Private voice notes for Mac
Turn spoken ideas into useful notes.
Talk through an idea, capture a meeting, or dictate a first draft. Cobalt turns your voice into editable notes, with transcription and AI that run on your Mac.
$39One-time purchase, plus tax
Apple Silicon · macOS 14.2 or later
Quick Thoughts
A short walkthrough might explain the first-use experience better.
Notepad
A thought, brought together
A simpler first impression
Explore a simpler first-use experience: let someone capture a thought before asking them to organise it.
Ideas to explore
- Start with one recording.
- Introduce folders after the first useful note.
To-dosYou choose
Draft a first-use walkthrough
Dictation
01Notepad
Room to think. A note to come back to.
You don’t have to start with a tidy thought. Talk through an idea, a problem, or a conversation. Finish recording, and Cobalt brings the substance together into a clear, editable note.
- Start a recording when you’re ready.
- Keep the original transcript alongside your note.
- Refine, copy, or export the text when you choose.
AI notes use Apple Intelligence on eligible macOS 26 Macs or an optional downloaded Qwen3 local model.
A simpler first impression
Explore a simpler first-use experience: let someone capture a thought before asking them to organise it.
Ideas to explore
- Start with one recording.
- Introduce folders after the first useful note.
- Let people experience the value before setting things up.
02Quick Thoughts
Catch the thought. Keep moving.
Some ideas only need a moment. Make a short recording and keep it as editable text, ready to return to when you need it. Somewhere for the thought that would otherwise get away.
- Capture a passing idea in your own words.
- Keep a small text capture, not a long recording to revisit.
- Come back and edit it when you have a moment.
A passing idea
A short walkthrough might explain the first-use experience better.
Saved as editable text
A moment of thinking
Somewhere to keep it.
03To-dos
A little less to hold in your head.
Not every thought needs to become a task. When one does, type an action, save selected text, or deliberately turn a thought into a to-do. You decide what needs doing.
- Add an action directly or from selected text.
- Turn a thought into a to-do when you choose.
- Keep a simple list of the things you want to do.
A thought worth acting on
A short walkthrough might explain the first-use experience better.
You choose the next step
To-dos
Draft a first-use walkthrough
Revisit the onboarding idea
(completed)04Dictation
Say it where you’re writing.
Sometimes you already know what you want to say. Speak instead of typing. Cobalt transcribes locally and pastes at your current cursor, so your words can go straight into your work.
- Turn speech into text on your Mac.
- Paste at the current cursor when dictation finishes.
- Find the text again in your dictation history.
A draft in your work
A simpler starting point
Here’s an idea for the first-use experience: let someone record a thought before setting up folders. Give them something useful to come back to.
Text kept in your dictation history
05Local chat
Ask your work. Keep it on your Mac.
A way back into what you’ve already captured. Ask a question about one note, meeting, Quick Thought or to-do, or look across your Cobalt library. Read an answer, then follow its citations back to the original passages.
- Choose one item or your Cobalt library as the scope.
- Open the cited passage and read it in context.
- Keep processing on your Mac, without a cloud fallback.
Local chat needs a supported Mac and a downloaded on-device model. Performance depends on your Mac and the selected model; check compatibility before buying. Initial model setup needs an internet connection.
A simpler first impression
This note only
Your question
What did I want to simplify about onboarding?
An answer, with a way back
This note suggests letting people record a thought before asking them to organise it. [1]
It does not record a final decision.
View sample source
A simpler first impression
Transcript · passage 1
I think the onboarding is asking too much. Maybe let people try one thing first… let them record a thought before asking about folders. They should get a feel for it before having to organise anything.Back to answer
Open the original passage and read it in context.
Generated answers may be incomplete or mistaken. Check the linked passages.
Room to think freely
Private enough for the unfinished thought.
Some thoughts aren’t ready for anyone else. Cobalt transcribes on your Mac and keeps a local library. You choose when to record and what to share.
- Local
transcription - Local library
Models need to be downloaded first. Exported content follows the privacy and sync settings of its destination. Local storage is not a claim of additional library encryption.
Cobalt for Mac
A place for your next idea.
Buy Cobalt once. Keep your notes on your Mac. No subscription.
$39
Pay once
Plus applicable tax, calculated at checkout
- A perpetual licence for one active Mac
- Move your licence when you change Macs
- Download and activate after payment
Secure checkout with Stripe.
Already own Cobalt? Recover your licence.
A little more detail
Good questions.
What is Cobalt?
Cobalt is a private notepad for Mac that turns recorded thinking into editable notes and a transcript. Think through an idea alone, record a longer reflection, or keep a conversation. Quick Thoughts, Dictation, and To-dos give you other ways to capture and use your words.
Will Cobalt work on my Mac?
Cobalt requires an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 14.2 or later; Intel Macs are not supported. AI notes can use Apple Intelligence on eligible Macs with macOS 26 and Apple Intelligence enabled, or an optional downloaded Qwen3 local model. Initially in English. Model performance varies by hardware, and M1 Macs with 8GB have not yet been validated. Check the release notes before purchasing.
Does my audio leave my Mac for transcription?
Cobalt transcribes on your Mac, with no cloud transcription fallback. Your notes, transcripts, and retained recordings are stored locally. Model downloads need a network connection, and material you choose to copy, share, or export can be handled by other apps and their sync services. Local storage does not mean Cobalt adds encryption to the entire library.
Can I use Cobalt offline?
Transcription and your local library work offline once the necessary models have been downloaded. AI notes and local chat need their on-device models to be ready. Initial setup, model downloads and licence activation require an internet connection. Paid licences refresh periodically; your notes remain on your Mac.
How is the Notepad different from Quick Thoughts?
Use the Notepad to talk something through and return to a structured, editable note alongside its transcript. Quick Thoughts are lighter: a short recording becomes an editable text capture. You can deliberately turn a thought into a to-do; Cobalt does not automatically turn everything you say into tasks.
Can I edit and take my notes elsewhere?
Yes. Review and edit your notes, revisit the transcript, copy text, or export a note as Markdown or plain text. Capture starts when you choose to record, and sharing starts when you choose a destination.
How do I get Cobalt?
Cobalt costs $39 once, plus applicable tax, for one active Mac. Choose Buy Cobalt, pay securely with Stripe and enter your email at checkout. After payment, download the installer and activate Cobalt with the licence key shown on screen and sent to your email. No Cobalt account or subscription is required.
Can I move my licence to another Mac?
Yes. Your purchase covers one active Mac at a time. Use licence recovery with your purchase email to release your previous Mac, then activate Cobalt on the new one. Keep a separate copy of any notes you want to move; your local library is not a cloud account.
What if Cobalt isn’t right for me?
Every purchase includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Email george@xeneos.com within 30 days of purchase using your checkout email to request a full refund. We process refunds through Stripe to your original payment method.