How to Use Granola AI Notes: A Complete Guide
Granola is an AI notetaker that transcribes your meetings locally and merges its AI notes with the shorthand you typed. The result is an editable summary that still sounds like you wrote it, because you did.
No bot joins your call. Granola records system audio on your machine instead, so there is no awkward participant sitting in the meeting list.
How Do You Install and Set Up Granola?
- Download the macOS app — Windows support has been more limited
- Grant microphone and system audio permissions
- Sign in and connect your calendar for automatic meeting detection
- Pick a default note template for your call type
- Join a meeting and start typing rough notes as you normally would
The template step matters more than it looks. A 1:1 template and a sales-call template should not produce the same summary structure.
How Does the Hybrid Note-Taking Work?
You type fragments during the call — a number, a name, half a sentence. Granola expands each fragment using the transcript, filling in context around what you wrote. Your phrasing survives; the gaps get closed.
That is the difference from a pure transcription tool. You are not reading a wall of text; you are reading your own notes, completed.
Is Granola Free?
Yes, there is a free tier that covers transcription and AI notes for a limited number of meetings per month. Paid personal and business plans raise the meeting cap and add features such as cross-meeting memory and shared folders. Check the current limit before standardizing a team on the free tier.
What Is Cross-Meeting Memory?
On paid plans, Granola references what was discussed in previous calls with the same people. Before a follow-up with a client, previous commitments and open questions surface without you re-reading old notes. It is the feature that makes the tool more useful the longer you use it.
Where Does It Fall Short?
| Aspect | Granola | Typical AI notetaker |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy | Audio processed locally | Hosted Meet bots |
| Note style | Keeps your own phrasing | Generic summary |
| Meeting cap | Limited on free tier | Varies |
| Platforms | macOS-first | Broader platform coverage |
| Mobile use | Weaker | Often stronger |
Two real complaints. It is macOS-first, so a Windows or mobile-only workflow will feel like a workaround. And long meetings still need your fragments — the tool completes notes, it does not replace the act of listening.
Quick Summary
- Granola transcribes locally and merges AI notes with your own shorthand.
- No bot joins the call; it captures system audio on your machine.
- Free tier covers a limited number of meetings per month.
- Cross-meeting memory on paid plans surfaces past commitments.
- macOS-first, so Windows and mobile users get a narrower experience.
