General

The General tab in Settings covers app-wide behaviors including appearance, startup, updates, permissions, privacy controls, and data management. Open Echo, go to Settings in the sidebar, then click the General tab.

Appearance

Hide Dock Icon

You can run Echo as a menu bar-only app by enabling Hide Dock Icon (Menu Bar Only).

When enabled, Echo's icon no longer appears in the Dock. You can still access the app from the menu bar icon at the top of your screen.

Recorder Style

Echo has two recorder styles that appear when you start recording:

• Mini recorder -- A floating pill-shaped window that appears at the top of your screen. This is the default and works on all Macs.
• Notch recorder -- A recorder that extends from the display notch area. Designed for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with a notch.

The recorder style is set during initial setup. Both styles provide the same controls and functionality -- the difference is purely visual.

Startup and Updates

Launch at Login

Toggle Launch at Login to have Echo start automatically when you log in to your Mac. This ensures Echo is always ready when you need it, without manually opening the app.

Automatic Updates

Toggle Enable automatic update checks to let Echo periodically check for new versions. When an update is available, Echo notifies you and lets you install it. Turning this off means you will need to check for updates manually.

Permissions

The Permissions section shows the status of the macOS permissions Echo needs to function. From here you can verify that each permission is granted and quickly navigate to System Settings to fix any issues.

For detailed information about each permission, see Permissions.

Privacy Controls

The Privacy Controls section lets you manage how long Echo retains your transcription history and audio recordings.

You can configure automatic cleanup to delete old transcriptions and audio files after a period you choose. For more details, see Auto-Cleanup.

Backup and Restore

Export your Echo configuration to a backup file or import a previously saved backup. This includes your custom prompts, Adaptive Awareness profiles, smart corrections, keyboard shortcuts, and app preferences.

Exporting Settings

1. Click Export Settings... in the Backup & Restore section.
2. Choose a location and filename for the backup file.
3. Your settings are saved to the file.

Importing Settings

1. Click Import Settings... in the Backup & Restore section.
2. Select a previously exported backup file.
3. Your settings are restored from the file.

API keys are not included in exports for security. You will need to re-enter them after importing on a new machine.

Reset

The Reset section lets you restart the onboarding flow.

1. Click Reset Onboarding.
2. Confirm by clicking Reset in the dialog.
3. The next time you launch Echo, you will see the introduction screens again.

This is useful if you want to reconfigure initial settings or review the setup guide.

Diagnostics

If you encounter issues and need to report a problem, you can export diagnostic logs.

1. Click Export in the diagnostics section.
2. Wait for the logs to be collected.
3. Click Show in Finder to locate the exported log file.

Share this file with support to help troubleshoot any issues.

Tips

• Enable both Launch at Login and automatic update checks for a hands-off experience -- Echo stays current and is always available.
• Export your settings before major changes or before setting up Echo on a new Mac. It saves significant reconfiguration time.
• Diagnostic logs do not contain your transcription content -- they capture operational information to help identify technical issues.
• The notch recorder blends naturally with MacBook Pro and Air displays that have a notch. If your Mac does not have a notch, the mini recorder is the better choice.

Related

• Permissions -- Detailed guide to macOS permissions
• Auto-Cleanup -- Managing transcription history retention
• Recording -- Microphone, shortcuts, and audio settings