Guidance for IT Teams

The Magic Notes desktop app is designed to make it easy for anyone to benefit from a Notes recording. Please review the key details below relevant for IT teams to ensure the app is deployed and working successfully for all practitioners.

Deployment & Requirements

• Operating Systems: Fully compatible with Windows 10 & 11 (x64) and macOS (Apple Silicon, 12.3+).
• Installation: Distributed via MSIX format. We recommend deployment via Microsoft Intune to ensure seamless, automated updates and minimal overhead for IT desks (we are live on the Microsoft Store). See the full installation instructions at the end of this page.
• Hardware Access: The app requires standard permissions for System Audio and Microphone. It utilizes the Accessibility Tree specifically to detect the launch of meeting windows (Teams, Zoom, and Chrome).
• Note on VDI: Magic Notes is designed for physical Windows desktops and laptops. VDI environments introduce complications due to how they handle audio and file system access.

Information Governance & Data Privacy

The following information outlines how the desktop app handles data:

• Data Residency: For UK and EEA-based organizations, all data is processed within the EEA. Audio is streamed to EU servers (eu-central-1.recall.ai) during recording.
• Subprocessor Transparency: The app utilizes Recall.ai for audio capture. This is an EEA-hosted service with a strict 7-day data retention policy, though data is typically deleted within seconds of reaching our primary servers.
• No AI Training: Our data processing agreements strictly prohibit the use of any customer data for training underlying AI models.
• Sovereignty: For organizations with strict "UK-Only" data residency requirements, please consult your Delivery Manager before rollout, as the desktop app currently utilizes EEA-based processing.

Further Technical Details

• Audio Buffering: Audio is buffered in memory during patchy connectivity and automatically resumes when the connection returns; no audio data is written to disk.
• Network Loss: If the network is lost for more than 2 minutes, the recording auto-stops to prevent data loss (buffered data is held in memory only).
• Storage: App settings are stored in %APPDATA%\Magic Notes\.
• Authentication: Tokens are encrypted using Windows DPAPI (per-user, per-machine; tokens do not roam across devices).

Full Installation Guide

1. Microsoft Store (Intune) - Recommended

Step 1: Create a group for beta testers

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center.
2. Navigate to Groups > All groups > New group.
3. Set the group type to Security.
4. Provide a clear name (e.g., SG-BetaTesters-MagicNotes).
5. Add the relevant user or device accounts as members and click Create.

Step 2: Add the app in Intune

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center.
2. Go to Apps > All apps > Add.
3. Under App type, select Microsoft Store app (new) and click Select.
4. Click Search the Microsoft Store app (new).
5. Search for "Magic Notes" or paste the Store product ID: 9P3PWQCFGF83.
6. Select the correct app and click Select, then review the app details and click Next.

Step 3: Configure app settings

1. Confirm the name, description, and publisher.
2. Set the install behavior to either:
   • User context: Installs for the signed-in user (recommended for most scenarios).
   • System context: Installs for all users on the device.
3. Click Next.

Step 4: Assign the app

1. On the Assignments page, click Add group under the Required or Available for enrolled devices section.
   • Required: App installs automatically.
   • Available: Users install it manually via the Company Portal.
2. Select the security group created in Step 1.
3. Click Select > Next.

Step 5: Review and Create

1. Review all settings and click Create.
2. The app will appear in Apps > All apps with a status of "Pending" until devices sync.

Step 6: Verify Deployment

• Monitor status in Device install status or User install status.
• To force an immediate sync on a test device, go to: Settings > Accounts > Access work or school > Info > Sync.
• Note: Auto-updates are handled automatically by the Microsoft Store.

2. MSI (SCCM / Group Policy)

For organizations that do not support the Microsoft Store, an MSI installer is available.

1. Download: Access the latest MSI [here].
2. SCCM Setup: Create an application and manually specify information.
3. Commands:
   • Install: msiexec /i "Magic Notes.msi" /quiet
   • Uninstall: msiexec /x "Magic Notes.msi" /quiet
4. Updates: Note: MSI installs do not auto-update. New versions must be redeployed. The app will notify users if their version falls below the minimum supported version.

3. Direct Download (EXE)

For individual users or small teams, the app can be installed directly using [this link].

• Installs per-user; no admin rights required.
• Installs to %LOCALAPPDATA%.
• Auto-updates via a built-in updater (checks every 2 hours).

Network Requirements

All Magic Notes application traffic uses HTTPS (port 443). The following domains must be reachable:

Domain	Purpose	Required
Magicnotes.ai	Backend API (config, recording creation)	Yes
auth.Magicnotes.ai	Authentication (OAuth login, token refresh)	Yes
eu-central-1.recall.ai	Recording engine (audio streaming, uploads)	Yes
storage.googleapis.com	Auto-update downloads (EXE installs only)	Yes
*.sentry.io	Error reporting	Recommended
*.datadoghq.com	Monitoring and telemetry	Recommended
Magicnotes.zendesk.com	Help center	No

Local Loopback: The app uses 127.0.0.1:43210 for the OAuth login callback. This is local-only traffic, but some VPN clients may intercept loopback connections. If login fails, try exempting this address.

Proxy and VPN Considerations

The Magic Notes application respects system proxy settings by routing HTTP traffic through Chromium's networking stack.

However, the recording engine runs as a separate native process and may not inherit system proxy settings. If outbound traffic must pass through a proxy, connections to eu-central-1.recall.ai may be blocked.

Recommended approach:

1. Allowlist the domains listed above at the firewall level.
2. If using a VPN (e.g., NetMotion), ensure the domains are exempted from VPN interception.
3. Test: If recording works with the VPN off but fails when it is on, the VPN is likely intercepting the recording engine's traffic.

Windows Permissions

• Microphone Access: Must be enabled in Windows Settings > Privacy > Microphone. Both the system-wide toggle and the per-app toggle for Magic Notes must be ON.
• Screen Capture: If microphone permissions alone do not resolve audio issues, try enabling screen capture access; on some configurations, this helps grant system audio access.
• AppLocker/WDAC: Ensure Magic Notes and its recording subprocess are not blocked by policy.

App Behavior

• Startup: The app registers to launch at login by default. It starts silently in the system tray and does not open a window until prompted.
• Single Instance: Only one instance runs at a time. A second launch attempt will simply bring the existing instance into focus.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely Cause	Resolution
App installs but cannot log in	Firewall/Proxy blocking auth.Magicnotes.ai	Allowlist the domain.
Login works, but recording fails	Firewall/VPN blocking eu-central-1.recall.ai	Allowlist domain; check VPN exemptions.
Only user voice is recorded	Meeting audio not routed through system audio	Check audio output; see VDI section.
"Audio permission required" error	Microphone access not granted	Enable in Windows Privacy Settings.
App crashes on launch in VDI	Profile virtualization issues	Consult the VDI section above.

Need more help?

If you have any questions, please contact us via live chat or email us at [e-mail].