Guides
How to record a meeting on a Mac without a bot
To record a meeting on a Mac without a bot, use an app that records system audio and your microphone from the computer itself. macOS asks you for two permissions, and nobody joins the call. PolarParrot, which we make, works this way, and so do other apps.
Written by Polargate, the company that makes PolarParrot, so we are an interested party. Data about each tool comes from its official page, with the date it was checked.
Last updated:
How to do it with PolarParrot
- Open PolarParrot in the Mac menu bar and sign in with Google or your email.
- Give it the two permissions macOS asks for: the microphone and system audio recording. Without them it cannot record.
- Tell the people in the meeting that you are recording.
- Press record when the meeting starts and stop when it ends.
- When you stop, PolarParrot writes the notes and lets you know: summary, decisions, actions and questions.
If the others are missing from the notes, the system audio permission is missing. It is in System Settings, under Privacy & Security, in Screen & System Audio Recording. Your first 3 meetings are free on each Mac.
How do I record system audio and my microphone at once on a Mac?
You need both, because they travel separately. Your voice comes in through the microphone. Everyone else comes out through system audio. A meeting recording app picks up both, and you keep using whatever video call app you already have.
How can a transcript keep my voice apart from the others?
By recording your microphone and system audio separately. PolarParrot does this, so the notes know what you said. Not every tool handles it the same way: Fireflies, without a bot, leaves labels as Speaker 1 and Speaker 2.
Which other apps record without a bot?
This is what each one says on its website as of 2 November 2026:
| Tool | How it records | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Granola | From the device, with no bot, on every plan. | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Apple Watch. |
| Jamie | From the device, with no bot. | Mac, Windows, web and iOS. |
| MacWhisper | From the Mac, with no bot and automatic meeting detection. It transcribes locally. | Mac. There is no Windows version. |
| Otter | Both: an assistant that joins the meeting and a desktop app that records without a bot. | Mac, Windows, web, iOS, Android and a Chrome extension. |
| Fireflies | Both: the Fireflies Notetaker bot, a Chrome extension with no bot and a desktop app that records system audio. Without the bot, labels stay as Speaker 1 and Speaker 2. | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and a Chrome extension. |
| Fathom | Both: a bot by default, and bot-free device recording, in beta and only on Mac. | Mac and Windows. Without the bot, Mac only. |
| tl;dv | Both: a bot in the meeting or a desktop app with no bot. | Mac, web, iOS, Android and a Chrome extension. |
| Krisp | Both: on-device capture with no extra participant, and an optional bot for Zoom. | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and a browser extension. |
What can I use when my company blocks bots?
An app that records from the computer adds nobody to the call. Still, ask first: if your company blocks bots, it may also restrict recording or installing apps. And we recommend telling the others. We cover that in how to tell people you are recording.
What PolarParrot does not do
- It only runs on a Mac. There is no version for Windows, iPhone or Android.
- It needs two macOS permissions: the microphone and system audio recording. Without them it cannot record.
- FaceTime. PolarParrot cannot record the other people on FaceTime: macOS only lets it record your voice.
- Download. The App Store version is not available yet. You download PolarParrot from this website.
- The audio leaves your Mac. It is uploaded to our server to write the notes and deleted when they are done. You can change that in Settings. Transcription does not run on your Mac.
- The free part is short: 3 meetings per Mac. Pro includes 20 hours a month, and extra hours are sold separately.
- The price is per person. There is no team plan.
Sources
- Granola: pricing, checked on 2 November 2026
- Granola: languages, checked on 2 November 2026
- Granola: MCP, checked on 2 November 2026
- Jamie: pricing, checked on 2 November 2026
- Jamie: home page, checked on 2 November 2026
- Jamie: MCP, checked on 2 November 2026
- Jamie: languages, checked on 2 November 2026
- MacWhisper: home page and pricing, checked on 2 November 2026
- MacWhisper: command line tool, checked on 2 November 2026
- Otter: pricing, checked on 2 November 2026
- Otter: desktop app, checked on 2 November 2026
- Otter: MCP server, checked on 2 November 2026
- Fireflies: pricing, checked on 2 November 2026
- Fireflies: recording without a bot, checked on 2 November 2026
- Fireflies: MCP setup, checked on 2 November 2026
- Fathom: pricing, checked on 2 November 2026
- Fathom: bot-free notes, checked on 2 November 2026
- Fathom: requirements, checked on 2 November 2026
- Fathom: MCP, checked on 2 November 2026
- tl;dv: pricing, checked on 2 November 2026
- tl;dv: free plan, checked on 2 November 2026
- tl;dv: bot-free notes, checked on 2 November 2026
- tl;dv: MCP, checked on 2 November 2026
- Krisp: pricing, checked on 2 November 2026
- Krisp: meeting assistant, checked on 2 November 2026
- Krisp: MCP, checked on 2 November 2026
If you spot a wrong or outdated figure, write to hello@polargate.ai and we will correct it.
Keep reading
- How to record Teams, Zoom and Meet on a MacHow to record these calls on a Mac even if you are not the host. Also the open Teams bug and what happens with FaceTime.
- How to tell people you are recording a meetingWe recommend telling people you are recording, even with no bot. How to do it and where to check the rules. General guidance, not legal advice.
- Mac meeting recorderWhich meeting recorders exist for Mac and which add a bot, from what each one publishes on its website.
- How it worksYou press record on your Mac, have the meeting and get the notes with decisions and actions when you stop. No bots on the call.