Interview Signal system requirements: what your computer needs

Interview Signal runs on Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) and on macOS 13 or newer, on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. You also need a microphone, an internet connection during interviews, and the meeting's sound playing through the same computer; on a Mac the app needs the Microphone and Screen & System Audio Recording permissions. It installs without administrator rights and needs no permissions in Zoom, Teams or Meet. These are the requirements for version 0.9.10, the current release as of October 2026.

What are the requirements at a glance?

Platform and signing details come from the download page, which also publishes the SHA-256 checksum for each installer.

How do I install it?

On Windows:

1. Download the installer from the download page and run it. It installs for your user, so no administrator password is needed.
2. Because this build is not code-signed yet, SmartScreen says "Windows protected your PC". Compare the file's checksum with the one on the download page, then choose "More info" and "Run anyway".
3. Open Interview Signal and sign in with your work email. You get a link and a six-digit code; either works.
4. The first time you start an interview, Windows asks for microphone access. Allow it.

On macOS:

1. Open the DMG and drag Interview Signal to Applications, then open it and sign in.
2. Allow Microphone access when macOS asks. The app asks at launch, not in the middle of a call.
3. Allow Screen & System Audio Recording. The prompt reads: "Interview Signal needs this permission to hear the candidate through your meeting app. Nothing from your screen is recorded or saved."
4. Quit and reopen the app, because macOS applies that permission only at launch.

If either permission is missing, the app shows a message with an "Open settings" button that goes straight to the right pane in System Settings, under Privacy & Security.

What audio hardware does it need?

Any microphone the operating system can see: built in, USB or a headset. Windows often lists one physical microphone two or three times (as itself, as "Default" and as "Communications"); the app shows each device once. The candidate's side is your computer's sound output, so the meeting or call has to play on the same computer that runs Interview Signal.

Headphones are recommended. Through speakers, your microphone also hears the candidate; the app removes the duplicate from the transcript and tells you the first time it happens, but headphones stop it at the source. On a virtual machine or remote desktop, an audio input device has to be passed through or nothing can be captured.

Which meeting apps does it work with?

Any app whose sound comes out of your computer: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or a phone screen taken through a calling app on the computer. Nothing is installed into the meeting platform and no bot joins, so there is no integration to approve. Because the candidate lane is everything your computer plays, mute other tabs and notifications with speech before you start. More in how Interview Signal records without a bot.

Does it need an internet connection?

Yes, during interviews. Transcription, kit generation, follow-ups, scoring and the submittal all run through Interview Signal's server. Without a connection the app opens with the message "Working offline. Your saved roles are here; new kits and scoring need a connection." If transcription is briefly throttled, the live screen says "Transcription is catching up" and keeps recording until it can send again.

How do updates work?

The app checks for a new version when it starts and every six hours, and shows "Version … is available." with a "Download" button that hands the new installer to your browser. It never installs an update by itself, so it cannot restart in the middle of an interview. Settings shows the version you have and a "Check for updates" button.

What else does it change on my computer?

• While an interview is capturing, it keeps the display from going to sleep, so a long call with little typing is not paused by the operating system. This stops when the interview ends or is paused.
• Your sign-in is kept in the operating system's keychain, not in a plain file. Settings shows "Token storage" so you can check.
• Interviews are saved in a folder in your user profile; see where your data is stored.

Installing it for a whole team? The checks IT usually asks for are collected in how to roll out an AI note taker to recruiters.

What does it not run on?

• Linux, Android, iOS or iPadOS: there is no version for them.
• A browser: there is no web app and no browser extension.
• Windows earlier than 10, 32-bit Windows, or macOS earlier than 13.
• A machine with no audio input, such as a virtual desktop without audio passed through.

Once it is installed, run the audio check before your first call. If something does not work, audio troubleshooting lists the fixes by symptom.