# NoteOwl 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.

Source: https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/reference/system-requirements · Last updated 2026-09-27 · Checked against NoteOwl 1.0.0

NoteOwl runs on macOS 26 or later, on a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). It needs 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended, and room for its on-device AI models, which it downloads once after you install it.

## What does NoteOwl need to run?

A Mac with Apple Silicon running macOS 26 or later, at least 16 GB of memory, and free space for the one-time model download. NoteOwl Free and NoteOwl Pro have the same requirements, because they use the same on-device AI models.

| Requirement         | NoteOwl 1.0.1                                                                                                              |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| macOS               | macOS 26 or later                                                                                                          |
| Mac                 | Apple Silicon (M1 or newer)                                                                                                |
| Memory              | 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended                                                                                    |
| On-device AI models | about 8 GB, downloaded once after install (keep around 10 GB free)                                                         |
| Installer           | NoteOwl-1.0.1.dmg, 20.0 MB                                                                                                 |
| Internet            | Needed for the one-time model download. Starting the trial, buying NoteOwl Pro and activating a Mac also need a connection |

To check your Mac, choose Apple menu → **About This Mac**. It shows your chip, your memory and your macOS version.

## Does NoteOwl run on Intel Macs?

No. NoteOwl is built only for Apple Silicon, so it needs a Mac with an M1 chip or newer. It doesn't run on Intel-based Macs.

## Does NoteOwl run on older versions of macOS?

No. NoteOwl 1.0.0 needs macOS 26 or later, and it won't open on earlier versions of macOS.

## Why does NoteOwl need so much free space?

NoteOwl runs its speech recognition and AI on your Mac instead of in the cloud. The installer holds only the app, so NoteOwl downloads its on-device AI models once, after you install it, and keeps them on your Mac.

## Related

- [Install NoteOwl and set it up](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/getting-started/install-and-set-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.
- [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.
- [What's free and what's in NoteOwl Pro](https://www.noteowl.ai/docs/getting-started/free-and-pro): NoteOwl Free gives you unlimited dictation into any app and voice notes. NoteOwl Pro adds meetings, summaries, memory and Chat for $79, once.

Learn more: [Download NoteOwl, on the Download page](https://www.noteowl.ai/download)