INTERVAL / PRACTICAL GUIDES

Record and transcribe meetings on your Mac, privately, beside your meeting timer

By Cory Parry, maker of Interval · Updated 17 October 2026

Interval for Mac 1.1 can record your microphone and Mac audio when you choose, transcribe on-device and save reviewed text beside your meeting’s notes, with no bot joining the call. Recording stops after an hour or when the meeting ends. Generated draft notes need supported Apple Intelligence. Interval is a meeting timer first.

How it works

If you want a countdown during calls and an occasional transcript afterwards, Interval keeps those tasks together. Mac 1.1 is available from this website and the Mac App Store. Recording is optional and never starts automatically; you decide whether a meeting needs it.

1. Choose a current meeting with full access and open its notes. Tell everyone before recording and obtain any required consent.
2. Choose Start recording. Grant Microphone and Screen & System Audio Recording permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security when prompted.
3. Interval captures your microphone and Mac audio. Use headphones to reduce echoes; Mac audio can include the call through headphones, other apps and notifications.
4. Stop recording when you have what you need. Interval transcribes the captured audio on your Mac, then attempts draft notes if Apple Intelligence is available.
5. Review the text, correct mistakes and save it to the meeting’s notes. You can edit and save the transcript without generated notes.

Check names, figures, decisions and action owners before treating the text as a record. A transcript can miss words, and generated notes can misread a discussion. For a short decision log you write yourself, see capture decisions beside your meeting timer.

Privacy, specifically

No Interval bot joins your Zoom or Teams call. Recording happens on your Mac after you start it. Transcription and supported Apple Intelligence draft-note generation run there too. Interval does not send the audio or transcript to an external AI service, RevenueCat or PostHog for this processing. Apple’s speech assets may need an initial download.

The macOS permission mentions screen recording because Mac audio capture uses that system permission. Interval saves audio, with no screen images saved. That does not limit capture to the person speaking in the meeting: notifications and sound from other apps may be included. Close or silence unrelated audio sources before you begin.

Audio and recovery drafts are stored locally. Once a transcript has been safely saved as a local draft, Interval removes the audio. If transcription or saving fails, it retains recoverable material for retry or discard. Drafts have no automatic time-based expiry.

Successfully saving or discarding clears the recording draft; saved notebook notes are deleted separately. Saved notes, including transcript text you include, can sync through your private iCloud database when notes sync is enabled. Recording files are not uploaded by note sync. Device backups may retain copies. Read the recording privacy and retention details before using this for sensitive conversations.

Requirements and limits

• Mac and language: macOS 26 or later, a device and language supported by Apple’s on-device speech recognition, and the required permissions. Speech assets may download on first use.
• Generated drafts: compatible Apple Intelligence hardware, a supported language, Apple Intelligence enabled and its model downloaded. This does not guarantee usable draft notes for every recording.
• Recording duration: one hour maximum. Recording also stops when the meeting ends or changes, your Mac sleeps, access ends, or capture fails. You can stop it yourself earlier.
• Meeting context: start from a current meeting with full access. This is not an unattended recorder for an entire working day. Website activation also requires a working Secure Enclave; purchase, activation and updates need internet access.

The timer remains personal. Interval reads Apple Calendar without editing events and opens supported Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex and FaceTime links. It does not control the call or end it for everyone. Google and Outlook calendars must be available through Apple Calendar; there is no direct account sign-in.

Compared with dedicated note-takers

Written by Interval’s maker. Prices checked 17 October 2026 on the linked vendors’ own pages. Launch offers can change. Compare update terms, device allowances and recording requirements as well as the advertised purchase price.

Interval website lifetime access costs £15.99 / US$19.99 / €19.99 / A$29.99 once for two Macs. You pay before download; there is no website trial. Recording is included in Mac 1.1, subject to the requirements above.

Buy lifetime access · £15.99 Try the interactive example

Changed your mind? You can request a refund within 14 days of your website purchase, including after download or activation (terms).

When a dedicated note-taker is the better buy

Choose around the work you need to do. If transcription is your main task, test a dedicated recorder’s trial and check its limits against your meetings. Interval is a poor fit for unattended recording, sessions longer than its one-hour cap, or guaranteed AI summaries on every Mac.

It also does not schedule or reschedule meetings, track time, provide shared team or room timers, or run on Windows. If the main problem is running over, leave time to close the meeting and use the countdown to prompt a decision before the next call.

Frequently asked questions

Does Interval send a bot into my Zoom or Teams call?

No. You start recording locally from the current meeting’s notes. No Interval participant appears in the call.

Is my audio uploaded anywhere?

Interval processes recording audio locally and does not upload recording files through note sync. Saved transcript text can become an ordinary note and sync to iCloud if enabled; backups may retain copies.

Do I need Apple Intelligence?

For generated draft notes, yes. On-device transcription has its own device and language requirements. You can review, edit and save the transcript without Apple Intelligence.

How long can a recording be?

Up to one hour, with earlier stops when the meeting ends or changes, your Mac sleeps, access ends or capture fails.

Is recording included in the website lifetime licence?

Yes, in Mac 1.1. The website and Mac App Store both offer Mac 1.1. Hardware, language, permissions and access requirements still apply.

Do I need to tell people I’m recording?

Yes. Inform everyone and obtain any required consent before starting. A local recorder does not remove your responsibility to follow applicable rules and your organisation’s policy.