System requirements for AI interview assistants

AI interview assistants that capture both sides of a call generally run as native apps, because hearing another app's audio takes operating-system permissions a web page does not get. That makes the first requirement a supported device. SubcueAI ships desktop apps, an iPhone app, and a browser extension:

• macOS desktop app: macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. Apple Silicon (M-series) and recent Intel Macs both work in practice.
• Windows desktop app: Windows 10 (version 19041) or later, including Windows 11, 64-bit, on standard consumer hardware.
• iPhone app: iOS 16.1 or later, installed from the App Store. It needs microphone permission, and the interview itself has to play on another device, such as the laptop running the call with its speaker on.
• Chrome/Edge extension: a current Chrome or Edge browser. Its side panel does live assist for browser-tab calls; the Firefox build is mock-practice only.
• Not supported: the desktop app does not run on Linux or ChromeOS, the iPhone app is not built for iPad, and there is no Android app on Google Play yet.

You also need permission to install software. If an employer locks your laptop down with device management, you may not be able to install anything; see detectability and privacy for the honest limits.

An AI interview assistant is only as good as the audio it can hear. Two streams matter:

• Your microphone: built-in laptop mics are usually fine; a USB or headset mic is better in noisy rooms.
• The interviewer's voice: captured from the system audio of your meeting app (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or a browser tab).

SubcueAI's desktop app is built around dual audio capture, so it transcribes both sides without joining the call as a bot. You grant microphone and system-audio permissions the first time you run it, and the tutorial walks through the exact prompts on macOS and Windows. The browser extension captures only the meeting tab's audio, so it hears the interviewer but not you.

The iPhone app works differently. Its Listen mode hears the interview through the phone's own microphone while the call plays on your computer or another phone with the speaker on, and it transcribes both voices from the room. iOS never lets an app hear a call running on the same iPhone, so the call cannot be on the phone that is listening.

Important honest limit: if Bluetooth earbuds route the interviewer's audio away from your computer, desktop system audio capture can become unreliable, and the iPhone app cannot hear a call that plays only in your ears. Wired headphones for the desktop app, or laptop speakers for Listen mode, are the safest setups.

Real-time transcription and answer generation rely on cloud models, so a stable internet connection matters more than raw CPU power. A typical home broadband or tethered 5G connection is enough; unstable hotel Wi-Fi during an interview is the most common cause of lag.

• CPU/RAM: any laptop sold in the last few years that comfortably runs Zoom or Google Meet will run a lightweight overlay app alongside it.
• Display: one screen is enough. The SubcueAI overlay is a small floating window you can position anywhere; many users park it just above or beside the meeting window.
• iPhone placement: the phone shows the transcript and the drafted answer on its own screen. Keep it within arm's reach of the speaker, microphone pointed toward it, as the app's setup steps describe.
• Bandwidth: low-Mbps connections work because the app streams audio for transcription and exchanges short text, never video.

Beyond hardware, you need an account and, for paid features, credits or a subscription. See pricing for current plans and the free tier. Most people go from zero to a working setup in about 5 to 10 minutes:

• Install the desktop app for your OS, the Chrome/Edge extension, or the iPhone app from the App Store.
• Grant microphone permission, plus system-audio permission on the desktop.
• Do a quick test with a friend or a recorded video to confirm the voices are transcribed.
• Start your meeting app (Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams) with SubcueAI already running. With the iPhone app, confirm that you will tell the interviewer you are using a captioning and AI-assist tool, then start Listen mode.

A candidate with a recruiter screen on a Windows laptop and an iPhone in her bag has two valid setups: the desktop app on the laptop, or the laptop playing the call on speaker with the iPhone listening beside it. The desktop setup hears both sides more cleanly because the audio never crosses the room; the iPhone setup needs no install on the laptop. For a guided walkthrough, see the tutorial, and for the broader topic see getting started.