BrievaFrequently asked questions
The questions people ask before they buy Brieva, answered plainly. If yours is not here, email support@brieva.app.
Privacy and Local AI
Does Brieva record my meetings?
No audio file is saved. Brieva listens to the audio your Mac is playing and turns it into text as the meeting happens; the live transcript is the only record. When the meeting ends, Local AI writes the summary from that text.
Does anything about my meetings leave my Mac?
No. Transcription and summaries run on your Mac's own chip. The app's only network traffic is the one-time AI download during setup, a small update check against updates.brieva.app, and fetching the calendar link you paste in. None of it carries audio, transcripts or summaries. How Local AI works.
Does it work offline, on a plane or with Wi-Fi off?
Yes, once the one-time download has finished. Transcription and summaries need no connection at all. Only the calendar pauses while you are offline; it refreshes again when you are back online.
Does a bot join my call? Will other people see Brieva?
No bot, no participant, no notice in the meeting. Brieva captures the audio your Mac is already playing, so nothing appears in the participant list and nobody has to admit a recorder. Whether you should tell the other people that you take notes is a matter of local law and courtesy, so check what applies to you. How this compares with Otter, Fireflies and others.
Who can read my transcripts?
Only whoever can open your Mac. Brieva has no account and no server, so your transcripts exist only in the app's database under your macOS user account. If your Mac is managed by your employer, its administrators can reach those files like any other document on the machine.
Compatibility
Which Macs does Brieva run on?
Apple silicon Macs (M1 or later) running macOS 14.4 or newer, with at least 8 GB of memory; 16 GB is recommended. Intel Macs are not supported. The free trial lets you confirm it runs well on your machine before you pay. Full requirements.
Which meeting apps does it work with?
Any app that plays audio on your Mac: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Webex, FaceTime, a phone call routed through your Mac, or a meeting playing in a browser tab. Brieva does not connect to the meeting service; it listens to the sound on your Mac, so there is nothing to integrate.
Which calendars can it read?
Any calendar that publishes an ICS subscription link: Outlook, Google Calendar, iCloud and most others. You paste the link into Settings once; Brieva checks it every five minutes and picks up new meetings, changes and cancellations. How to find your ICS link.
Which languages does it transcribe?
English, French and German are verified in the app. Briefs, summaries and minutes are written in English. The speech model also understands Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovenian, Greek, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Russian and Ukrainian; we have not tested those ourselves, so try yours during the free trial. Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi and other non-European languages are not supported: nothing appears in the transcript until a supported language is spoken.
Does it know who said what?
Brieva groups the transcript by voice as the meeting runs and asks you 'Who is this?' so you can name each voice; the names then carry through to the summary and minutes. Telling voices apart is good enough for grouping but not perfect, especially with crosstalk or a speakerphone, so treat attributions as an aid rather than a record.
How big is the download and how long does it take?
About 5 GB on an 8 GB Mac, about 8 GB on a 16 GB Mac and about 25 GB on a Mac with 32 GB or more, which gets the highest-quality Local AI tier. It happens once, on first launch; allow a few minutes on a fast connection. Transcription is not available until it has finished. Download sizes by tier.
Buying
How much does it cost? Is it a subscription?
US$25, once. There is no subscription, no per-minute meter and no account. The 14-day trial is the full app, starts at first launch and needs no card or licence key; when it ends, the one-time purchase unlocks it for good. Pricing.
How many Macs can I use one licence on?
One licence covers one person, on the Macs they personally use. It is not tied to a single machine. Terms of sale and licence.
What if it does not work for me?
Tell us within 14 days of purchase and we refund you in full, no reason required. Email support@brieva.app from the address you bought with. Refund policy.
Are updates included?
Yes. Updates are free for everyone who has bought a licence. The app checks updates.brieva.app and offers new versions when they are available; you can also choose Check for Updates from the menu. What changed in each version is on the release notes page. Release notes.
Is there a team, volume or business licence?
Not yet. Today each person buys their own licence. If you want to equip a team, email support@brieva.app and we will sort out the paperwork with you. Contact.
Using Brieva
What is a pre-meeting brief and where does it get its information?
Before a meeting, Brieva writes a short brief from the meeting's title, description and attendees plus anything you drop onto the meeting: emails (.eml), PDFs, Word documents (.docx) and text files (.txt, .md, .csv, .log). Everything is read on your Mac. Drop more items and the brief regenerates. Meeting context.
Can I regenerate the summary?
Yes. After the meeting you can regenerate the summary from the transcript at any time, for example after naming the voices. Minutes are generated from the same transcript.
Can I get my notes out, for example into Obsidian?
Yes. Turn on Markdown export in Settings and pick a folder; from then on every meeting is written there as two Markdown files, the summary (title, date, attendees, key points, decisions, action items and follow-ups) and the full transcript, and Export All Summaries writes the ones you already have. Point it at an Obsidian vault or any notes app that reads Markdown. Meeting notes into Obsidian.
Where is my data stored, and how do I delete everything?
In a local database in your user's Application Support folder, under Brieva. Deleting a meeting removes its transcript and summary; deleting the app and that folder removes everything, and there is no copy anywhere else to ask about. Privacy policy.
Transcription will not start. What now?
The usual causes are the first-run download still in progress, or a missing Screen Recording or Microphone permission in System Settings. The support page walks through both, and support@brieva.app reads every message; include your macOS version and Mac model. Troubleshooting.