Switch From Granola to a Local Recorder: A Practical Checklist

Switching meeting tools sounds simple until you realize what is attached to the old one: months of notes, a calendar connection, account permissions and team habits. This checklist covers moving from Granola to a local-first recorder without losing anything you care about. The examples use BB Recorder, the free local recorder from BuildBetter, but most steps apply to any local recorder. You can follow the method even if you never install anything.

This is not another alternatives list. For a feature-by-feature view, read our BB Recorder vs. Granola comparison. For a close reading of Granola's data terms, see our review of Granola's privacy policy. This page is the operational part: what to do, in what order, and what to check before you trust the new setup with a real call.

The short answer: migrate in seven steps and keep the old archive separate

Keep your Granola archive separately. The product pages reviewed for this guide do not establish a supported Granola-to-BB Recorder import, so confirm any migration support before relying on a merged library. Preserving an independent, portable archive is useful either way.

Here is the full sequence at a glance:

1. Inventory your Granola notes, transcripts, shared notes and connected tools.
2. Preserve what you need using Granola's current documented export, copy or data-request options.
3. Review permissions: calendar access, Google or Microsoft login and any connectors.
4. Test audio: microphone and system audio on the machine you will actually use.
5. Settle consent with the people you record, using your own process.
6. Verify offline: record, transcribe and play back a short test with the network off.
7. Choose a mode and upload deliberately: local, bot or local-then-upload, each with its own data flow.

Do not cancel or delete anything in Granola until steps one and two are finished and you have confirmed that what you saved is readable.

Step 1: Inventory what you actually have in Granola

Start by listing what exists, because you cannot preserve what you have not found. According to Granola's security page, Granola does not store meeting audio. It says it transcribes in real time on macOS and Windows, or after the meeting using temporarily cached audio on mobile, and that it stores only the transcript and any notes you add. In practice, your Granola archive is text: notes, enhanced notes and transcripts. There are no recordings to retrieve.

What to write down

• Notes you wrote yourself, especially decisions, commitments and customer details you would hate to lose.
• Transcripts you rely on for quotes, research synthesis or compliance records.
• Notes others shared with you, and notes you shared with others. Granola says notes are private by default until you choose to share them, so check which ones you shared and with whom.
• Older notes. Granola's homepage says its free tier offers unlimited notes but that you need to upgrade to view and work with notes older than 30 days. If you are on a free plan, find out what you can still open before you plan your export.
• Connected tools. Granola describes an MCP connector that makes notes available to other AI apps. If you set one up, note which apps are connected so you can disconnect them later.
• Downstream copies. Notes you pasted into docs, tickets, CRM records or Slack are already preserved elsewhere. List them so you don't export the same thing twice.

Decide what is worth keeping

Not every note needs to survive the move. Sort your inventory into three groups: must keep (customer commitments, research interviews, decisions with legal or financial weight), nice to keep (routine syncs) and let go. If your team reuses interview transcripts for research work, such as building synthetic personas, put those transcripts in the must-keep group. They are the raw material, and summaries alone lose the nuance.

Step 2: Preserve exports using Granola's current documented controls

Use whatever export, copy or data-request options Granola documents today, and confirm each one works before relying on it. We are not giving click-by-click directions here. Vendor interfaces change, and a stale path is worse than none. Check Granola's own help and policy pages for the current method.

Here is what the primary sources show as of this writing:

• Granola's security page says you can delete individual notes or request deletion of all your data at any time.
• The same page lists FAQs titled "Can I request a copy of all my data?" and "What happens to my data if I delete my account?" Read the current answers there before you act. The order matters: request a copy first, delete later.
• Granola links its Privacy Policy and Data Processing Agreement from that page. If you are migrating on behalf of a company, those documents describe how customer data is handled and are worth reviewing with whoever owns vendor management.

A storage format that will outlast both tools

Whatever method you use, save the results in a plain, portable format, such as text, Markdown or documents in a folder you control. Name files by date and meeting title. A hypothetical example: 2026-09-14_customer-onboarding-review.md. Then open a few files at random to confirm the content is complete and not truncated. A good export is one you have actually read.

Keep the exported archive separate from your new recorder’s library until you have confirmed a supported import path. A clearly labeled archive with meeting dates, participants and source labels is easier to search and to manage under your retention policy.

Step 3: Review calendar and account permissions on both sides

Before switching, confirm what each tool can access, then remove access you no longer need. Granola's security page says it works with Google Workspace or Microsoft login and integrates with your calendar. That means it has a relationship with your Google or Microsoft account that will outlive the app on your laptop unless you end it.

On the Granola side

After your export is verified, review the third-party access your Google or Microsoft account has granted to Granola, and revoke it if you are fully leaving. If you are an admin, your organization may also manage app access centrally, so check with IT. Disconnect any AI tools you linked through Granola's MCP connector. If you plan to delete your account, read Granola's FAQ on account deletion first.

On the BB Recorder side

BB Recorder works without an account, so you can test it before connecting anything. Its product page says it detects meetings on Mac and Windows and records them automatically, and that recordings can be linked to your calendar. A meeting you started by hand can be linked to the right meeting afterward. Decide which behavior you want before your first real call:

• Automatic recording is convenient, but it means every detected meeting is captured. Make sure that matches your consent process (step 5).
• Manual starts give you a deliberate moment to confirm consent before recording begins.
• Signing in is optional. Without an account, collections fall back to local folders.

Your operating system also controls microphone and screen-capture access. Grant those permissions when prompted, and know where to revoke them if you later stop using the app.

Step 4: Test microphone and system audio before a real call

Test both your voice and other participants' voices on the exact hardware and meeting app you will use. A local recorder captures what your computer hears. If system audio isn't captured, you get your side of the conversation and silence from everyone else.

BB Recorder says it records Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams with full video and audio locally, and that screen recording on macOS uses ScreenCaptureKit with system audio. Even so, setups vary: Bluetooth headsets, external interfaces, docking stations and virtual audio devices can all change what gets captured.

A ten-minute audio test

1. Join a test meeting in the platform you use most, with a colleague or a second device signed in as another participant.
2. Use the headset or speakers you normally use, not a different setup that happens to be on your desk.
3. Speak, then have the other participant speak, then talk over each other briefly.
4. Share a screen with a video or sound playing if screen content matters to you.
5. Stop the recording and play it back. Confirm you can clearly hear both sides and that video is present if you expected it.
6. Repeat for any other meeting platform you use regularly.

If you also take in-person meetings on your phone, test the mobile app separately. BB Recorder lists iPhone support with on-device transcription and Android in beta. Treat a beta as something to test more carefully before relying on it for important conversations.

Step 5: Get consent the same way you would with any recorder

You are responsible for getting consent. The tool does not do it for you. Moving from a bot-free notetaker to a local recorder doesn't change your obligations, but local recording does keep something Granola says it does not: actual audio and video. A retained recording can be more sensitive than a transcript, so your consent practice should reflect that.

BB Recorder does not collect consent from participants. Local recording does not by itself make you compliant with any law. Recording-consent rules vary by jurisdiction and by context, so check with your legal or compliance team about what applies to you. This article is not legal advice.

A practical consent routine

• Say it at the start. Tell participants you are recording, why, and whether audio and video will be kept or shared.
• Put it in the invite. A line in the calendar description gives people notice before they join.
• Know when no-bot is not invisible. In local mode nobody sees a bot join. That is a reason to announce recording explicitly, not a reason to skip it.
• Plan for "please stop." BB Recorder lets you pause the bot or the local recording and resume within the same recording. Use it when someone asks you to stop or when something sensitive appears on screen.
• Write down your rules. If automatic meeting detection is on, decide which meetings should never be recorded, such as HR, legal or medical conversations, and handle those manually.

Step 6: Verify a short recording and playback fully offline

Prove the local claim yourself by recording, transcribing and playing back a short test with your internet connection turned off. This is the check that separates "local when convenient" from "local when it matters." BB Recorder says it works 100% offline, with no internet and no account, and transcribes on device. Test that on your own machine rather than taking anyone's word for it, ours included.

The offline test

1. Make sure the app is installed and any local models it needs are ready while you are still online.
2. Turn off Wi-Fi and unplug Ethernet. If your computer uses a VPN or always-on network, confirm it is actually offline.
3. Record a one- or two-minute clip. Play audio from another source so you test system audio as well as your microphone.
4. Let transcription finish on device.
5. Play the recording back and compare it with the transcript. Check names, numbers and any jargon your team uses.
6. Search for a word from the clip to confirm local search finds it.
7. If you plan to chat with recordings privately, try it with a local model. BB Recorder says you can chat with calls using BuildBetter's models, your own API keys or a local model. Only the local-model option fits a fully offline test. The other two need a network connection by their nature.
8. Reconnect only after you have confirmed everything above.

Write down what you found. If transcription quality on your accent, vocabulary or audio setup is not good enough, it is better to learn that from a test clip than from a customer call.

Step 7: Choose your recording mode and upload deliberately

Pick a recording mode per meeting based on where you want data to go. Local mode is optional, and the bot and cloud options have different data flows. BB Recorder supports local recording with no bot, sending the BuildBetter bot as a visible participant, or switching between the two mid-call while the local recording keeps going. You can also upload local recordings to a BuildBetter workspace later, but only if you choose to.

The table below summarizes data flows as each vendor describes them. Granola's column comes from its own security page.

When each mode makes sense

Local mode fits conversations where you want audio and video to stay on your machine, and where you are the person responsible for the recording. Bot mode fits situations the vendor highlights: you are traveling or on your phone and still want the call recorded, or you want the recording to be openly visible to everyone. Switching mid-call helps when circumstances change, such as needing to leave your laptop while the call continues.

Treat upload as a decision, not a default

Uploading moves a recording from your device into a workspace with its own sharing and retention settings. BuildBetter lists SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA and GDPR on its materials; confirm the scope in its current security documentation. Those statements do not settle participant consent or who should see a recording. Before uploading, check that the intended sharing matches the participants’ consent, your company policy and the workspace permissions.

Limitations to know before you switch

A local recorder solves some problems and creates others. Know the trade-offs before committing. The most important ones:

• Import support is unverified. Preserve the Granola history independently rather than assuming it will appear in your new recorder’s library, Series or search.
• Local means you are the custodian. Recordings on your laptop are only as safe as your laptop. Disk encryption, backups and device loss are now your concern for anything you keep locally.
• Recordings are more sensitive than notes. Keeping video and audio is useful for playback and sharing, but it raises the stakes for consent, retention and deletion compared with a text-only archive.
• Automatic detection needs rules. Auto-recording is convenient but can capture meetings you would rather not record unless you set boundaries.
• Hardware varies. System-audio capture can behave differently across headsets, docks and operating system versions. Your own test is the only reliable evidence.
• Betas are betas. The Android app is labeled beta. Test it before relying on it.
• Not every feature is offline. Chat with BuildBetter's models or your own API keys needs connectivity. Only a local model keeps chat on device.

Frequently asked questions

Can BB Recorder import my Granola notes or transcripts?

The product pages reviewed here describe Plaud imports but do not establish an import from Granola. Confirm current support directly. In the meantime, preserve the available notes and transcripts through Granola’s documented options and keep a portable archive.

Does Granola have recordings I should download before leaving?

According to Granola's security page, it does not store meeting audio, only transcripts and the notes you add. Your migration from Granola is about text, not recordings. Confirm current behavior on Granola's own pages if this matters for your records.

Do I have to use local mode in BB Recorder?

No. Local mode is optional. You can send the bot as a visible participant, record locally or switch between the two mid-call. Each mode has a different data flow, so choose per meeting based on where you want the data to go.

Does recording locally mean I don't need consent?

No. Consent obligations depend on where you and your participants are and on the context of the call, not on where the file is stored. BB Recorder does not collect consent for you. Announce recording, note it in invites and check with your legal team about the rules that apply.

How do I know it is really working offline?

Test it. Disconnect from the network, record a short clip with both microphone and system audio, let it transcribe on device, then play it back and compare it with the transcript. If any step fails without a connection, you have learned something important before a real call.

Should I delete my Granola account right away?

Only after you have requested or exported what you need, opened a sample of the files to confirm they are complete and reviewed Granola's FAQ on what happens when you delete your account. Revoke calendar and login access once you are sure you are done.

Try the checklist on your next call

The best next step is a test, not a full switch: export what matters, run the ten-minute audio check and record one short clip offline. If you want to use BB Recorder for that test, it is free, works offline and doesn't require an account. Download BB Recorder for Mac, Windows (including an ARM build), iPhone or Android (beta), run steps four through six, and decide about uploading later, on purpose.