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Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about Recall. Questions are organized by topic.

General Questions

What is Recall?

Recall is an application for macOS and Windows that helps legal professionals:

  • Organize and search legal documents (cases, briefs, motions, etc.)
  • Use AI to find relevant content and draft legal writing
  • Create citations and Tables of Authorities
  • Work with Microsoft Word for document preparation

Do I need to be technical to use Recall?

No. Recall is designed for legal professionals, not computer experts. While it uses AI technology behind the scenes, you interact with it like any other desktop application — clicking buttons, typing in search boxes, and selecting menu options.

Does Recall require an internet connection?

In local mode, no (after initial setup). All AI processing happens on your computer. You can use Recall on an airplane, in court, or anywhere without internet access.

In server mode, you need a connection to your organization's server.

The only things that require internet are:

  • Downloading optional AI models
  • Software updates
  • Server mode connectivity

Is my data sent to the cloud?

In local mode: No. All your documents stay on your computer. No data is uploaded to external servers.

In server mode: Your data is stored on your organization's private server — never on third-party cloud services. Data is isolated per-organization so other teams cannot access your documents.

What platforms does Recall support?

Recall runs on macOS and Windows.

  • macOS: Works best on Macs with Apple Silicon chips (M1, M2, M3, M4) because the AI features run faster on these processors. Also works on Intel Macs.
  • Windows: Full support for local and server modes.

How much does Recall cost?

Please visit retrieval.company for current pricing information.

Accounts & Organizations

Do I need an account to use Recall?

Only in server mode. If you're running Recall entirely locally, no account is needed — just install and go.

If your firm or team uses a shared Recall server, you'll need to register for an account.

How do I create an account?

Registration is invite-gated. You need an invite PIN from your administrator.

  1. Choose Backend from Server and enter the server URL
  2. Click Register on the login screen
  3. Enter your display name, email, password, and invite PIN
  4. Click Register

What is an organization?

An organization groups users and isolates their data. When you register, an organization is created for you (or you join an existing one). All your matters, documents, and pins are scoped to your organization — other organizations can't see your data.

Can I rename my organization?

Yes. Access settings from the gear icon popup menu to change your organization's display name.

How do I log out?

Click the gear icon in the toolbar and select Logout from the popup menu.

Can I switch between local and server mode?

Yes. Go to Settings → Connection Settings to switch between Entirely Local and Backend from Server modes. You can also change the server URL from connection settings.

Getting Started

How do I install Recall?

On macOS:

  1. Download Recall from the official website
  2. Open the downloaded file (usually a .dmg file)
  3. Drag the Recall icon to your Applications folder
  4. Double-click Recall in Applications to open it

On Windows:

  1. Download Recall from the official website
  2. Run the installer or extract the zip file
  3. Launch Recall from the Start Menu or desktop shortcut

What do I do first after installing?

  1. Choose your connection mode (local or server)
  2. If using server mode, register or log in
  3. Follow the Setup Wizard to configure Word integration and AI models

See the Complete Setup Guide for detailed instructions.

Can I skip the setup wizard?

Yes. Click "Skip Setup" if you prefer to configure things manually later. You can always access setup from the gear icon popup menu in the toolbar.

Documents and Matters

What is a "Matter"?

A Matter is like a folder for a legal case or project. It contains all the documents, research pins, and notes for that specific work. You create one Matter for each case you're working on.

What file types does Recall support?

Recall works with PDF files only. Most legal documents (cases from Westlaw/Lexis, court filings, contracts) are available as PDFs.

If you have documents in other formats (Word, text files), convert them to PDF first using any PDF creation tool.

How do I add documents?

Two ways:

  1. Drag and drop: Find the PDF on your computer, drag it into the Recall window
  2. Menu: Click File → Import Document, then select your PDF

The document might still be "indexing" (processing). Look at the document in your list — it should show a status indicator. Wait for it to say "Indexed" before searching.

If it's been indexed and still doesn't appear:

  • Make sure you're in the correct Matter
  • Check your search filters — you might have a category filter that's hiding the document
  • Try rebuilding the search index (Settings → Model Settings → Rebuild Index)

Can I organize documents by topic within a Matter?

Yes! Use categories. Right-click a document and select "Set Category" to assign it to a topic. You can then filter search results by category.

Feature Keyword Search Semantic Search
Finds Exact words you type Content with similar meaning
Good for Specific phrases, case names, citations Conceptual queries, finding related content
Example "summary judgment" finds that exact phrase when can a court dismiss before trial finds content about summary judgment

Why aren't I finding what I'm looking for?

Try these tips:

  1. Switch search modes — If Keyword search isn't working, try Semantic (or vice versa)
  2. Use different words — Try synonyms or related phrases
  3. Remove filters — Clear any category or document type filters
  4. Check for typos — Keyword search requires exact matches
  5. Make sure documents are indexed — New documents need time to process

How do I search for an exact phrase?

In Keyword search mode, put your phrase in quotes: "breach of contract"

Can I search across all my Matters at once?

Currently, search is limited to the selected Matter. You need to switch Matters to search different document collections.

Clerk AI Assistant

What can Clerk do?

Clerk can:

  • Edit text — Improve writing (make it more persuasive, clearer, shorter, etc.)
  • Create outlines — Generate structured legal document outlines
  • Draft content — Write prose based on your research documents
  • Answer questions — Chat about your documents to understand them better
  • Generate parentheticals — Create citation explanations for Word or clipboard

How do I use Clerk?

  1. Switch to Write mode (use the toggle in the toolbar)
  2. Look at the right panel — that's Clerk
  3. Choose what you want to do:
  4. For editing: Select text in your document first, then use the edit options
  5. For drafting/outlining: Use the Assist section and describe what you want

Clerk is giving irrelevant or wrong information. Why?

Clerk bases its answers on the documents in your Matter. If:

  • You haven't uploaded relevant documents: Clerk can only work with what you've given it
  • Documents aren't indexed yet: Wait for indexing to complete
  • Your query is vague: Try being more specific about what you need

Remember: Always review Clerk's output for accuracy. It's an assistant, not a replacement for your professional judgment.

Can Clerk write a complete brief for me?

Clerk is designed to assist with writing, not replace the lawyer. It can help draft sections, suggest language, and speed up your work, but you should always review, edit, and verify everything it produces.

Word Integration

Do I need Microsoft Word?

No. Recall works without Word — you just won't be able to use the Word integration features (inserting pins into Word, generating TOA from Word documents).

Which version of Word do I need?

macOS: Microsoft Word for Mac (desktop version). Recall doesn't work with Word Online or the iOS/iPad version.

Windows: Microsoft Word for Windows (desktop version).

Word integration isn't working. What do I check?

  1. Is Word open? Open Microsoft Word if it's closed
  2. Check permissions (macOS): System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation → Make sure Recall has permission to control Word
  3. Try the Test Connection button: Gear icon → Settings → Word Integration → Test Connection
  4. Restart both apps: Quit Word and Recall completely, then open Word first, then Recall

See Complete Setup Guide for more troubleshooting steps.

Mode Complexity When to Use
Recommended (Apple Events/COM) Simple For most users. macOS: grant permission. Windows: automatic.
Advanced (Word Add-in) Complex Only if Recommended mode doesn't work (rare enterprise setups)

Start with Recommended. Only try Advanced if you have problems.

Citations and Table of Authorities

How does citation detection work?

When you upload documents, Recall scans the text for patterns that look like legal citations (case names, reporters, page numbers, etc.). It automatically recognizes:

  • Full citations: Smith v. Jones, 123 F.3d 456 (9th Cir. 2020)
  • Short forms: Smith, 123 F.3d at 460
  • Id. citations: Id. at 461

What citation styles are supported?

  • Federal — Standard format used in federal courts
  • California — California-specific format

Set the citation style in your Matter Settings.

How do I generate a Table of Authorities?

  1. Complete your brief in Microsoft Word
  2. In Recall, go to Tools → Generate Table of Authorities
  3. Select your Word document
  4. Review the generated table
  5. Insert it into Word

Some citations are missing from my TOA. Why?

  • Unusual formatting: If a citation doesn't follow standard patterns, Recall might miss it
  • OCR issues: If your PDF was scanned and has text recognition errors, citations might not be detected
  • Manual fix: You can edit the TOA in Recall before inserting it

Performance and Technical Issues

Recall is running slowly. What can I do?

  1. Close other applications — AI features need memory (RAM)
  2. Use a smaller model — Settings → Model Settings → Change Generator to Phi-3.5 Mini
  3. Check disk space — Make sure you have at least 10GB free
  4. Restart Recall — This clears temporary data that might be slowing things down

The AI model won't load (shows "Error")

  1. Restart Recall — Quit completely and reopen
  2. Check memory — Close other applications to free up RAM
  3. Try a smaller model — Switch to Phi-3.5 Mini in Model Settings
  4. Check disk space — Models need room to load

How much disk space does Recall use?

The application itself is a few hundred megabytes. Documents you add take up additional space. AI models can be 2-8 GB each, depending on which ones you use.

Where does Recall store my data?

macOS — Data is stored in your user Library folder:

  • Documents and Matters: ~/Library/Application Support/Recall/
  • Settings: ~/Library/Preferences/
  • AI Models: ~/Library/Application Support/Recall/Models/

Windows — Data is stored in your AppData folder:

  • Application data: %APPDATA%\Recall\

Server mode — Documents and matters are stored on your organization's server.

You typically don't need to access these folders directly. Manage everything through Recall's interface.

Privacy and Security

Who can see my documents?

In local mode: Only you. Documents are stored on your computer and never uploaded anywhere.

In server mode: Only users in your organization. Each organization has isolated data storage.

Does AI processing happen on the internet?

In local mode: No. All AI models run locally on your computer.

In server mode: AI processing happens on your organization's server, not on third-party services.

Is Recall suitable for confidential client work?

Yes. Recall was designed with legal privacy requirements in mind. In local mode, all processing is on your machine. In server mode, data stays on your organization's private infrastructure.

How do I back up my Recall data?

macOS:

  1. Use Time Machine (Apple's backup system) — it backs up these folders automatically
  2. Manually copy the folders at ~/Library/Application Support/Recall/ to a backup drive

Windows:

  1. Use your preferred backup tool
  2. Back up the %APPDATA%\Recall\ folder

Server mode: Contact your administrator about server-side backups.

Getting Help

Where can I get more help?

  • This documentation: Use the search feature at the top of the page
  • Support: Contact support through the Recall website at retrieval.company

I found a bug. How do I report it?

Contact support through the Recall website with:

  • What you were trying to do
  • What happened instead
  • Any error messages you saw
  • Your operating system and version
  • Whether you're using local or server mode

Still Have Questions?

If you can't find the answer here:

  1. Check the Glossary if you're confused by a term
  2. Read the detailed guide for that feature (links in the left sidebar)
  3. Contact support at retrieval.company