trnscrb is an offline meeting transcription tool for macOS that automatically detects and records meetings, transcribes them locally using Whisper AI, and saves searchable text files without requiring internet connectivity.
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trnscrb

Product Information

Updated:Feb 27, 2026

What is trnscrb

trnscrb is a sophisticated meeting transcription application designed specifically for macOS users. It's a local-first solution that works with popular meeting platforms including Google Meet, Zoom, Slack, Teams, and FaceTime. The tool distinguishes itself by operating completely offline, ensuring privacy and data security while providing professional-grade transcription services using the Whisper small model optimized for Apple Silicon through Metal acceleration.

Key Features of trnscrb

trnscrb is an offline meeting transcription tool for macOS that automatically detects and records meetings from popular platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Slack, Teams, and FaceTime. It performs on-device transcription using Whisper AI model, saves transcripts locally as plain text files, and integrates with Claude Desktop for advanced search and analysis capabilities. The tool requires no internet connection for core functionality and supports both microphone-only and system audio recording.
Automatic Meeting Detection: Automatically detects active meetings by monitoring microphone activity and running meeting applications, requiring no manual intervention
Local Processing: Records and transcribes audio completely offline using the Whisper small model running on Apple Silicon Metal, ensuring privacy and security
Claude Desktop Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Claude Desktop for intelligent search, summarization, and analysis of meeting transcripts with natural language queries
Flexible Audio Capture: Supports both microphone-only recording and full system audio capture through BlackHole virtual driver for comprehensive meeting coverage

Use Cases of trnscrb

Remote Team Meetings: Automatically capture and transcribe virtual team meetings for documentation and future reference
Action Item Tracking: Extract and track action items from meetings using Claude Desktop's analysis capabilities
Meeting Archive Search: Search through past meeting transcripts to find specific discussions or decisions using natural language queries

Pros

Complete offline functionality for privacy and security
Seamless automatic detection and recording of meetings
Integration with Claude Desktop for advanced analysis

Cons

Limited to macOS platform only
Slower transcription on Intel Macs due to lack of Metal acceleration
Requires HuggingFace account for speaker labeling feature

How to Use trnscrb

Install trnscrb: Use Homebrew by running: 'brew tap ajayrmk/tap' followed by 'brew install trnscrb'. Alternatively, use pip/uv with: 'pip install trnscrb' or 'uv tool install trnscrb'
Run installation setup: Execute 'trnscrb install' which will automatically set up BlackHole virtual driver, HuggingFace token, Whisper model, Claude Desktop MCP config, and launch-at-login settings
Auto-detection of meetings: The app automatically detects when you're in a meeting by monitoring microphone activity (5+ seconds) and checking if Google Meet, Zoom, Slack, Teams, or FaceTime is running
Recording begins: Once a meeting is detected, trnscrb records locally using either microphone only or microphone + system audio (if using BlackHole virtual driver)
Transcription process: The app transcribes the recording on-device using the Whisper 'small' model, with no internet connection required. For Apple Silicon Macs, it uses Metal acceleration
Access transcripts: Transcripts are automatically saved as plain .txt files in the '~/meeting-notes/' directory. They can be searched and accessed through Claude Desktop
Optional: Enrich transcripts: Use 'trnscrb enrich' command to generate summaries and action items via Claude API (this is the only step that requires internet connection)

trnscrb FAQs

No. Recording and transcription are fully offline. The only exception is 'trnscrb enrich', which sends transcript text to the Claude API to generate a summary and action items.

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