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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 a Mac application for legal professionals that helps you:

  • 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 Mac application — clicking buttons, typing in search boxes, and selecting menu options.

Does Recall require an internet connection?

After initial setup, no. All AI processing happens on your Mac. You can use Recall on an airplane, in court, or anywhere without internet access.

The only things that require internet are:

  • Downloading optional AI models
  • Future software updates

Is my data sent to the cloud?

No. All your documents stay on your computer. No data is uploaded to external servers. This is a core design principle of Recall — it's built for the privacy requirements of legal work.

Which Macs can run Recall?

Recall runs on macOS. It works best on Macs with Apple Silicon chips (M1, M2, M3, M4) because the AI features run faster on these processors. It also works on older Intel Macs, but AI features may be slower.

How much does Recall cost?

Please visit retrieval.company for current pricing information.

Getting Started

How do I install Recall?

  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

What do I do first after installing?

Follow the Setup Wizard that appears when you first open Recall. It will:

  1. Connect Recall to Microsoft Word (if you have it)
  2. Show you the AI models
  3. Give you a quick tour

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 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

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?

Microsoft Word for Mac. Recall doesn't work with Word Online or the iOS/iPad version.

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

  1. Is Word open? Open Microsoft Word if it's closed
  2. Check permissions: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation → Make sure Recall has permission to control Word
  3. Try the Self-Test: Gear icon → Setup → Self-Test button
  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) Simple For most users. Just requires granting permission.
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?

All data is stored in your Mac's user Library folder:

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

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

Privacy and Security

Who can see my documents?

Only you. Documents are stored on your Mac and never uploaded anywhere.

Does AI processing happen on the internet?

No. All AI models run locally on your computer. Nothing is sent to external servers.

Is Recall suitable for confidential client work?

Yes. Recall was designed with legal privacy requirements in mind. All processing is local, and no data leaves your computer.

How do I back up my Recall data?

Recall's data is stored in your user Library folder. You can:

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

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 Mac model and macOS version (Apple menu → About This Mac)

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