Setup guide

Platform availability

Clipper runs on macOS 26.0 or later on Apple Silicon Macs. There is no Windows or iOS app, and no Google or Microsoft sign-in — everything stays on your Mac.

Clipper can transcribe and summarize:

• Meetings on any software — Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and others
• In-person conversations via your microphone
• Voice memos and quick notes
• Audio from URLs you import (YouTube, web pages)

Unlike cloud notetakers, Clipper does not join your calls as a bot. It captures audio from your Mac and processes it entirely on-device.

System requirements

Installing Clipper

1. Click Download for Mac on this site. Enter your email to verify and download the latest Clipper-{version}.dmg from GitHub Releases.

2. Open the DMG file from your Downloads folder.

3. Drag the Clipper icon into your Applications folder.

Launching Clipper

Open Clipper from your Applications folder, Launchpad, or Spotlight.

On first launch, macOS may show a warning that Clipper is from the internet. This is expected for direct downloads — click Open to continue. Clipper is signed with a Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple.

The first time you launch Clipper, an onboarding sheet walks you through setup. This is a one-time experience.

First-launch onboarding

Clipper guides you through six steps. Use Back and Continue to move between them.

Download AI models

Clipper runs local models for transcription, summarization, live captions, and semantic search. During step 4, you can tap Download All or choose Download Later — models load automatically the first time you need them (via Settings → Models).

Models include:

• Gemma — summarization and AI chat
• Whisper or GLM-ASR — batch transcription after meetings
• Whisper Tiny — live transcription fallback
• BGE — embeddings for search

Which variant you get depends on your Mac's RAM. Onboarding shows the exact download size before you start.

Permissions

On step 5, Clipper asks for the permissions it needs to detect meetings, capture audio, and alert you. You can grant them now or later in System Settings.

Connect your calendar

Calendar access is not part of onboarding, but connecting your calendar unlocks upcoming meetings on Home and improves meeting detection.

1. Open Settings (⌘,) → Connectors.

2. Grant calendar access when prompted.

3. If needed, add Google, iCloud, or Exchange accounts via System Settings → Internet Accounts.

4. Enable the calendars you want Clipper to read. Data stays on your Mac.

Test your first capture

Clipper does not include a demo meeting — pick any flow below to see how local capture works.

Option A — Quick note

1. From Home, click Quick note in the toolbar — or press ⌘N.

2. Record a voice memo or jot down a few bullets. Clipper transcribes and saves everything on your Mac.

3. When you're done, stop recording. Your note appears in Home under Recent.

Option B — Import from URL

1. On Home, click the link icon in the toolbar to open Import from URL.

2. Paste a YouTube video or website URL, then press the import button.

3. Clipper fetches the content, transcribes audio locally, and creates a searchable note.

Option C — Record a meeting

1. Join or start a Zoom, Meet, or Teams call — or wait for Clipper's detection banner.

2. Tap Take Notes when the detection banner appears. Recording never starts without your consent.

3. Jot rough notes during the call. Clipper enhances them with the local transcript when the meeting ends.

You're all set

Clipper should now show your Home view with recent notes, Ask Clipper chat, and upcoming meetings if your calendar is connected.

Keyboard shortcuts

Updates

Clipper checks for updates every 24 hours. To check manually, choose Clipper → Check for Updates… from the menu bar.

Troubleshooting