Getting Started with NoteLLM: A Complete Guide

Your First Voice Note in Under a Minute

NoteLLM is designed to get out of your way. Download the app from the App Store, open it, and tap the record button. That is genuinely all it takes to create your first voice note. But there are a few things worth knowing to get the most out of the app.

Installation

NoteLLM is available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Mac (Apple Silicon), and Apple Vision Pro. The app is just 12.8 MB, so it downloads and installs in seconds even on a slow connection. No account creation is required to start using the free tier.

Setting Up Your Preferences

After your first launch, take a moment to configure two key settings:

Recognition language. NoteLLM supports English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Pick the language you will use most often. You can always change this later.

Recognition mode. Choose between local (on-device) and cloud processing. Local mode works offline and keeps your data private. Cloud mode provides higher accuracy, especially in noisy environments. See our comparison post for a deeper look at the tradeoffs.

Recording Your First Note

Tap the microphone button to start recording. Speak naturally at your normal pace. When you are done, tap the button again to stop. NoteLLM will process the audio and display the transcribed text.

A few tips for good results:

• Hold your device at a comfortable distance, roughly 15 to 30 centimeters from your mouth.
• Minimize background noise when possible, though cloud mode handles noise reasonably well.
• Speak in complete sentences. The recognition engine uses sentence context to improve accuracy.

Managing Your Notes

All your notes are saved automatically. From the main screen, you can:

• Browse your notes in reverse chronological order.
• Search through your notes by keyword.
• Edit any transcribed text to fix errors or add details.
• Delete notes you no longer need.

Using the Action Button

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or later, you can assign NoteLLM to your Action Button. This lets you start recording with a single physical button press, even from the lock screen. It is the fastest way to capture a thought before it slips away. See our dedicated post on Action Button setup for more details.

The Free Trial and Pro Plan

NoteLLM is free to download with a 3-day trial of Pro features. After the trial, you can continue using the app with basic features or subscribe to Pro at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Pro unlocks cloud recognition, extended recording lengths, and other advanced features.

Next Steps

Once you are comfortable with the basics, explore the settings to fine-tune the app to your workflow. NoteLLM is intentionally simple, but that simplicity hides a thoughtful set of features designed around how people actually take notes.