Earnote: AI lecture notes you can review and reuse

What does Earnote actually do?

Earnote is an app for turning spoken lectures, meetings and explanations into usable notes on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Record the session, get a transcript, then review a structured summary with topics, decisions and tasks. The website provides information and downloads; recording happens in the app.

It suits students who want to listen during class and people who need a record of meeting decisions. Local transcription and optional on-device note generation make it useful when you want control over where spoken content is processed.

From recording to a checked note

On Mac, Earnote captures microphone and system audio together, including sound from Zoom, Teams and Meet. Download the DMG, move the app to Applications and follow setup for permissions, model downloads, AI selection and export destinations.

Get the necessary agreement before recording. Start from the menu bar or with Shift-Command-R; you can also drag an existing audio file into the window. When the note is ready, check names, dates and commitments against the transcript. Click timestamps to hear the source, or use Command-3 to view note and transcript together. Edit the result or regenerate it with your own instruction before exporting.

Build study material from what was said

Lecture notes can become editable question-and-answer flashcards, CSV exports for Anki and printable PDF study sheets. A semester overview brings together lectures from one subject. Treat these as revision material to check against the recording and course sources.

Areas give subjects or clients their own AI instructions and export targets. A dictionary stores names and technical terms; corrections apply to the title, note and transcript. Search across transcripts helps you revisit a concept without replaying entire sessions.

Keep notes and follow-up tasks in your existing apps

Mac exports include Notion, Obsidian, Logseq, Apple Notes, Bear, Craft and a plain Markdown folder. Tasks can go to Apple Reminders, Things or Todoist. Calendar events can supply recording names. Check the task wording and deadlines before relying on them, and remember that exporting sends content to the selected destination.

Check your device before choosing an offline workflow

Mac requires macOS 15 or later, Apple Silicon M1 or newer and roughly 8 GB RAM; Intel Macs are unsupported. Initial downloads include approximately 1.6 GB for speech recognition and 2.3 GB for local AI, with requirements varying by model.

The homepage lists iOS 26 on iPhone 11 or newer and iPadOS 26. Installing the app is different from running note generation locally: the built-in iPhone AI route is described for iPhone 15 Pro and later compatible devices. Other routes use your Mac or your own Google/OpenRouter key. iPhone recording can continue with the screen locked.

The Mac interface is English or German; transcription supports multiple languages and the note language is selected separately. Windows is not planned on the homepage, and an Android release was not verified.

Privacy depends on the options you enable

Local AI with local storage keeps recording content on the device. Optional iCloud sync, disabled by default, adds notes, transcripts, areas and dictionary data to private iCloud. The iPhone “With my Mac” route temporarily transfers audio through private iCloud and removes the cloud audio after processing.

Cloud AI receives transcript text rather than audio. External exports send the selected content to the destination service. Deleting a recording removes its audio, transcript and note in Earnote; exported copies need separate deletion. Read the official data-handling details before selecting a workflow.

Free Mac features and optional mobile Pro

Checked October 19, 2026: the Mac app is free, the project is MIT licensed, and no Earnote account or subscription is required. iPhone/iPad offer an optional one-time Pro purchase for speaker detection, asking questions about notes and translation. Regional amounts were not verified; external AI providers have their own limits and terms. The official mobile overview explains the current options.

Frequently asked questions

Can Earnote work without an internet connection?

Mac can use downloaded local models offline. Mobile note generation depends on compatible hardware and the chosen processing route; cloud AI and iCloud handoff require connectivity.

Does free mean every iPhone feature is included?

No. Speaker detection, note Q&A and translation are listed as mobile Pro features, while the website describes all Mac features as free.

Can I use the results in Anki?

Yes. Edit the generated flashcards and export them as CSV for Anki. Review the answers before using them for revision.

Can I choose a note language separately?

Yes. The output language is separate from the English/German Mac interface; test a representative recording in your language before depending on the result.

Official resources

• Source code and documentation: inspect the project and MIT license.
• Mac releases: download the app and review changes.
• Issue tracker: report problems.