Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about getting Classroom Diaries, what it costs to run, what happens to your recordings, and publishing to Google Docs.
About the app
Who it’s for, what it needs and how to get it.
Who is Classroom Diaries for?
Language teachers who keep a running record of each class, especially English teachers with many recurring classes who keep a “vocabulary and mistakes” Google Doc for each one.
How do I get Classroom Diaries?
It isn’t publicly distributed yet. It’s in daily use with 25 classes, and we give access on request. Use the contact form at the bottom of the Classroom Diaries page to ask.
Which Macs does it run on?
Macs with Apple silicon, running macOS 14.2 or later. macOS 26 or later gives the best transcription, because it uses Apple’s newer long-form speech engine.
Does it work for languages other than English?
Not yet. Transcription is set to English (US), and the extraction is written for teaching English.
Costs and keys
Your Anthropic API key and what an extraction costs.
Why do I need my own Anthropic API key?
Classroom Diaries has no servers of its own. The extraction runs through Anthropic’s API with your key, and you pay Anthropic directly. Get a key at console.anthropic.com and paste it into Settings › Extraction. It’s stored in your Mac’s Keychain.
How much does an extraction cost?
Usually a cent or two for an hour-long lesson with the default model, Claude Haiku. The app shows the cost of each extraction. Sonnet and Opus can be chosen in Settings and cost more.
Privacy
Where your recordings and transcripts go.
Does my lesson audio leave my Mac?
No. Transcription happens on your Mac with Apple’s speech recognition. Only the transcript text is sent to Anthropic, with your key, when you run an extraction.
Do you collect any data?
No. There are no accounts, no analytics and no crash reporting, and we have no way to see your data. See the Privacy Policy.
How long are recordings kept?
Recordings delete themselves after 30 days by default. Transcripts and lesson history have their own settings, and any class can be stricter, for example a class with younger students. Your lesson history is kept as the lasting record.
Google Docs
Publishing, and what the app can see in your Docs.
What does the app do in my Google Docs?
It writes the lesson entries you publish, and nothing else. Before writing, it reads the headings in the Doc so the entry lands at the right date and isn’t a duplicate. It never edits or deletes anything else, and no Google data is sent to any AI service.
Do I need a Google account?
Only to publish. Recording, transcription, extraction, review, lesson history and Copy all work without one.
I published a lesson and then fixed it. Will it appear twice?
No. On a lesson you’ve already published the button becomes Re-Publish, which replaces that one entry in place.
Didn’t find your answer?
Browse the Classroom Diaries help articles, or open a ticket and we’ll reply by email.
Classroom Diaries is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Apple Inc. Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.