Use live notes beside the call and set up Notes

When a note starts from the Action Bar, the shortcut or by itself, Dictate opens the live notes. This is a narrow window at the right edge of the screen, beside your call. How to start and edit a note is in Notes.

The live notes beside the call

The live notes open on the screen the mouse is on. They take the full height and about a quarter of the width. The window that was in front, as a rule the call, moves into the rest of the screen. So the two sit side by side. When you close the live notes, that window goes back to where it was.

The window shows:

• at the top the state (Live notes, Paused or Recording ended) and the time. Two minutes before the maximum length it also shows Ends in and Extend.
• the title of the note and the tabs My notes, Transcript and Summary
• the question field and, while it records, Discussed so far
• Pause or Resume and Stop
• after the end, Resume and Open in Dictate
• at the bottom the sentence about consent from everyone

After you stop, Dictate writes the draft summary. It shows in the Summary tab. Close at the top right closes the window.

The Action Bar while a note records

While a note records, the Action Bar shows a dot. Move the mouse over it to see the time and these buttons:

Detect calls

With Detect calls automatically on, Dictate notices when you join a call. The Action Bar then offers Start taking notes and names the service, for example Teams meeting, Zoom meeting, Google Meet, Webex meeting, Slack huddle or Online meeting.

This is how Dictate detects a call:

• Zoom, Teams, Webex or Slack uses the microphone.
• A window title shows a call, for example a Google Meet window. This also works with the microphone muted.
• A browser uses the microphone, and a window title names the service, or your calendar has an online meeting right now.

A clear sign counts after 3 seconds, a weak one after 12 seconds. A call counts as ended 20 seconds after the last sign. Dictate records nothing for the detection and writes no window titles to the log.

If you start a note by hand during a call, Dictate asks once Start automatically next time? A click turns on Start notes automatically. If a new call begins while the note of the last one still records, Dictate asks A new meeting? A click stops the old note and starts a new one.

Reminders before calendar meetings

With a connected calendar, Dictate reminds you of notes before each meeting. A card shows above the Action Bar with the meeting title and Starts in with the time until the start. If the meeting has begun, the card shows how long ago it started.

• Start note starts a note with the meeting title.
• Join and start shows for meetings with a meeting link. It opens the meeting and starts the note.
• In 2 min shows the reminder again two minutes later.
• Close reminder hides it.

There is no reminder for meetings you declined, and none while a note records.

Every setting under Notes

Open Settings›Notes. On the Notes page, Settings at the top right goes straight there.

Also with Start notes automatically, ask everyone for consent.

With Do not open, only the Action Bar shows that a note records.

What happens by itself at the end

• When the note stops because the call is over, Dictate says Note stopped and The call has ended. With system audio, Dictate waits until the others have been quiet for 15 seconds, at most 2 minutes after the call ended.
• Two minutes before the maximum length, Dictate says Note ends soon A click on the notice adds 30 minutes. At the maximum length the recording stops with Note stopped.

How long Dictate keeps notes is set under Settings›Privacy›Keep notes.