Data and offline use
Understand what stays on your computer, what syncs, and which actions need an internet connection.
Oudden recognizes speech on your computer. Notes, synchronization, and AI have different storage and connection requirements. Local transcription does not mean that every part of the app works only on the device.
Where each kind of data lives
| Data | How Oudden uses it |
|---|---|
| Audio captured for a meeting | Processed on the device; the original audio is not uploaded to Oudden’s server for transcription or note generation. Audio retention is a separate local setting. |
| Audio file you import | Transcribed locally. The file is not uploaded to an online transcription service. |
| Notes, folders, and completed meeting/file transcripts | Saved locally for work on the device and synchronized with your account when a connection is available. |
| Voice input history | Kept locally when history is enabled. It is separate from synchronized notes. |
| AI conversations | Use an online service; confirmed conversations are stored with your account and available through the app’s chat history. |
A successful local save and completed synchronization are different states. If you see a warning, follow Problems saving a note before relying on another device or sharing the result.
What you can do offline
After you have signed in and completed setup on this computer, you can use local speech recognition: voice input, meeting recording, and audio file import. You can also work with notes already available locally. Offline search covers the materials available on that device; it is not a fresh search of everything on the server.
Connect to the internet to sign in for the first time, restore online access, synchronize changes, use AI, manage sharing or billing, and download updates. Receiving calendar changes from an online calendar service also needs a connection.
Before working away from a connection, open the notes you need and check that your work has saved and synced. Do not sign out or reset the app to resolve a connection interruption. On return, let synchronization finish and read any warning about conflicting changes.
See Search without a connection for the limits of local search.
What AI uses
Creating an AI note sends the completed transcript and selected template instructions to the online AI service. Chat uses your question, conversation context, and relevant note or transcript content. It can retrieve additional materials when needed to answer.
The original meeting audio is not sent for these AI actions. The text used by AI does leave the computer; local speech recognition should not be confused with local AI note generation or chat.
You can read transcripts, write notes, and edit them manually without asking AI. Its availability and allowance are explained in Free, Pro, and the AI allowance.
Calendar and shared access
Calendar connections and cached events are managed on the device. When you use an event for a meeting note, the meeting details and participants saved with that note can synchronize with your account.
Sharing is a separate choice. Public links expose the note’s title and body; invitations also grant access to the document's transcript and meeting data. The current app reader displays the note and transcript. Neither access mode sends them the original audio file. See Share a note and manage access.
Text copied or inserted into another app is then also handled by that app. Deleting it from Oudden does not remove those outside copies.
Control storage and ask about your data
Use Storage and deletion to change audio retention, clear local history, and understand what a local reset removes. For an account-level data request, contact support; resetting Oudden on one computer does not delete the account.
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