Recording & summary
With the Kiolo device, you record conversations at the push of a button and automatically get a structured summary in the Kiolo app. This guide walks you through how recording and summarizing work, step by step.
At a glance
- Recording starts with a button press on the Kiolo device; the glowing red LED ring visibly indicates at all times that a recording is in progress.
- The recording syncs to the Kiolo app in encrypted form and is automatically transcribed and summarized there.
- Summary styles like Meeting, Interview, or Note can be chosen per recording.
- Your own bullet points before or during the recording improve the quality of the summary.
- Note: in Germany, consent from all conversation participants is legally required (Section 201 StGB).
- Processing and storage take place on EU servers in line with GDPR.
The Kiolo device records conversations, and the Kiolo app turns them into a clearly structured summary with the key points and to-dos. Here’s how it works.
Starting a recording
- Press the record button on top of the Kiolo device once.
- The red LED ring lights up continuously. It visibly signals to everyone in the room that a recording is in progress.
- Speak as you normally would. The device records locally, even without an active connection to the app.
- To pause, press the button briefly (LED blinks); to stop, hold it for two seconds (LED turns off).
Important — consent: In Germany, recording non-public spoken conversations without the consent of everyone involved is a criminal offense under Section 201 StGB. Let your conversation partners know about the recording before you start and get their consent. The visible red light helps with this, but doesn’t replace consent.
Syncing and summarizing
As soon as the Kiolo device is within range of your smartphone, it transfers the recording to the Kiolo app end-to-end encrypted.
- Open the Kiolo app. The new recording appears at the top of the Recordings list.
- Kiolo automatically transcribes the conversation and creates a summary with sections, key statements, and action items.
- Tap the recording to see the transcript and summary side by side.
Privacy: Transcription and summarization run on servers within the EU, fully GDPR-compliant. Your recordings are not used to train AI models.
Customizing the summary
- Choose a style per recording: Meeting (with decisions and to-dos), Interview (organized by speaker), or Note (running text for your own thoughts).
- Add your own bullet points in the app’s note field before or during the recording. Typos aren’t a problem — Kiolo takes your notes into account and smooths them out. The more context you provide, the more accurate the summary.
- Use Re-summarize to generate a new version in a different style at any time.
If something doesn’t work
If the transfer fails, tap Try again on the recording’s detail page. The original recording stays safely stored on the device until syncing succeeds — nothing is lost.
Questions? Email us at [email protected].