# Recorder permissions and capture

> The Spiich Recorder needs three macOS permissions, Accessibility, Microphone and System Audio, before it can detect a meeting and capture both sides of the audio. Windows needs none of them.

- Source: https://spiich.ai/help/meetings/recorder-permissions
- Section: Meetings
- Who can do this: Everyone
- Time: 3 minutes
- Last updated: 2026-08-24

## Before you start

- The Spiich Recorder is installed and paired to your account.

On macOS the recorder asks for three permissions on `Step 2 of 2`, the "Give Spiich access to your device" screen. They are not interchangeable: each one covers a different part of the job, and a missing one fails quietly rather than loudly. On Windows the recorder needs no extra operating-system permissions, so this screen is skipped and all three report as granted.

## The three macOS permissions

| Permission | What it is for | What breaks without it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Accessibility | Detect meeting windows | The recorder never notices a call started, so auto-record never fires |
| Microphone | Capture meeting audio | Your own voice is missing from the recording |
| System Audio | Capture meeting system audio | Everyone else's voice is missing, so the file is close to silent |

## Grant them

1. **Open the Access screen**
   The recorder shows it automatically after pairing. You can return to it later from the recorder's settings.

2. **Click Enable, one row at a time**
   `Enable` triggers the macOS prompt for that permission. Approve it, then move to the next row.

3. **If a row says Settings instead of Enable**
   macOS has already recorded a decision for that permission, so the app cannot ask again. Click `Settings` to open the matching System Settings pane under Privacy & Security and turn **Spiich Recorder** on there.

4. **Relaunch when the banner appears**
   A permission that was previously denied does not take effect until the app restarts. When "Relaunch required for new grants to take effect." appears, click `Relaunch`.

5. **Check every row reads Granted**
   A row showing `Managed` is controlled by your organization's device management policy and cannot be changed from the app. Ask your IT administrator to allow Spiich Recorder that permission.

## What each recorder state means

| State | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| `Meeting window detected` | A call is on screen. Detection is not recording: with auto-record off it waits for you |
| `Starting recording` | Capture is being prepared for this meeting |
| `Recording in progress` | Audio is being captured. The toolbar shows elapsed time, a live audio indicator and the attendee count |
| `Recording paused` | Capture is suspended. Resuming continues the same recording rather than starting a second one |
| `Recording needs attention` | The attempt did not start cleanly. `Retry recording` is offered |
| `Processing` | The audio is with Spiich and the transcript and summary are being produced |
| `Recording available` | The recording is finished and playable, subject to your workspace's playback setting |
| `Failed` | Transcription or processing did not complete for that recording |
| `Detected call` | A live call that matches nothing on your calendar. `Open detected call` gives it its own detail view |

## Starting and stopping capture

With `Auto-record meetings` on, the default, recording starts by itself the moment a meeting window is detected. Turn it off under `Recorder > Settings > RECORDING` and every recording waits for you.

To start one yourself: open the meeting in the recorder and click `Start recording`, or click the floating `Record` pill at the bottom of the window. Starting from the meeting list creates a new meeting in Spiich; starting from an open meeting attaches the recording to that meeting.

While recording, `Pause` and `Resume` keep one session going and `Stop and save` ends capture and hands the audio to Spiich.

## Limits

- All three permissions are macOS only. Windows needs none of them.
- A previously denied permission needs an app relaunch before the new grant counts.
- A `Managed` row is set by device policy and cannot be changed from inside the app.
- The recorder matches a detected call to a calendar meeting only from 10 minutes before the scheduled start to 15 minutes after the scheduled end. Meetings with no end time are treated as 30 minutes long.
- It recognizes Google Meet, Zoom, Teams and Webex by name. Anything else is labelled simply as a call and still records.
- The meeting reminder that appears before a call never starts recording by itself. Clicking it only opens that meeting.

## If something goes wrong

- **The recording is silent, or only has your voice.** System Audio, or Microphone, is not actually granted to the copy of the app you are running. Work through the Access screen again and relaunch.
- **Nothing is ever detected.** Accessibility is missing, or was granted to another copy of the app. Check that row first.
- **The meeting was detected but recording never started.** `Auto-record meetings` is off. Click `Start recording` on the meeting, use the `Record` pill, or turn the setting back on.
- **A meeting row shows a red `Failed` pill.** Processing did not complete. Use `Retry recording` where it is offered; if the recording had already finished, the call needs re-recording or a word with Spiich support.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why does Spiich need Accessibility permission at all?

Accessibility is what lets the recorder see that a meeting window is open on your screen. Without it the app cannot tell a call has started, so automatic recording never triggers and you would have to start every capture by hand.

### Does the recorder capture my screen?

No. The permissions cover detecting the meeting window and capturing audio, your microphone and the system audio of the call. What Spiich produces from it is a transcript and a summary.

### Do I have to grant anything on Windows?

No. On Windows the recorder needs no extra operating-system permissions. The access screen is skipped automatically and all three permissions are reported as granted.

### Can I record a phone call or an in-person conversation?

Yes. Use the floating `Record` pill at the bottom of the recorder window. It starts a recording even when no meeting window was detected, and the result is processed like any other meeting.

## Related

- [Install the Spiich Recorder](https://spiich.ai/help/meetings/install-the-meeting-recorder)
- [A meeting did not record](https://spiich.ai/help/troubleshooting/recording-problems)
- [How Spiich handles meetings](https://spiich.ai/help/meetings/how-meetings-work)
- [The mobile app](https://spiich.ai/help/apps/mobile-app)
- [Spiich for meetings](https://spiich.ai/product/meeting)