Install and get started

Before you begin

You need a microphone and a desktop installer for your computer:

• Mac: macOS 14.2 or later, with an Apple silicon or Intel chip.
• Windows: the download offered is for x64 computers. Check your system type in Windows Settings → System → About before choosing the installer.

Connect to the internet to download Oudden and sign in for the first time. The speech recognition model is included in the app; there is no separate model download step.

For this first test, record a few sentences of your own speech in a quiet place. You do not need to connect a calendar or start a call.

1. Download and install Oudden

Open the Download page and choose the version for your computer.

• Mac: choose Apple silicon or Intel. If you are unsure, open the Apple menu → About This Mac and look for Chip or Processor. The Download page explains which installer to choose.
• Windows: choose the Windows x64 installer.

On Mac, open the downloaded disk image, move Oudden to Applications, and launch it from there. On Windows, open the downloaded installer and follow its steps.

If installation is blocked or the app will not open, keep the exact system message and contact support. Do not disable system protection as an installation step.

2. Sign in

Choose Continue with email or Continue with Google. Finish signing in on the browser page that opens, then follow its instructions to return to Oudden. If the page asks you to confirm your email, enter the code from the message. For a missing code or a browser that does not return to the app, see Sign in to your account.

You can select the interface language on the sign-in screen. This is separate from the language of the speech you will transcribe.

3. Choose your transcription language

On Transcription language, choose the language you will speak. Use a specific language for this first test. You can change it later in Settings or use automatic language detection.

Select Next to continue.

4. Grant audio permissions

On Permissions, grant access to the Microphone and confirm the system prompt. Microphone access is required to complete this setup.

On Mac, Accessibility is recommended for automatically pasting dictated text into other apps. You can complete setup without granting it. System Audio, when shown, allows Oudden to capture sound from other apps, such as the other side of a call. The first test below checks your own voice.

If Oudden opens system settings, allow the requested access and return to the app. Follow any system instruction to reopen Oudden, then continue setup. If a permission is missing, follow Microphone and permissions.

5. Finish activation setup

On Activation Setup, keep the suggested dictation shortcut or choose another available combination. Read the start/stop instruction shown next to the test field; it reflects the selected shortcut and mode.

The test field is optional. Select Complete after the shortcut has been saved. Meeting recording also has an on-screen button, used in the next step.

6. Make a short recording

1. Open Home and select New note.
2. In the note, select Record meeting.
3. Wait until preparation finishes and recording starts. Say two or three short sentences in the language you selected.
4. Select Stop and wait for the recording to finish processing.
5. Switch to the Transcript view if it is not already selected.

Check the result

The Transcript view should contain the words you recorded. Read the text and check that it matches what you said. Recognition may make mistakes, especially with noise, names, or specialist terms.

Speech recognition runs on your computer. After the initial sign-in and setup, local recording and transcription can work without an internet connection. Synchronization, AI note generation, and AI chat use online services. Stopping a recording does not automatically generate an AI note.

If something did not work

• Sign-in is unfinished: return to the browser page, finish the requested steps, and use its instruction to open Oudden.
• Setup will not continue: check microphone access on Permissions. Wait for an access check to finish; use the retry action if the check failed.
• Your voice is missing: check microphone permission, the selected input device in your operating system’s sound settings, and whether your microphone is muted. The meeting microphone setting is separate from Oudden’s voice input device selector.
• The words are incorrect: check the transcription language and try a short sentence in a quieter place.
• You see an error: keep its text and your app version for support. You do not need to send a recording of a conversation to describe the issue.

What to explore next

Choose what you want to do now:

• Write by speaking: use voice input in another app.
• Capture a conversation: record a meeting.
• Use a recording you already have: import an audio file.
• Write your own notes: create and format a note.

For a tour, open Get to know Oudden. You can connect your calendar and change the interface or speech language later.

Check your version and updates

Open settings → System to find the current app version. In Updates, select Check for Updates. If a version is available, download it and use Install & Restart when it is ready. Finish recordings and save your work before restarting.

If updates are unavailable for your build or the check fails, read the message and use the official Download page or contact support. Do not reset local data just to retry an update.