faq
Short answers to the questions everyone asks.
does my audio ever leave my machine?
No. Recording, transcription, speakers, search, and lenses all run locally. The only network traffic is model downloads, the update check, and the license check — the full list. The one exception you can create yourself: connect a cloud LLM provider, and yapyap asks before each send.
do I need an account?
No. No account, no email, no sign-in. The 7-day trial starts on first launch, and a license is a key, not a login.
does yapyap work offline?
Yes. Once the models are downloaded, everything works without a connection. A licensed app that stays offline for more than 14 days asks you to "hop online once" so the license can re-check itself.
where are my files?
In your vault — a normal folder with your audio and a plain transcript file beside every recording, plus the log that records everything yapyap knows. Settings → your vault → Reveal in file manager shows it. See where your data lives.
I deleted a recording by accident. Is it gone?
Not for 30 days. Deleted recordings move to .trash/ inside your vault
first. Move the folder back into recordings/ and yapyap re-imports it.
how do I move everything to a new computer?
Copy your vault folder over (or use export all data), install yapyap, and activate the same license — a vault that a licensed copy has written keeps its titles, marks and speaker names locked to that key, so activating first is what makes them readable. Then point yapyap at the folder and click Rebuild library. Recordings, transcripts, speakers, lenses, and vocabulary come back.
The new machine counts as a new device for syncing: it has an identity of its own that no license key can re-create, so pair it from a machine that is already set up rather than waiting for it to recognise itself.
can I use my own AI models?
Yes, on three levels: pick different curated models per pipeline stage, point yapyap at models you already have on disk (using your own models), or connect any OpenAI-compatible provider for the language model (language model engines).
which languages does yapyap understand?
The default transcription models handle 99 languages and detect the language automatically. Some alternatives trade breadth for speed — the model matrix lists each model's coverage.
does the phone app work without the desktop?
Yes. It records, marks, and can transcribe on the phone itself. Pairing adds sync and the desktop's bigger models — it is optional.
is there a subscription?
No. One purchase, 3 devices, updates included.