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 embedding models, currently Ollama only.

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.

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.