On-device
Processing that happens entirely on the user's hardware - no cloud, no network round-trip, no third-party data processor.
On-device is the opposite of cloud-based. The user's Mac performs the audio capture, ASR, diarization, embedding, and (with Ollama) LLM inference without sending data to any third party. The only network traffic from a strictly on-device flow is the operating system's own background noise and, in Mac Note Taker's case, an optional once-a-day license check.
On-device is the structural answer to NDA, HIPAA, GDPR, and attorney-client-privilege concerns that cloud notetakers struggle to fit. It also has a side benefit unrelated to compliance: the workflow works offline, on a plane, in a SCIF, or behind a corporate firewall that blocks third-party APIs.
Related terms
- End-to-end encryption (E2EE) ↗A property where only the communicating endpoints can read the content - the service operator cannot. Common in messaging, rarely true for meeting notetakers.
- Edge AI ↗The pattern of running ML inference on the end-user's device rather than in a centralized data center.
- HIPAA ↗US law governing protected health information. Cloud notetakers handling clinical audio require a Business Associate Agreement; local-only flows do not.
- GDPR ↗EU regulation governing personal-data processing. Recording a meeting requires a lawful basis and disclosure; local-only storage simplifies residency.