Settings Overview

TODO (New Screenshot): Settings overview page (App 2.0) Include: left settings categories (General/Transcription/Downloads/AI), key form controls, and save-state hints. Suggested filename: settings-overview-v2-en.png

Scope

Settings cover key runtime controls across the desktop app:

• General (paths, theme, language)
• Transcription (models, engines, advanced options)
• Dictation (coming soon, currently hidden)
• Link Transcription (engine/download behavior)
• Downloads (concurrency/speed/retries)
• AI Service and Prompts
• Translation, Device Info, Feedback, About

Use Cases

• First-time setup on a new machine
• Team baseline profile standardization
• Performance tuning and troubleshooting

Steps

1. Start with General and validate audio/cache/model paths.
2. In Transcription, download and set default models.
3. In Downloads, configure concurrency, retries, and proxy if needed.
4. For URL workflows, verify link engine status.
5. For AI workflows, configure provider and prompt templates.
6. Re-check Beta tabs after version upgrades (currently Global Realtime first).

Configuration Order (Recommended)

1. Finalize paths before model downloads to avoid migration work.
2. Validate CPU baseline first, then enable GPU acceleration.
3. Increase download concurrency gradually and observe failure rate.
4. Confirm AI connectivity first, then refine prompt templates.

Term Explanations

• Model path: storage location for downloadable model files.
• Cache path: temporary runtime/intermediate files; low space can break tasks.
• Download concurrency: parallel download count; higher is not always better.
• Proxy settings: network routing config for restricted environments and external services.

Real Scenario (New Machine Setup)

A safer migration flow after switching machines usually looks like:

1. Finalize paths and download strategy before pulling large models.
2. Run one CPU baseline task first, then enable GPU acceleration.
3. Connect AI providers and templates only after core local flow is stable.

FAQ

Q: Why are some controls disabled or read-only?
A: Common causes are entitlement restrictions, running tasks, or version-level feature policy.

Q: Are old files auto-migrated after changing paths?
A: Usually no. Plan manual cleanup and backup before path changes.

Q: Is higher download concurrency always better?
A: No. Overly high values may increase failures due to IO/network contention.

Common Mistakes and Better Alternatives

• Mistake: maxing concurrency on day one
  Better: start conservative and scale after observing failure rates.
• Mistake: changing critical paths without validation
  Better: run a smoke task after every path-related change.
• Mistake: shipping prompt templates before connectivity checks
  Better: verify provider/network/key health first.

Limitations

• Some settings depend on OS permission and network conditions.
• Advanced/Beta controls are subject to account and version gating.
• Prefer changing critical runtime settings when no key tasks are running.
• Platform: Settings are mostly aligned across Windows/macOS, while acceleration engines, permission entries, and path conventions differ.
• Release status: Dictation settings are still in rollout preparation and hidden in current public channels.