🎙️ BisonNotes AI – Complete User Guide

Welcome to BisonNotes AI! This comprehensive guide will walk you through every aspect of using the app, from basic recording to advanced AI configuration.

📱 Getting Started

First Launch Setup

1. Install the App: Download BisonNotes AI from the App Store
2. Simple Settings Welcome Screen: Upon first launch, you’ll see a streamlined setup screen with essential options:

   🎯 Initial Setup Options

   • AI Engine Selection: Choose your preferred AI engine for transcription and summaries:
     • OpenAI (Recommended): Most powerful and capable, requires API key, pay-per-use
     • Enhanced Apple Intelligence: Free, on-device processing, best for privacy but limited in advanced capabilities
     • Other engines: Google AI Studio, Ollama, AWS Bedrock (can be configured later)
   • Audio Quality: Select recording quality (64kbps to 256kbps) – Higher quality means larger files
   • Location Tracking: Enable to automatically capture where recordings are made

   💡 Tip: You can change these settings anytime in the full Settings view

3. Location Permission: The app will ask for location access if you enabled location tracking:
   • “Allow While Using App”: Recommended – captures location during recording
   • “Don’t Allow”: You can still manually add locations later
4. Automatic Migration: On first launch, the app will automatically scan for any existing audio files and migrate them into the database

Your First Recording

1. Start Recording: Tap the large microphone button on the main screen
2. Microphone Permission: On your first recording, iOS will ask for microphone access:
   • Tap “OK”: Required for the app to function
   • If denied, you can re-enable it in Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone
3. Recording Status: You’ll see:
   • Red recording indicator
   • Live timer showing duration
   • Location indicator (if location services enabled)
4. Stop Recording: Tap the stop button to end recording
5. Background Recording: The app continues recording even when minimized or phone is locked

Generate Your First Transcript

1. Access Recording: After stopping your recording, you’ll see it in the main recordings list
2. Start Transcription:
   • Tap on your recording to open the detail view
   • Tap the “Generate Transcript” button
   • The app will process your audio using your selected AI engine
3. Transcription Progress: You’ll see a progress indicator showing:
   • Processing status
   • Time remaining estimate
   • You can continue using the app while it processes in the background
4. View Results: Once complete, you’ll see the full transcript with:
   • Editable text
   • Time stamps (if supported by your AI engine)
   • Confidence indicators

Generate Your First Summary

1. Prerequisites: You must have a transcript before generating a summary
2. Access Summary Options: In the recording detail view, tap “Generate Summary”
3. AI Processing: The app will analyze your transcript and create:
   • Enhanced Summary: Main content overview
   • Action Items: Extracted tasks with priority levels
   • Reminders: Time-sensitive items with urgency indicators
   • Alternative Titles: AI-generated recording names
4. Review Results: The summary view shows:
   • Expandable sections for each content type
   • Visual priority and confidence indicators
   • Interactive maps (if location data available)
   • Integration options for tasks and reminders

iCloud Sync Setup

1. iCloud Prompt: You’ll see a dialog asking about iCloud sync for summaries
2. Choose Your Option:
   • “Enable iCloud Sync”: Summaries sync across all your devices
     • Requires iCloud to be enabled on your device
     • Uses your iCloud storage quota
     • Provides backup and cross-device access
   • “Keep Local Only”: Summaries stay on this device only
     • No cloud storage used
     • Better for privacy-sensitive content
     • Can be changed later in Settings
3. Configuration: If you enable iCloud, the app will automatically configure CloudKit sync

Managing and Deleting Recordings

1. Access Recording Options:
   • Long press on any recording in the main list
   • Or tap the recording and look for the “…” menu
2. Deletion Options: When you tap “Delete”, you’ll see comprehensive options:

   🗑️ What Gets Deleted?

   • Audio File Only: Keeps transcript and summary, removes audio
     • Best for: Saving storage while keeping the processed content
     • Note: You can’t regenerate transcript or play audio after this
   • Everything: Removes audio file, transcript, and summary
     • Complete removal from device and iCloud (if syncing)
     • Cannot be undone
   • Summary Only: Keeps audio and transcript, removes AI-generated summary
     • Useful if you want to regenerate summary with different AI engine
     • Can regenerate summary anytime

   ⚠️ Important: Deletion is permanent. Make sure you have backups if needed.

3. Confirmation: The app will ask you to confirm the deletion to prevent accidents
4. Background Cleanup: After deletion, the app automatically:
   • Removes files from device storage
   • Updates iCloud sync (if enabled)
   • Cleans up any orphaned data
   • Updates the recordings list

🎙️ Recording Features

Location Tracking

• Automatic: GPS location is captured with each recording
• Manual: Add or edit location later in summary view
• Privacy: Location tracking can be disabled in settings

Import Existing Audio

1. Tap “Import Audio Files” on the main screen
2. Select audio files from your device
3. Files are automatically added to your recordings library

🤖 AI Engine Configuration

Setup Instructions for Each Engine

OpenAI Integration

1. Get API Key: Visit platform.openai.com
2. Create Account: Sign up for an OpenAI account
3. Generate API Key: Go to API Keys section and create a new key
4. Configure in App:
   • Go to Settings → AI Settings → OpenAI
   • Enter your API key
   • Select your preferred model
   • Test the connection

Available OpenAI Models

Model	Type	Best For
GPT-41	Summarization	Most powerful, best quality
GPT-41 Mini	Summarization	Fast and economical
GPT-41 Nano	Summarization	Fastest and most economical

Google AI Studio Integration

1. Get API Key: Visit aistudio.google.com
2. Create Account: Sign up for Google AI Studio
3. Generate API Key: Create a new API key
4. Configure in App:
   • Go to Settings → AI Settings → Google AI Studio
   • Enter your API key
   • Select model (Gemini 2.5 Flash or Flash Lite)
   • Test the connection

Whisper Integration (Local Server)

1. Install Whisper Server:

   # Using Docker (recommended)
   docker run -d -p 9000:9000 \
     -e ASR_MODEL=base \
     -e ASR_ENGINE=openai_whisper \
     onerahmet/openai-whisper-asr-webservice:latest

2. Configure in App:
   • Go to Settings → Transcription Settings → Whisper
   • Set server URL (e.g., http://localhost or http://192.168.1.100)
   • Set port (default: 9000)
   • Select model size (tiny, base, small, medium, large-v3)
   • Test the connection

Wyoming Protocol Integration

1. Install Wyoming Server:

   # Using Docker
   docker run -d -p 10300:10300 \
     --name wyoming-whisper \
     rhasspy/wyoming-whisper:latest

2. Configure in App:
   • Go to Settings → Transcription Settings
   • Select “Whisper (Wyoming Protocol)”
   • Set server URL and port (default: 10300)
   • Test the connection

Ollama Integration

1. Install Ollama: Visit ollama.com
2. Download Recommended Models:

   ollama pull qwen3:30b

3. Configure in App:
   • Go to Settings → AI Settings → Ollama
   • Set server URL (default: http://localhost:11434)
   • Set port (default: 11434)
   • Select your preferred model:
     Recommended: qwen3:30b, gpt-oss:20b, magistral
   • Test the connection

AWS Bedrock Integration

1. AWS Account: Create an AWS account
2. Enable Bedrock: Enable AWS Bedrock service
3. Create IAM User: Create user with Bedrock permissions
4. Get Credentials: Generate access keys
5. Configure in App:
   • Go to Settings → AI Settings → AWS Bedrock
   • Enter AWS credentials
   • Select region
   • Choose foundation model
   • Test the connection

AWS Transcribe Integration

1. AWS Account: Create an AWS account
2. Enable Transcribe: Enable AWS Transcribe service
3. Create IAM User: Create user with Transcribe permissions
4. Get Credentials: Generate access keys
5. Configure in App:
   • Go to Settings → Transcription Settings → AWS Transcribe
   • Enter AWS credentials
   • Select region
   • Choose language
   • Test the connection

📝 Transcription Configuration

Engine Selection

1. Go to Settings → Transcription Settings
2. Select your preferred transcription engine
3. Configure the selected engine (if required)
4. Test the connection

Available Engines

• Apple Intelligence: On-device, no setup required
• OpenAI: Cloud-based, requires API key
• Whisper (Local): Local server, requires setup
• Whisper (Wyoming): Local streaming, requires setup
• AWS Transcribe: Cloud-based, requires AWS account

Large File Processing

• Automatic Chunking: Files over 5 minutes are automatically split
• Progress Tracking: Real-time progress updates
• Background Processing: Continues when app is minimized
• Timeout Settings: Configurable processing time limits

📊 Working with Summaries

Viewing Summaries

1. Tap the “Summaries” tab
2. Browse your recordings with AI-generated summaries
3. Tap any summary to view details

Summary Features

• Expandable Sections: Tap to expand/collapse sections
• Task Extraction: AI-identified actionable items
• Reminder Detection: Time-sensitive reminders
• Priority Indicators: Color-coded task priorities
• Location Maps: Interactive maps showing recording location

Editing Recording Metadata

Changing Recording Title

1. Open a summary
2. Scroll to “Titles” section
3. Tap “Edit” next to any title
4. Enter new title or select from AI-generated alternatives
5. Tap “Use This Title”

Setting Custom Date & Time

1. Open a summary
2. Scroll to “Recording Date & Time” section
3. Tap “Set Custom Date & Time”
4. Use date and time pickers
5. Tap “Save”

Adding/Editing Location

1. Open a summary
2. In the location section, tap “Add Location” or “Edit Location”
3. Choose from:
   • Current Location: Use device GPS
   • Map Selection: Pick location on map
   • Manual Entry: Enter coordinates manually
4. Tap “Save”

🎵 Audio Playback

Basic Playback

1. Go to “Recordings” tab
2. Tap any recording to play
3. Use playback controls:
   • Play/Pause: Center button
   • Skip 15s: Side buttons
   • Scrub: Drag progress bar

Advanced Playback

• Seek Control: Drag the scrubber for precise positioning
• Background Playback: Audio continues when app is minimized
• Audio Session Management: Handles interruptions gracefully

⚙️ Settings & Configuration

Audio Settings

• Quality: Low (64kbps), Medium (128kbps), High (256kbps)
• Input Selection: Built-in mic, Bluetooth, USB devices
• Mixed Audio: Record without interrupting system audio
• Background Recording: Continue recording when app is minimized

AI Settings

• Engine Selection: Choose your preferred AI engine
• Model Configuration: Adjust settings for selected engine
• Connection Testing: Verify API connectivity
• Batch Regeneration: Update all summaries with new engine

Background Processing

• Job Management: View active and completed jobs
• Progress Tracking: Monitor long-running operations
• Error Recovery: Automatic retry and error handling
• Performance Monitoring: Real-time metrics

Data Management

• Migration Tools: Import legacy data
• Database Maintenance: Clear and repair data
• File Relationships: Manage audio, transcript, and summary files
• Debug Tools: Advanced troubleshooting options

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Recording Problems

• No Audio: Check microphone permissions
• Poor Quality: Adjust audio quality settings
• Background Recording: Enable in settings

AI Engine Issues

• Connection Failed: Check internet and API keys
• Timeout Errors: Increase timeout settings
• Authentication Errors: Verify API credentials

Transcription Problems

• No Transcription: Check engine configuration
• Poor Quality: Try different engine or model
• Large File Issues: Enable chunking for files over 5 minutes

Data Issues

• Missing Recordings: Use Data Migration tools
• Corrupted Data: Clear and re-import data
• Sync Problems: Check iCloud settings

Performance Optimization

• Battery Life: Use local engines for offline processing
• Memory Usage: Close other apps during large file processing
• Storage: Regularly clean up old recordings
• Network: Use local engines to reduce data usage

📱 Advanced Features

Background Processing

• Job Queue: Multiple operations run in background
• Progress Tracking: Real-time updates for long operations
• Error Recovery: Automatic retry for failed operations
• Stale Job Cleanup: Automatic cleanup of abandoned jobs

File Management

• Import/Export: Support for various audio formats
• File Relationships: Maintains connections between audio, transcripts, and summaries
• Orphaned File Detection: Identifies and manages disconnected files
• Selective Deletion: Choose what to keep when deleting recordings

Location Intelligence

• GPS Integration: Automatic location capture
• Reverse Geocoding: Converts coordinates to addresses
• Smart Location Search: Advanced search with 3-tier fallback system
• University Database: Built-in mapping for major universities
• Search Retry Logic: Intelligent retry for failed searches
• Interactive Maps: View recording locations
• Manual Location: Add locations after recording
• Performance Optimized: Background processing prevents UI blocking

Data Migration

• Legacy Import: Migrate from old file-based storage
• Data Integrity: Validate and repair data relationships
• Batch Operations: Process multiple files at once
• Progress Tracking: Monitor migration progress

🎯 Best Practices

Recording

• Environment: Record in quiet environments for best quality
• Distance: Keep microphone 6-12 inches from mouth
• Duration: Break long recordings into segments
• Background: Minimize background noise

AI Configuration

• Privacy: Use local engines for sensitive content
• Cost: Start with free engines, upgrade as needed
• Quality: Experiment with different models for best results
• Reliability: Have backup engines configured

Data Management

• Regular Backups: Export important recordings
• Cleanup: Remove old recordings periodically
• Organization: Use descriptive titles for easy finding
• Metadata: Add location and custom dates for context

Performance

• Battery: Use local engines when battery is low
• Storage: Monitor available space
• Network: Use local engines when internet is slow
• Memory: Close other apps during processing

🔗 External Resources

AI Service Documentation

• OpenAI: platform.openai.com/docs
• Google AI: ai.google.dev
• AWS Bedrock: docs.aws.amazon.com/bedrock
• AWS Transcribe: docs.aws.amazon.com/transcribe

Local Server Setup

• Whisper ASR: github.com/ahmetoner/whisper-asr-webservice
• Wyoming Protocol: github.com/rhasspy/wyoming
• Ollama: ollama.com

Support

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs and request features
• Documentation: Check the README for technical details
• Community: Join discussions and share tips

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This documentation is regularly updated. For the latest information, check the app’s built-in help or visit our support resources.