Answers

Questions, answered

The questions people actually ask about staying on top of meetings — answered straight, no fluff.

How do I record system audio on a Mac without a virtual audio device? To record your Mac's system audio without a virtual audio device, use a tool that taps macOS's built-in system-audio capture instead of routing sound through BlackHole, Soundflower, or Loopback. Canary does this for meetings: it reads the audio your Mac is already playing on-device — no virtual device, no bot, no plugin — and turns it into a live, rolling summary. The older virtual-device method still works, but it adds setup, can take over your speaker output, and tends to break on macOS updates.
Is it legal to record a meeting? In most places it is legal to record a meeting you're part of, but the consent rule varies by region: some jurisdictions need only one participant's consent (you), while others require everyone on the call to agree. About a dozen U.S. states — including California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Washington — are 'all-party' consent states, and the EU's GDPR treats meeting audio as personal data, so disclosure is expected. The safe, simple rule everywhere is to tell participants before you capture anything. This is general information, not legal advice.
What's the best meeting notes app for ADHD? For ADHD, the best meeting notes app is one that shows a live, glanceable summary during the call rather than only a recap afterward — so when your attention drifts and you lose the thread, you can glance over and instantly reorient. Canary is built this way: it keeps a real-time, multi-resolution summary (now, last 2 minutes, last 5 minutes, full call) that offloads the working-memory load of holding the whole conversation in your head. Most notetakers only summarize after the meeting, which doesn't help in the moment a thread slips.
Can I get a live summary during a Zoom call? Yes — you can get a live summary during a Zoom call by using a real-time meeting summarizer like Canary, which captures the call's system audio locally and shows a continuously updating summary while the meeting is happening. This is different from most AI notetakers, which only produce a summary after the call ends. Because Canary doesn't join as a bot, it works the same on Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams.
Does Otter show a summary during the meeting? No — Otter shows a live transcript while a meeting is happening, but its actual summary is generated after the call ends, not during it. So if what you want is a continuously updating summary you can glance at mid-meeting, Otter's live view gives you a running transcript rather than a condensed summary. A real-time summarizer like Canary fills that gap by showing a live, multi-resolution rolling summary while the meeting is still going.
How do I catch up after stepping away from a call? To catch up after stepping away from a call, use a real-time meeting summarizer like Canary that has been keeping a live, rolling summary of the conversation. When you return, read its 'last few minutes' view to see what happened while you were gone — in a couple of seconds and without asking anyone to repeat themselves. Tools that only summarize after the meeting can't help here, because their summary doesn't exist until the call is over.
How do I take meeting notes without a bot joining the call? To take AI meeting notes without a bot, use a tool like Canary that captures your computer's system audio locally instead of joining the meeting as a participant. Because it listens to the audio your computer is already playing, nothing shows up in the participant list, there's no plugin or virtual audio device to install, and it works the same on Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams. Bot-based notetakers, by contrast, dial into the call and appear to everyone.
Real-time vs after-the-meeting AI notes — which do I need? Choose real-time AI notes if your problem is staying on top of the conversation while it's happening — being able to answer when you're called on or catch up after stepping away. Choose after-the-meeting AI notes if your problem is remembering decisions and sharing recaps afterward. They solve different problems, and only real-time notes (like Canary's live rolling summary) can help you while you're still in the meeting. Many people benefit from both.
What did I miss in the meeting? To find out what you missed without asking people to repeat themselves, use a real-time meeting summarizer like Canary that keeps a live, rolling summary of the call. When your name is called, glance at the 'last 2 minutes' view to see what was just discussed, then respond. Tools that only summarize after the meeting can't help you in the moment.