Frequently asked questions.

Is echo99 free?

Yes. echo99 is a free download with no account, no signup, and no subscription. Download it, click record.

Does echo99 join my calls as a bot?

No. echo99 never joins a meeting. It records your microphone and your Mac’s audio output locally, so there is no bot participant, no invite, and nothing added to the call itself. Recording laws still apply — see below.

Can echo99 record calls automatically?

Yes. Turn on Auto-record calls once from the menu bar and the setting stays enabled across launches. When another Mac app uses your microphone for a few seconds, echo99 starts recording automatically; after the microphone is no longer in use, it stops the recording. This works with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack huddles, FaceTime, Webex, and browser-based calls — without a bot or calendar integration.

Does my audio ever leave my Mac?

No. Recording, transcription, and speaker labeling all run on your Mac. The app ships with limited telemetry: a launch-time update check that sends an anonymous install id — nothing more. Your audio and transcripts are never uploaded.

Where are my recordings stored?

In ~/Documents/echo99/, one folder per recording (the location is configurable in Config → Storage). Each folder holds mic.wav, system.wav, metadata.json, and after transcription transcript.json and transcript.txt. Plain files — yours to keep, search, or delete.

Which apps can echo99 record?

Anything that plays audio through your Mac: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack huddles, FaceTime, Webex, browser-based calls, webinars, and ordinary playback.

How does speaker labeling work?

Your microphone track is always labeled Me. The system-audio track is diarized on-device, so other participants come out as Them-1, Them-2, and so on, with timestamps.

Which Macs does it support?

macOS 14.4 or later (that is when Apple introduced the system-audio capture API echo99 uses). Apple silicon and Intel are both supported; on-device transcription is fastest on Apple silicon.

Does it work offline?

Yes. After the one-time transcription model download, recording and transcription work with Wi-Fi off.

What permissions does it need?

Two: microphone access and system-audio recording. macOS prompts for both on first use; echo99 asks before recording, never silently.

Is it legal to record calls?

It depends on where you and the other participants are — many places require the other side’s consent. echo99 gives you the recorder, not legal advice: tell people you are recording and check the rules that apply to you.