# Install NoteOwl and set it up > Download NoteOwl from noteowl.ai, drag it to Applications and open it. Setup asks for four permissions, then downloads the on-device AI models once. Source: https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/getting-started/install-and-set-up · Last updated 2026-09-28 · Checked against NoteOwl 1.0.0 To install NoteOwl, download it from [www.noteowl.ai/download](https://www.noteowl.ai/download), drag NoteOwl to your Applications folder and open it. A short setup asks for four macOS permissions, then downloads NoteOwl's on-device AI models once. After that, NoteOwl does its work on your Mac. ## What do I need to install NoteOwl? A Mac with Apple Silicon running macOS 26 or later, enough free space for the one-time model download, and an internet connection while it downloads. NoteOwl Free and NoteOwl Pro have the same requirements. * macOS 26 or later * A Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) * 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended * Free space for the on-device AI models: about 8 GB, downloaded once after install (keep around 10 GB free) The full list is in [NoteOwl system requirements](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/reference/system-requirements). ## Install NoteOwl 1. Go to [www.noteowl.ai/download](https://www.noteowl.ai/download) and click **Download for Mac**. Your browser saves NoteOwl-1.0.1.dmg, which is 20.0 MB. 2. Double-click NoteOwl-1.0.1.dmg in your Downloads folder. A window opens with the NoteOwl app and your **Applications** folder. 3. Drag **NoteOwl** onto **Applications**. 4. Open your Applications folder and double-click **NoteOwl**. If macOS asks whether you're sure you want to open it, click **Open**. 5. NoteOwl opens its window and starts setup at **Your voice, remembered.** Click **Get started**. ## What does NoteOwl setup ask for? Four screens, in order: a welcome, the permissions, the model download, and a list of shortcuts. The dots at the bottom of the window show where you are. Setup doesn't ask for an account, an email address or a card. If you quit NoteOwl before you finish, setup starts again from the first screen the next time you open it. Permissions you've already allowed stay allowed. ## Allow the permissions The **A few permissions.** screen lists the four macOS permissions NoteOwl uses, each with what it's for: | Permission | What setup says it's for | | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Microphone** | Transcribe your speech on-device. Audio never leaves your Mac. | | **Accessibility** | Paste dictated text into the app you're typing in. | | **Input Monitoring** | Trigger dictation with the global fn hotkey. | | **Screen Recording** | Capture meeting audio with no bot in the call. | 1. Click **Allow** beside a permission. macOS asks you, either in a prompt or by opening **System Settings → Privacy & Security**, where you turn on **NoteOwl**. 2. Switch back to NoteOwl. When a permission is on, its row says **GRANTED**. 3. If a row says **Open Settings** instead, click it, turn on **NoteOwl** in the System Settings pane that opens, and switch back. 4. Click **Continue** when you're done. It works whichever permissions you allowed. Microphone, Accessibility and Input Monitoring are what dictation needs. Screen Recording is how macOS lets NoteOwl hear the other people on a call, and it's only used for meetings, a NoteOwl Pro feature. For what each permission does and how to change it later, see [the macOS permissions NoteOwl asks for](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/reference/permissions). ## Download the on-device AI models The **Download the model.** screen fetches the models NoteOwl runs on your Mac. The download is about 8 GB, downloaded once after install (keep around 10 GB free), and it happens once. * **Download now** starts the download. The screen shows **Downloading…** with a percentage and a progress bar, and when it's finished it says **Model installed — you're ready to go.** Click **Continue**. * **Skip — download on first use** finishes setup without downloading. NoteOwl then downloads each part the first time a feature needs it, which needs an internet connection and makes that first use wait. There's no download button after setup, so choose **Download now** if you can. While the download runs, the only button is **Back**. If it can't finish, setup says **Download failed — check your connection and try again.** and shows **Download now** again: see [the model download stalls or fails](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/troubleshooting/model-download). ## What downloads now, and what downloads later? **Download now** fetches the on-device AI model that writes summaries, answers in Chat and polishes dictation, speech recognition for your dictation language, and the part that tells speakers apart in meetings. The percentage follows the AI model, the largest part. The rest downloads after it reaches 100%. Your dictation language starts as your Mac's language. You can change it with **Spoken language** on the **Auto-Context** tab of NoteOwl's **Settings**. A few parts download the first time a feature needs them instead, such as speech recognition for a different language, or the part NoteOwl uses to transcribe files you import. Do your first import while you're online. None of these downloads sends anything of yours. For every connection NoteOwl makes, see [what NoteOwl sends over the network](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/data/network-use). ## Finish setup The last screen, **You're ready.**, lists NoteOwl's shortcuts: * Tap fn to dictate into any app, and tap it again or click **Stop** to finish. * Press ⌥ Z to ask your memory out loud. * Press ⌥ X to rewrite selected text by voice. * Press ⌥ Space to start or stop a meeting. Click **Start using noteOwl** to open the app. Dictation with fn is part of NoteOwl Free. ⌥ Z, ⌥ X and meetings are NoteOwl Pro features. For your first dictation, meeting and question, follow [the quick start](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/getting-started/quick-start). ## Do I start on NoteOwl Free or the trial? On NoteOwl Free. Setup doesn't start the trial, and at the bottom of the sidebar NoteOwl shows **NOTEOWL (FREE)**. Dictation into any app and voice notes work with no limit and no account. To try meetings, Chat and the other NoteOwl Pro features for 7 days, open a NoteOwl Pro screen such as **Meeting Scribe**, verify your email address and click **Start 7-day Pro trial — no card required**: see [start the 7-day NoteOwl Pro trial](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/pro/free-trial). If you're signed in, NoteOwl also offers **Try Pro for 7 days** after your first dictation, and **Continue with Free** keeps the trial for later. If you've already bought NoteOwl Pro, see [buy NoteOwl Pro and activate this Mac](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/pro/activate-this-mac). For what each plan includes, see [what's free and what's in NoteOwl Pro](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/getting-started/free-and-pro). ## Common questions ### Do I need an account to install NoteOwl? No. Installing NoteOwl, setting it up and using NoteOwl Free need no account. You sign in with your email address only to start the NoteOwl Pro trial, buy NoteOwl Pro or activate a Mac. ### Can I finish NoteOwl setup without allowing every permission? Yes. Continue works whichever permissions you allow, and you can turn any of them on later in NoteOwl's Settings → General, under Privacy & Access. Dictation needs Microphone, Accessibility and Input Monitoring to work fully. ### How big is the NoteOwl model download? About 8 GB, downloaded once after you install NoteOwl. Keep around 10 GB free on your Mac before you start. NoteOwl Free and NoteOwl Pro use the same on-device AI models. ### What happens if I skip the model download during setup? Setup finishes without downloading, and NoteOwl downloads each part the first time a feature needs it. That first use needs an internet connection and waits for the download. There's no download button after setup, so choose Download now if you can. ### Does setting up NoteOwl start the NoteOwl Pro trial? No. NoteOwl starts on NoteOwl Free. The 7-day trial begins only when you choose to start it, after verifying your email address, and it needs no card. ## Related - [Quick start: your first ten minutes](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/getting-started/quick-start): Get started with NoteOwl on your Mac. Dictate into any app with fn, record a meeting with ⌥Space, then ask a question about it in Chat. - [macOS permissions NoteOwl asks for, and why](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/reference/permissions): The macOS permissions NoteOwl asks for, from Microphone and Input Monitoring to Screen Recording and Calendar, what each is for, and how to turn it on. - [NoteOwl system requirements](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/reference/system-requirements): NoteOwl needs macOS 26 or later, a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) and 16 GB of memory, plus room for a one-time download of its on-device AI models. - [The model download stalls or fails](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/troubleshooting/model-download): If NoteOwl's model download stops, fails or sits at 100% during setup, check your connection and free space, then click Download now again. Learn more: [Download NoteOwl, on the Download page](https://www.noteowl.ai/download)