First-run setup
The first time you open TalkBar, a setup window gets it ready for your first session. It has five steps: Welcome, AI, Voice, Workspace and Review. Most people finish it in a few minutes, plus the time the model downloads take.
How setup works
- Click Continue to move to the next step and Back to return. You can also click any step you have already visited in the step bar.
- If something is missing, Continue tells you what to do and highlights the field or download that needs attention.
- Setup must be finished before you use TalkBar. If you close the window, TalkBar asks Quit setup? Choose Quit TalkBar to stop for now, or Continue setup. The next time you open TalkBar, setup resumes where you left off with the notice Setup didn't finish last time. Continue from here.
- Downloads keep running in the background while you fill in the other steps.
Step 1: Welcome
Welcome to TalkBar. Your profile stays on this device.
| Field | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Your name | Required. It is saved to your profile on this device. |
| Job title | Optional. |
| Get TalkBar ready to record | Lists the models TalkBar needs before your first session: Speech recognition, Speaker models and Built-in AI, with their download sizes. Click Download all to start them all at once. |
| App language | The language of the TalkBar interface. It changes right away. |
| Theme | System, Light or Dark. |
The Built-in AI row has an Include switch. Turn it off if you plan to use your own AI provider instead; the card then says the model is skipped and you connect a provider in the next step.
The card also shows the free space on the drive. If there isn't enough room, it tells you how much is needed. If a download fails, click Retry downloads.
Step 2: AI
Choose how TalkBar runs AI. Pick where AI runs and make one model ready.
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Local built-in AI (default) | Runs on this computer after a one-time model download. No external AI provider is used. |
| External providers | Connect Ollama, a CLI tool, or your own API key. You can skip local downloads. |
| Both | Download local models and connect an external provider. You can switch, or restrict AI to local models with Private AI Mode, at any time. |
Below the options you set up what you chose:
- Local language models lets you choose the built-in model. Not sure which one? Click Model Advisor. It measures this computer and marks its pick.
- External providers walks you through connecting one: Local AI (Ollama), CLI tools (Claude Code, Codex, Agy, Grok CLI or OpenCode), or Bring your own API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Groq and others).
- When your default model comes from an external provider, click Verify it works once. It sends a small test request and shows Working when the provider answers. If the check fails, TalkBar says why, for example The provider rejected the API key., and offers Fix provider.
To continue, one AI model must be ready: the built-in model downloaded, or a provider set up. If you picked the local option but your default model is an external provider, click Use built-in AI instead.
Want the background first? Learn about AI first starts the How TalkBar uses AI tour, then returns you to setup. See How TalkBar uses AI and Providers and models.
Step 3: Voice
Set up voice. The models every session needs, and your microphone.
| Section | What to do |
|---|---|
| Speech recognition | Turns what is said into the live transcript. Choose the Live transcription model; Parakeet V3 is fast and recommended. Then set the Transcription language. Some models detect the spoken language automatically; others transcribe only certain languages, and the step tells you which. |
| Speaker models | Voice activity detection and speaker separation. Needed for every session. |
| Microphone | Optional. Choose the Input device used by default for sessions and dictation, and make a short test recording to check it. If no microphone is found, you can still record system audio. |
| Optional downloads | Extra models you can add now or later: Large sessions (more than 4 speakers), Translation and Documents (semantic document search). |
The speech and speaker models must finish downloading before you can continue. Click Download all if they haven't started.
Step 4: Workspace
Set up your workspace. Starter packs and an optional first project.
Under What will you record?, pick any starter packs that fit. Each one switches on the matching session templates and skills. Meetings & 1:1s and Voice notes & ideas are selected by default.
| Starter pack | For |
|---|---|
| Meetings & 1:1s | Team meetings, calls, and one-on-ones. |
| Voice notes & ideas | Solo thinking, dictation, and brainstorms. |
| Sales & client calls | Discovery calls, QBRs, objections, follow-ups. |
| Interviews & research | Candidate interviews and user research sessions. |
| Coaching & 1:1 development | Coaching conversations and development check-ins. |
| Podcasts & lectures | Recorded shows, talks, and lectures. |
| Legal & diligence | Consultations, risk, and compliance-relevant calls. |
| Leadership & board | Investor calls, board syncs, and exec reviews. |
First project (optional) creates a project to file sessions and notes under. Leave it empty to skip; you can add projects any time.
Step 5: Review
Review and finish. This step lists Your setup (profile, app language, AI, speech recognition, microphone, starter packs and first project) and lets you pick a Default template for new sessions. Click Change next to any row to go back and fix it.
Below that, each Required and Optional item shows its status: Ready, Missing, Downloading, Failed or Not verified. When everything required is ready, you see Everything required is ready. Click Finish setup.
After setup
TalkBar shows Welcome to TalkBar and offers the Find your way around tour once. Click Start tour to take it now, or Not now to skip it. You can start any tour later from Settings → Help & Tours. See Getting around.
Run setup again
You can revisit your profile, starter packs and AI setup at any time. Existing settings stay as they are.
- Settings → Help & Tours → Start onboarding again, or
- Settings → Doctor → Start onboarding again.
When you run it again, setup opens on Welcome and can be closed at any time. Starter packs you choose are added; existing templates and skills remain unchanged. You can't start it while a recording is running.
To change just the AI setup, click the TalkBar logo and choose Set up AI…, or open Settings → AI Providers and click Setup AI.
Related
Privacy and your data
Where TalkBar keeps your data, exactly what leaves your computer and when, how to turn off usage statistics, and how to delete what you no longer need.
Your first session
Set up, record and review your first TalkBar session from start to finish, or create one from an existing audio file.