FAQ

Does Amical work offline?

Yes, once you've downloaded a local Whisper model. Settings → AI Models → Speech is where you pick and download one. Cloud models obviously need a connection.

Where does my data live?

Locally. Transcripts, notes, vocabulary, and audio files all sit in Amical's app-data directory — see Settings → Advanced → Data Location for the exact path on your machine. Cloud features (cloud speech, cloud formatting, sign-in) send the audio for that request and nothing else.

Can I use my own LLM provider?

For language models (the Formatting Alpha pass), yes — Settings → AI Models → Language lets you connect Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible local endpoint.

For the speech model itself, you pick from the local Whisper variants Amical ships, or use the cloud model. Bringing your own speech provider isn't supported today.

Why didn't my push-to-talk start?

Three usual causes:

1. The press was shorter than 500 ms — Amical treats that as a slip and discards.
2. Microphone or accessibility permission got revoked. Re-check System Settings → Privacy & Security, or relaunch Amical to step back through onboarding.
3. Another app is holding the microphone exclusively (some video conferencing apps do this).

Can I dictate in a language other than English?

Yes. Settings → Dictation → Auto detect language is on by default; Amical will pick the language each recording. To pin one language, turn auto-detect off and choose from the picker.

Does Amical work on Linux?

Not yet. macOS and Windows ship today. The README's feature roadmap tracks platform plans.

How do I report a bad transcription?

In Settings → History, the flag icon on a row sends the audio, transcript, and your feedback to the team. Only available on cloud transcriptions, and only when Anonymous Telemetry is on. The fastest path to a better speech model is using this.

How do I update Amical?

Settings → About. It shows your current version, and Check for Updates next to it does the rest. Amical also checks on its own in the background, so often an update is already waiting — the sidebar shows Update Ready and the button says Restart to Install. Click it and Amical reopens on the new version.

The line under the button tells you what's happening: Up to date, Downloading update…, or Update ready — restart to install.

If About shows a version older than 1.7.7, that release doesn't have the Check for Updates button yet. Download the latest from amical.ai/download and install it over your current copy — your transcripts, notes, and vocabulary stay put.

Amical keeps popping up and stealing focus on Windows

Make sure you're on 1.9.3 or newer. Open Settings → About to check.

If it's 1.7.7 or newer, update from right there: click Check for Updates, and when the button changes to Restart to Install, click it. Once you're back on 1.9.3 or newer, you're done — if you're already on 1.9.3+ and still seeing this, file an issue.

If it's older than 1.7.7 (no Check for Updates button), start Amical through its launcher once:

1. Fully quit Amical — right-click the Amical icon in the system tray and choose Quit.
2. Press Win + R.
3. Paste %LocalAppData%\Amical\Amical.exe.
4. Press Enter.

Wait a few seconds for Amical to open, then go back to Settings → About. It should now show 1.9.3 or newer — 1.10.0, 1.11.x, and so on. If it still shows the old version, reinstall from amical.ai/download.

How do I upgrade or check my plan?

In the desktop sidebar, sign in and click Usage & Billing — it opens your plan in a browser, where you can see your current usage, switch plans, and manage payment. Or go to app.amical.ai directly. See Billing for the full breakdown.

Where do bug reports go?

GitHub issues. Include your Machine ID (Settings → Advanced) and attach the log file (Download button under Log File Location).

How do I uninstall cleanly?

• Settings → Advanced → Reset App wipes your local data.
• Then drag Amical out of /Applications (macOS) or use Settings → Apps (Windows).
• If you signed in, sign out first if you want to clear the session token.