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Hedy

Recording laws and consent

You can use Hedy in places that require everyone’s consent to be recorded, as long as you tell the people in the conversation and get a clear yes before you start. Recording-consent laws set when you have to ask, not whether a notes tool is allowed. The rule that works everywhere: ask first.

Most consent laws cover the act of capturing or listening in on a private conversation, not whether you keep a file afterward. There are two broad models:

  • One-party consent: one person in the conversation (you) can agree to it being captured. U.S. federal law works this way; states and other countries can require more.

  • All-party consent: everyone in the conversation has to agree first. Eleven U.S. states require this (including California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Washington), as do Germany and France, some with criminal penalties.

Because the rules vary by location, and can differ for phone calls versus in-person, the safe default is to inform everyone and get agreement before you begin. For the full country-and-state breakdown plus word-for-word scripts, see How to Ask Permission to Record a Meeting.

Hedy doesn’t keep an audio recording by default

This is where Hedy differs from a typical recorder. By default, Hedy transcribes speech on your device and discards the audio as soon as it becomes text, so it isn’t uploaded or stored unless you choose to keep it.

So by default:

  • No audio file of the other speakers is saved.

  • No voiceprint or audio fingerprint of anyone in the conversation is kept or shared.

  • Only the text (transcript and notes) remains, on your device, under your control.

Keeping a permanent audio recording is an explicit opt-in. Until you turn it on, there’s no audio file to store, leak, or hand over.

Why you still ask, even though nothing is saved

Discarding the audio lowers your data footprint, but it doesn’t remove the need for consent. Most consent laws are triggered by capturing or listening to the conversation in the first place, not by whether a recording is saved. Transcribing speech as it happens still counts.

There’s an upside: Hedy’s default makes the ask easier. You can honestly tell people the audio isn’t kept, only notes are. Something like:

“I’m using Hedy to take notes and summarize this. It transcribes on my device and doesn’t save the audio. Are you comfortable with that?”

Wait for a clear yes before you start. If someone says no, switch to manual notes and move on.

This article is general guidance, not legal advice. If you’re unsure about the rules where you are, check with a qualified legal professional.

Last reviewed: 2026-06.

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