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This guide covers the Omi macOS desktop app. Facts below are checked against the app source; each section names the files that own the behavior.

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Install and sign in

Download Omi for Mac from omi.me, drag it to Applications, and sign in with your Omi account. The app lives in the top bar (menu bar), not the Dock, after setup.

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Capture modes

Audio recording has three modes: Off, Always On, and Only Meetings. The default is Only Meetings.
  • Off records nothing.
  • Always On keeps the microphone recording, and system audio too on macOS 14.4 or later when that permission is granted.
  • Only Meetings records the microphone and system audio only while a call is active. Until a call is detected it waits, and it does not keep the microphone open.
A call means a known call app is actually in a call — Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Webex, GoTo Meeting, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, or Telegram — or a browser window that is a Google Meet or Teams meeting. An idle chat window does not start recording. To enable meeting-only recording after onboarding, change the mode in either place:
  • Top bar microphone button. The menu is Off, Always On, and Only Meetings.
  • Settings → General → Audio Recording. The same three choices are the control on that card. Open Settings from the gear at the trailing edge of the top bar, or press Command-Comma.
Audio Settings… in the microphone menu opens Settings → Transcription (language and vocabulary). It does not change Only Meetings versus Always On. Screen Capture is separate. Settings → General → Screen Capture turns screenshot capture on or off. That is not the audio mode.

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Permissions

Open Settings (the top-bar gear, or Command-Comma) and choose Permissions to grant or re-grant access. Required: Microphone, Screen Recording, System Audio, Notifications, and Accessibility. Optional, one feature each: Bluetooth, Full Disk Access, and Automation. A missing required grant shows as Not Granted. If macOS already refused a prompt, it will not ask again. Use that row’s System Settings path, or the reset steps on the row.
  • Microphone: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone. Required for voice recording and transcription.
  • Screen Recording: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording. Required to capture the screen.
  • System Audio (macOS 14.4 and later): on the System Audio row, click Test Access. If System Settings opens, enable Omi under Screen & System Audio Recording, come back, and test again. Older macOS does not offer this.
  • Notifications: System Settings → Notifications → Omi. Set the style to Banners to see alerts. Omi can request permission but cannot turn it off; switching notifications off in the app opens System Settings.
  • Accessibility: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. This lets Omi name the document, page, or file in front, not only the frontmost app. If the switch looks on but Omi says the grant is broken (common after an update or re-sign), remove Omi from the list and add it again.
  • Full Disk Access: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access. Optional. Needed to read Messages or Mail headers.
  • Automation: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation. Optional. Needed to control another app, such as Messages.
You can also ask desktop chat to check or request one named permission. You still confirm the system prompt or the Settings switch yourself.

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The app’s surfaces

The top bar is Chat, Memories, Tasks, and Apps, plus a Settings gear.
  • Chat is where you talk to Omi. A daily recap is not its own pill. Open it from the recap row in Chat. The page title is Daily recap. When that summary is sent is Settings → Alerts & Privacy → Daily Summary.
  • Memories opens captured history. A row on that page switches among Activity, Conversations, Memories, Rewind, and Brain Map. Conversations are spoken audio. Memories are saved facts. Activity is the timeline of what was captured. Brain Map is the graph of those memories.
  • Rewind is the screen-history player on that same row. Its search field reads “Search what you’ve seen and heard…”. That search is what was on screen, not the conversation list.
  • Tasks is the list of commitments Omi heard.
  • Apps is connectors, imports, and exports.
Settings sections include General (screen capture and audio recording), Account & Plan, Transcription, Rewind, Floating Bar, Alerts & Privacy, Permissions, Shortcuts, AI & Automation, Refer a Friend, and About.

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Where your data lives

Omi stores this Mac’s data locally first. For the signed-in user the database is ~/Library/Application Support/Omi/users/<account>/omi.db, with a Screenshots folder beside it. Omi Beta uses ~/Library/Application Support/Omi Beta/ and does not share the stable app’s database. Conversations, memories, and tasks are cached in that local database and sync with the signed-in account. Screen history is written on this Mac. Settings → Alerts & Privacy → Data Controls has Store Recordings (whether audio recordings of conversations are stored) and Private Cloud Sync. That page also says account data is encrypted and stored with Google Cloud infrastructure. Export All Data downloads a JSON copy of the account. Account and subscription are Settings → Account & Plan. That page shows the current plan and upgrades. Plan names it offers include Operator and Architect. Sign Out is on Account.

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Source of truth

This page mirrors the product guide shipped inside the Mac app (desktop/macos/Desktop/Sources/Resources/ProductKnowledge/), which the desktop chat agent reads. If the app UI and this page ever disagree, the in-app guide for your app version wins — and please open a PR so both stay in sync.