Omi is a compact wearable AI recorder designed to capture conversations, transcribe speech and turn what it hears into summaries, tasks, reminders and searchable memories.
Worn as a pendant or wrist device, it works with Omi apps on mobile, Mac and the web, while its open source platform gives users and developers unusual control over hardware, software and data.
What is Omi?
Omi is a hands free conversation capture device intended to act as a personal second brain. Its two microphones record what the wearer says and hears, either streaming audio for live transcription or storing it offline for later processing. The companion service organises each conversation into notes, memories and tasks that can be searched or questioned later.
The hardware is optional. Users can begin with the Omi app on a phone or Mac, then add the wearable for continuous, low friction capture. A tap can also trigger an immediate spoken question, allowing Omi to answer through a connected device.
Key features
- Hands free capture: Records conversations and meetings from a pendant or wrist worn device.
- Online and offline recording: Streams for live processing when connected or stores audio for later synchronisation.
- Automatic notes: Converts speech into transcripts, summaries, tasks and memories.
- Instant recall: Searches previous conversations by person, topic or phrase.
- Ask Omi: Answers questions using personal conversation context together with web search.
- Daily Recap: Produces an evening digest of important events, decisions and tasks.
- Brain Map: Visualises connections among memories and topics.
- Work automation: Sends tasks to connected tools and supports custom summary templates.
- App Marketplace: Extends Omi with community and developer built productivity tools.
- Open platform: Makes hardware, firmware, apps and backend software available for inspection and customisation.
AI features
Omi combines real time speech processing with a persistent memory layer, allowing its AI to work across individual conversations rather than treating every recording as an isolated file.
- Live transcription: Converts speech into text in real time, with speaker recognition and custom speech profiles.
- Automatic summaries: Creates concise notes, key points and decisions after a conversation.
- Tasks and reminders: Detects commitments and turns them into actionable follow ups.
- AI memory: Extracts important facts and stores them as searchable memories.
- Ask Omi: Uses conversation history and web search to answer context aware questions.
- Daily Recaps: Summarises the day and surfaces unfinished tasks or notable discussions.
- Brain Map: Shows how people, ideas and memories connect over time.
- Multilingual support: Handles more than 25 languages, including multiple speakers and translation.
- Custom templates: Formats outputs for meetings, interviews, lectures, personal notes and other workflows.
- Apps and integrations: Connects conversation data to task managers and other tools through downloadable apps.
How Omi turns conversation into action
- Capture: Record through the Omi wearable, phone, Apple Watch or Mac.
- Transcribe: Convert speech into text live or process an offline recording later.
- Organise: Generate a summary, memories, tasks and reminders.
- Recall: Search conversations or ask Omi a question about what was discussed.
- Automate: Send actions to connected apps, share results or apply a specialised Omi app.
Practical use cases
- Business meetings: Stay focused on discussion while Omi creates notes, decisions and action items.
- Sales and client work: Preserve requirements, commitments and follow ups without manual note taking.
- Personal memory: Recall names, recommendations, decisions and ideas from everyday conversations.
- Lectures and study: Turn classes into searchable transcripts, summaries and revision material.
- Interviews and research: Organise source conversations and retrieve exact topics later.
- Ideas on the move: Capture thoughts immediately and connect them with earlier memories.
- Daily planning: Use recaps, tasks and reminders to review the day and plan what comes next.
- Developer projects: Build custom apps, transcription workflows or private deployments using open hardware, APIs and SDKs.
- Privacy focused workflows: Run transcription locally or self host components when cloud processing is unsuitable.
Hardware and recording details
| Component | Overview |
| Form factor | Wearable pendant approximately 2.5 centimetres in diameter and 1.5 centimetres thick, with necklace and wrist options |
| Microphones | Two microphones with speaker recognition and noise reduction |
| Battery | 150 mAh capacity with a stated 10 to 14 hours of use |
| Recording | Live streaming and offline recording |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.1 and 2.4 or 5 GHz Wi Fi |
| Compatibility | iOS 15 or later, Android 7 or later, Mac and modern web browsers |
| Charging | Dock using pogo pin contacts |
| Water resistance | Not water resistant |
Software and workflow
Omi works through iOS, Android, Mac and web apps, with Apple Watch recording also supported. Conversations can be grouped into folders, starred, shared and exported. Developers can use open source hardware and software, an API, a Model Context Protocol server and SDKs for Python, Swift and React Native. Custom speech to text providers and local processing allow more control than most closed wearable AI platforms.
Does Omi require a subscription?
A paid subscription is not required. The free Basic plan provides 1,200 minutes of AI listening each month, together with unlimited transcribed words, insights and memories. Recordings continue locally after the allowance is reached. The Unlimited plan removes the listening limit and is listed at US$19 per month or US$199 per year. Omi also describes unlimited on phone transcription as a free option.
Similar products to consider
- Plaud NotePin: A compact wearable recorder with a polished commercial transcription and summary service.
- Limitless Pendant: A wearable focused on searchable conversation recall, notes and reminders.
- Mobvoi TicNote Pods: Open ear AI earbuds with case recording, 4G connectivity and Shadow AI tools.
- Viaim RecDot: Sealed AI earbuds with recording, translation and meeting summaries.
- Bee: A wearable AI assistant built around conversation memory and everyday tasks.
Pros
- Open source hardware and software provide unusual transparency and flexibility
- Works as a wearable, phone app, Mac app or web service
- Captures conversations live or offline
- Creates transcripts, summaries, tasks, reminders and searchable memories
- Includes 1,200 cloud processing minutes each month on the free plan
- Supports local processing, self hosting, APIs and custom apps
- Compact pendant and wrist wearing options suit hands free capture
Cons
- All day use may exceed the stated 10 to 14 hour battery life
- The device is not water resistant
- Continuous capture creates significant consent and social acceptance concerns
- Cloud AI processing beyond 1,200 minutes requires a paid plan
- Open source flexibility may require more technical effort than closed alternatives
- AI generated memories, tasks and summaries still need review for accuracy
Who is it for?
Omi is best suited to professionals, students, researchers, makers and privacy conscious users who want conversation memory in a flexible, open platform. Its strongest advantages are searchable recall, generous free processing and the ability to run locally or build custom tools. Buyers seeking polished earbuds for music and calls may prefer RecDot or TicNote Pods, while anyone planning continuous capture should consider battery life, recording consent and whether wearing an always available microphone fits their environment.
Sources: Omi official product overview