How to Use Shmeetings
Everything you need to know to get the most out of your local AI meeting assistant
Installation
Getting Started on a Mac
Shmeetings is designed to be simple and easy to use, with all the dependencies automatically installed the first time you run it.
- 1. Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag Shmeetings to your Applications folder.
- 2. Launch Shmeetings and begin the installation.
- 3. The app will automatically download Ollama. Make sure to complete the Ollama installation.
- 4. After Ollama is installed, the app will automatically download the Llama 3 model.
- 5. Shmeetings will automatically open and will not require additional setup.
The first time you open Shmeetings, it may take a few seconds to start up.
Then begin by clicking 'Install'.
When Ollama installation opens up, click 'Next', then 'Install', then 'Finish'.
The Llama 3 model will then begin downloading.
The Llama 3 model is nearly 5gb, so it may take a few minutes to download.
Once it's finished, Shmeetings will automatically open.
Manual Start, Stop, and Generate Summary
Start and Stop Recording
You can manually start and stop recording by clicking the 'Start Recording' button.
- Shmeetings uses OpenAI's Whisper technology to transcribe anything it hears into text.
- Every 5 seconds of audio begins a new line in the Live Transcription window, for better readability.
- The transcription will be saved to .txt file in your /Documents/Shmeetings folder.
- No audio recording is saved to your computer.
- If you don't see a transcription, make sure you have a microphone connected to your computer.
Generate Summary
After you stop recording, you can then click 'Generate Summary' to create an AI summary of the meeting.
- Shmeetings uses Ollama and Meta's Llama 3 model to generate a custom summary of the meeting.
- You can customize the summary by editing the prompt and context files in the expanded Settings area.
- You can re-generate the summary at any time there is a completed transcription.
- The summary will be saved to .txt file in your /Documents/Shmeetings folder.
- Depending on your computer, it may take up to a minute to generate a summary.
Auto Start/Stop Recording
Never Worry about Starting or Stopping a Recording
Auto Start/Stop listens for audio activity and automatically begins recording when it detects conversation. It stops when the room goes quiet.
After you customize your microphone sensitivity and delay time, you can set it and forget it.
- 1. Enable "Auto start/stop recording" in Settings by expanding the Settings area.
- 2. Select 'Sensitivity Settings' to bring up the Audio Sensitivity window.
- 3. Drag the sliders to adjust the sound and silence detection threshold and start/stop delay
Adjustment Tips
To set your start sensitivity, start speaking at a normal volume and drag the Sound Detection slider until the threshold is just below the current audio level.
To set your stop sensitivity, remain quiet and drag the Silence Detection slider until the threshold is just above the current audio level.
You may need to adjust your microphone input level in your system settings.
Auto Summarize
Automatic AI Summaries after Meetings
When your meeting ends, Shmeetings can automatically generate the AI summary.
To enable this feature, turn on 'Auto generate the summary' in the expanded Settings area.
With Auto Start/Stop and Auto Summarize, you don't need to manually press any buttons for Shmeetings to work for you.
Auto Email
Email Yourself Your Meeting Notes
Automatically send transcripts and summaries to your email after each meeting.
To enable this feature, turn on 'Auto email the summary' in the expanded Settings area.
With Auto Start/Stop, Auto Summarize, and Auto Email, Shmeetings becomes a completely hands-off meeting assistant.
Note: This feature sends data through your email server, so it's not 100% offline. But it's your own email settings so no data is sent to Shmeetings.
Email Settings
Configure Your Email Server
Required Settings:
- SMTP server address
- Port number (usually 587 or 465)
- Username and password
- Encryption type (TLS/SSL)
Common Providers:
- Outlook: smtp-mail.outlook.com:587
- Yahoo: smtp.mail.yahoo.com:587
- Custom business email servers
- To use Gmail, you need to create an App Password in your Google account settings. More info here.
Summary Instructions
Customize Your AI Summary
In the Settings area, write a custom prompt to get AI meeting summaries tailored to your specific needs and work style.
Be as specific as you want, since Shmeetings uses only local AI processing on your computer.
Tips for Good Prompts:
- • Include your role and company context
- • Specify the format you want
- • Name team members for better organization
- • Ask for specific sections (action items, decisions, etc.)
Example Prompts:
"I'm a product manager at a SaaS company. Create a summary with sections for: Feature Requests, Bug Reports, Action Items (organized by team), and Key Decisions."
"I run a marketing agency. Focus on client deliverables, deadlines, budget discussions, and next steps. Organize by client name."
Add Context Files
Enhance Your Summaries
Add relevant files to give the AI meeting summary more context about your work, projects, and team.
In the Settings area, you can modify the Context folder where your context files are stored. The default is Documents/Shmeetings/Context. After changing the folder, press the checkmark to save the changes.
Useful Context Files:
- Team member lists with roles.
- Project specifications or product documentation.
- Company information, common acronyms and jargon.
- File types supported: .txt, .rtf, .md, .csv, .json, .yaml, .html, .log
Summarize Old Meetings
Drag and Drop Previous Meetings
You can re-process old meetings with updated summary instructions or context files, giving you better insights from past conversations.
How to Use:
- Drag any .txt transcription file into the Live Transcription window.
- The transcription will load automatically.
- Click "Generate Summary" to create a new summary.
- Re-generate summaries as many times as needed.
- Update your summary instructions or context files between generations for different perspectives.
Software Requirements
Currently Supported
Requires macOS 11.0 or later on Apple Silicon Macs.
Coming Soon
Windows support is in development and will be available soon.
Hardware Requirements
Recommended Mac Specifications
Minimum Requirements:
- • Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer)
- • 8GB RAM
- • 6GB free storage space
- • Built-in or external microphone
For Best Performance:
- • M2 or M3 chip
- • 16GB RAM or more
- • External microphone for better audio
- • Quiet environment
Performance Note: Processing time depends on your hardware. Slower computers may take 1-2 minutes to generate summaries, but since everything runs offline, you can be patient!
Can't Install Apps on Your Work Computer?
Use Shmeetings on Your Personal Computer
Many companies don't allow installing apps or sending sensitive information to AI servers. Shmeetings offers a perfect solution - run it on your personal computer with a microphone to transcribe your work meetings while keeping everything local and secure.
With Auto Start/Stop, Auto Summarize, and Auto Email enabled, you can leave Shmeetings running without any interaction needed.
Recommended Setup:
- • Mac Mini + USB Microphone: The easiest approach. No monitor needed since auto features handle everything.
- • Mini PC (Windows coming soon): Any small form factor PC will work when Windows support launches.
- • Laptop: Works great, but you'll need to adjust power settings or download additional software to prevent sleep if the lid is closed.
Using Headphones? You'll need to split your audio to also reach your personal computer. We're researching the best solutions and will update our recommendations soon.
Uninstall
Removing Shmeetings or Ollama and Llama
If you need to uninstall Shmeetings, follow these simple steps:
- 1. While Shmeetings is open, go to Help > Uninstall Shmeetings.
- 2. Choose whether to uninstall Shmeetings only, Ollama and Llama, or both.
Need More Help?
If you have questions not covered in this guide, we're here to help!
Contact Support