaply.**
The selected model powers [Writing Assistant](/writing-assistant/overview), meeting titles, AI meeting notes, and [Meeting Notes Ask AI](/meeting-notes/ask-ai).
Use the local model when you want the most private, offline-friendly default. Switch to a cloud model when you want a specific provider, a larger model, stronger reasoning, or the same model your team already uses elsewhere.
This is the right page if you are looking for broader model support, OpenRouter, Claude/OpenAI/Gemini-style presets, Mistral, or a local OpenAI-compatible setup with Ollama, LM Studio, or LiteLLM.
## Supported Providers
Snaply includes built-in provider setup for:
* **OpenAI**
* **Anthropic**
* **Google Gemini**
* **OpenRouter**
* **xAI**
* **Groq**
* **Mistral**
* **OpenAI-compatible endpoint**
The catalog contains hundreds of models. Snaply keeps the first choice simple by showing recommended models first, then gives you search when you want to pick a specific model.
The catalog is refreshed over time, so exact model names and availability can change. Treat the provider list and setup flow below as the stable part of the feature.
## Common Requested Setups
| What you want | Where to start |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Groq, xAI, or OpenRouter | Pick the provider in **Advanced model setup** |
| A local Ollama model | Use **OpenAI-compatible endpoint** with `http://localhost:11434/v1` |
| LM Studio's local server | Use **OpenAI-compatible endpoint** with `http://localhost:1234/v1` |
| LiteLLM, a private proxy, or a company gateway | Use **OpenAI-compatible endpoint** with that server's `/v1` base URL |
| One API key for many model families | Use **OpenRouter** |
## The Simple Setup
1. Open **Settings -> Writing Assistant -> AI Models**.
2. Go to **Advanced model setup**.
3. Pick the provider you want.
4. Choose a recommended model, or search the full catalog for a specific one.
5. Click **Add API key** and paste the provider key.
6. Select **Use** on the model you want.
That is it. From then on, Writing Assistant, meeting titles, AI notes, and Ask AI use that model.
Your provider account still controls pricing, rate limits, billing, and data handling for that provider.
## OpenAI-Compatible Endpoint
Choose **OpenAI-compatible endpoint** when you want Snaply to talk to something custom: [Ollama](https://docs.ollama.com/api/openai-compatibility), [LM Studio](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/developer/openai-compat), LiteLLM, a local model server, private proxy, company gateway, or hosted provider with an OpenAI-style API.
Snaply asks for:
* **Base URL**: the endpoint root, for example `http://localhost:11434/v1`
* **Model name**: the exact model identifier your endpoint expects
* **API key**: optional, only needed if the endpoint requires a bearer token
After you save it, the endpoint behaves like any other AI model in Snaply.
## Ollama, LM Studio, And LiteLLM
This is the easiest way to bring local models you already run elsewhere into Snaply.
| Tool | Base URL to try | Model name |
| ------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Ollama | `http://localhost:11434/v1` | The model you pulled in Ollama, such as `llama3.2` or `llama3.1:8b` |
| LM Studio | `http://localhost:1234/v1` | The model identifier shown by LM Studio's local server |
| LiteLLM or another OpenAI-compatible server | Your server's `/v1` endpoint | The model name that server expects |
For local tools like Ollama and LM Studio, you can usually leave **API key** empty unless you turned on authentication yourself. If you type `http://localhost:11434` or `http://localhost:1234`, Snaply can suggest the matching `/v1` URL.
## API Key Storage
Cloud API keys are stored in Snaply's encrypted app vault on your Mac.
From the API key dialog, you can:
* Add a key for each provider
* See which providers have a key saved
* Reveal a saved key when needed
* Remove a key
* Load previously saved keys from older Snaply builds
OpenAI-compatible endpoints can be used with or without a key, depending on how your endpoint is configured.
## What Gets Sent To A Cloud Model
When a cloud model is selected, Snaply sends only the text needed for the request to that provider.
That can include:
* Selected text for Writing Assistant edits
* The prompt and chat history for Writing Assistant chat
* Meeting transcript content for generated titles and notes
* Meeting transcript and notes context for Ask AI
Meeting recordings and transcripts are still stored locally by Snaply. The important distinction is generation: if the selected model is cloud, the text needed for that generation goes to the selected provider.
For OpenAI-compatible endpoints, the text goes to the endpoint URL you configured. If that endpoint is Ollama or LM Studio running on `localhost`, the request stays on your machine. If it is LiteLLM, a hosted gateway, or a company proxy, the request goes there.
## When To Use Each Option
| Use case | Good choice |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
| Private offline rewriting | Local Daily Assistant model |
| Strong general writing and reasoning | OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google Gemini |
| Access to many model families from one key | OpenRouter |
| Fast hosted inference | Groq |
| Mistral or Codestral workflows | Mistral |
| Grok models | xAI |
| Ollama, LM Studio, LiteLLM, local server, proxy, or custom gateway | OpenAI-compatible endpoint |
## Troubleshooting
If a cloud model cannot run, Snaply shows an error card with the next step. Most issues come down to one of these:
* Add the missing API key
* Choose another model from the same provider
* Check quota, billing, or rate limits in the provider account
* For OpenAI-compatible endpoints, confirm the base URL, model name, and bearer token
## Related Pages
* [AI Models overview](/writing-assistant/models)
* [Writing Assistant modes](/writing-assistant/modes)
* [Meeting Notes Ask AI](/meeting-notes/ask-ai)
# AI Models
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/writing-assistant/models
Choose between Snaply's built-in local model, hosted cloud models, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints.
**Think of this as Snaply's brain switch.**
[Writing Assistant](/writing-assistant/overview) uses the model you select in Settings, and that choice affects more than just text rewrites.
The same model setting is also used for:
* Meeting titles
* Meeting note generation
* Meeting Notes Ask AI conversations
## Local Model
Snaply includes one local Writing Assistant model:
* **Daily Assistant (Gemma 4)** (`Gemma 4 E4B`, about `5.25 GB`)
Local use means:
* **runs on your Mac**
* **works offline after setup**
* **keeps text local to your machine**
* Requires macOS 14 or newer
* Requires more than 8 GB of system memory for the local Writing Assistant flow
## Cloud Models
If you prefer a hosted model, Snaply now includes a much larger cloud catalog. Recommended models are there for quick setup; search is there when you know exactly what you want.
The same model picker also includes **OpenAI-compatible endpoint** for Ollama, LM Studio, LiteLLM, local servers, proxies, and other OpenAI-style APIs.
| Provider | Examples in the recommended list |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| OpenAI | GPT-5.1, GPT-5.1 Chat, GPT-5 Mini, o4-mini |
| Anthropic | Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Sonnet 4.5 (latest), Claude Haiku 4.5 (latest), Claude Opus 4.5 (latest) |
| Google Gemini | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, Gemini 3 Flash Preview, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini 2.5 Flash |
| OpenRouter | Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5.1, Gemini 3 Pro Preview, Grok 4.1 Fast |
| xAI | Grok 4.1 Fast, Grok 4, Grok 3 Fast |
| Groq | GPT OSS 120B, Llama 3.3 70B Versatile, Compound |
| Mistral | Mistral Large (latest), Magistral Medium (latest), Codestral (latest) |
| OpenAI-compatible endpoint | A custom base URL and model name that you configure |
Hosted cloud use means:
* Uses an internet connection
* Uses your own API key for the selected provider
* Sends the request text to that provider
* Gives you more model choice and extra power for larger reasoning tasks
OpenAI-compatible endpoints are different: Snaply sends the request to the endpoint URL you configure. That can be local, like Ollama or LM Studio on `localhost`, or remote, like a LiteLLM gateway, company gateway, or hosted proxy.
If Writing Assistant uses the built-in local model, selected text, meeting titles, generated meeting notes, and Ask AI requests stay local. Built-in cloud providers send that request text to the selected provider. OpenAI-compatible endpoints send it to the URL you configured, which can be local or remote.
## OpenAI-Compatible Endpoints
Use **OpenAI-compatible endpoint** when you want Snaply to talk to a local server, LiteLLM proxy, company gateway, or hosted provider that exposes an OpenAI-style API.
You configure:
* **Base URL**, such as `http://localhost:11434/v1`
* **Model name**, such as `llama3.1:8b`
* **API key**, when the endpoint requires one
This is the power-user path: you bring the endpoint, Snaply brings the Writing Assistant and Meeting Notes workflow.
It works well for local model tools too:
| Tool | Base URL to try | Model name |
| ------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Ollama](https://docs.ollama.com/api/openai-compatibility) | `http://localhost:11434/v1` | The model you pulled in Ollama, such as `llama3.2` or `llama3.1:8b` |
| [LM Studio](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/developer/openai-compat) | `http://localhost:1234/v1` | The model identifier shown by LM Studio's local server |
| LiteLLM or any OpenAI-compatible API | Your server's `/v1` endpoint | The model name that endpoint expects |
For local tools, leave **API key** empty unless your endpoint requires a bearer token. Snaply also recognizes the common Ollama and LM Studio local ports and can suggest the correct `/v1` URL if you forget it.
## API Keys
Open **Settings -> Writing Assistant -> AI Models -> Add API key** to manage provider keys.
Snaply shows which providers already have keys saved, and keys are stored in Snaply's encrypted app vault on your Mac. If you used an older Snaply build, the app can also load previously saved keys into the newer storage.
## Choosing Between Local and Cloud
Choose **local** when you want **on-device privacy** and **offline use** after setup.
Choose **cloud** if:
* You want access to a state-of-the-art hosted model
* You prefer a specific provider or model family
* You want extra flexibility for heavier writing, reasoning, or meeting follow-up work
## Related Pages
* [Back to Writing Assistant overview](/writing-assistant/overview)
* [Set up cloud models](/writing-assistant/cloud-models)
* [Create reusable assistant modes](/writing-assistant/modes)
* [See how this affects Meeting Notes Ask AI](/meeting-notes/ask-ai)
# Modes
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/writing-assistant/modes
Set up Snaply Writing Assistant modes for grammar fixes, rewrites, translation, and custom AI workflows you can trigger instantly across your Mac.
Modes are the fastest way to make the [Writing Assistant](/writing-assistant/overview) feel personal instead of generic.
Snaply ships with useful defaults, and then lets you tune, reorder, disable, or extend them.
## Built-In Modes
| Mode | What it does |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Grammar** | Corrects grammar, spelling, and punctuation without trying to rewrite the meaning. |
| **Polish** | Improves clarity, flow, and tone while staying close to the original voice. |
| **Translate** | Translates selected text into your target language. |
| **Custom Request** | Opens chat so you can type your own instruction. |
The quick translation menu surfaces common languages, and you can set a default target language in **Settings -> Writing Assistant**.
## Custom Modes
Custom modes let you save repeated instructions as reusable tools.
Examples:
* "Format as Linear Ticket"
* "Convert to JSON"
* "Fix code indentation"
* "Shorten for Slack"
* "Rewrite as customer-friendly release note"
From **Assistant Modes**, you can:
* Reorder modes
* Enable or disable modes
* Edit built-in prompts
* Assign custom shortcuts
* Create brand new modes
## Instant vs Chat
| Style | Best for |
| ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Instant | grammar fixes, polishing, translation, stable formatting jobs |
| Chat | negotiation with the text, follow-ups, edge cases, open-ended work |
Grammar, Polish, and Translate are usually instant. Custom Request is chat-first by design. Your own custom modes can behave like quick, repeatable actions when their instructions are specific enough.
## Shortcut Behavior
* The top nine enabled modes automatically get default shortcuts such as `Control + Space + 1`.
* If you assign a custom shortcut to a mode, that custom shortcut is shown instead of the numbered default for that mode.
That setup makes reordering matter in a useful way: the modes you use most can sit at the top and get the fastest key path.
## Related Pages
* [Back to Writing Assistant overview](/writing-assistant/overview)
* [Set global and mode shortcuts](/writing-assistant/shortcuts)
* [Choose the model behind your modes](/writing-assistant/models)
# Overview
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/writing-assistant/overview
See how Snaply's AI Writing Assistant rewrites, fixes grammar, translates, and polishes text in any Mac app with fast local AI.
**Select text. Press the shortcut. Get a better version back.**
The [Writing Assistant](/writing-assistant/overview) is Snaply's text layer: select something, open the assistant, choose a [mode](/writing-assistant/modes), and either replace the text instantly or keep working in chat.
It is built for fast edits inside your existing workflow, not as a separate writing destination you have to live in.
Snaply is designed for fast, local-first editing. Use the built-in model for private rewrites, or switch to [cloud models](/writing-assistant/cloud-models) when you want OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, xAI, Groq, Mistral, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
## How It Opens
Most people use one of these entry points:
* Select text and press `Control + Space`
* Select editable text and click the assistant icon near the selection
* Open the Writing Assistant page in Snaply and review recent edits
If nothing appears, open **Settings -> Writing Assistant** and make sure **Show Writing Assistant** is enabled.
![Enable Writing Assistant]()
## What It Is Great At
* Fix grammar without changing the meaning
* Polish tone, clarity, and formatting
* Translate into a target language
* Run a saved custom mode for repeated tasks
* Switch into chat for follow-up instructions
The Translate mode includes a language picker with favorites. For longer source text, use the [dedicated Translation workspace](/translation/overview).
## Instant Fix Or Follow-Up Chat
| Workflow | Best for |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Instant replace | grammar fixes, quick rewrites, predictable formatting |
| Chat | follow-up instructions, refinement, more open-ended requests |
You can enable **Show on non-editable text** if you want the assistant to appear even when the selected text cannot be replaced in place.
## History
Snaply keeps a local history of recent transformations inside the app.
That means a good rewrite does not disappear the second you move on.
From **Writing Assistant -> Recent Edits**, you can:
* Reopen a previous conversation
* Copy or reapply a result
* Rerun a transformation with a different mode
* Delete old items
* Select multiple recent edits and delete them together
## Key Features
Configure the global shortcut and learn mode-level shortcuts.
Use built-in modes or create reusable ones for your own workflows.
Manage the model behind your edits.
Use hosted providers or connect an OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
## Privacy
With the built-in local model, selected text stays on your Mac.
That local-first setup is the easiest way to keep Writing Assistant fast, private, and available inside your normal Mac workflow.
## Related Pages
* [Configure shortcuts](/writing-assistant/shortcuts)
* [Create and reorder modes](/writing-assistant/modes)
* [Manage AI models](/writing-assistant/models)
* [Set up cloud models](/writing-assistant/cloud-models)
* [Translate text in the assistant or workspace](/translation/overview)
* [See the Snaply website](https://snaply.ai)
# Shortcuts
Source: https://docs.snaply.ai/writing-assistant/shortcuts
Choose how to open the Writing Assistant and trigger favorite modes from anywhere on your Mac.
The [Writing Assistant](/writing-assistant/overview) is built around keyboard access. You can open the menu globally, and you can also give individual [modes](/writing-assistant/modes) their own shortcuts.
## Default Shortcut
By default, the Writing Assistant uses **Control + Space**.
To use it:
1. Select text in an app
2. Press `Control + Space`
3. The Writing Assistant opens so you can rewrite, translate, or continue in chat
## Change The Global Shortcut
1. Open **Settings -> Writing Assistant**
2. In **Shortcut**, click **Change**
3. Pick a preset or record a custom shortcut
## Preset Options
### Single-key
* `Fn`
* `Left Control`
* `Left Option`
* `Right Command`
* `Right Option`
### Multi-key
* `Option + Space`
* `Control + Space`
* `Command + Shift + Space`
* `Option + Shift + Space`
## Mode Shortcuts
Snaply also supports shortcuts for specific assistant modes.
* The first **9 enabled modes** get default shortcuts like `Control + Space + 1`, `Control + Space + 2`, and so on.
* If a mode has its own custom shortcut, that custom shortcut takes priority.
* You can manage mode order and custom mode shortcuts from **Settings -> Writing Assistant -> Assistant Modes**.
This makes it possible to jump straight into a favorite mode without opening the menu first.
## Close the Writing Assistant
Press `Esc` to close the Writing Assistant window.
## Shortcut Conflicts
If you try to reuse the current Dictation shortcut, Snaply asks whether you want to swap the two shortcuts.
## Related Pages
* [Writing Assistant overview](/writing-assistant/overview)
* [Assistant modes](/writing-assistant/modes)
* [Dictation shortcuts](/dictation/shortcuts)
* [Meeting Notes shortcuts](/meeting-notes/shortcuts)