> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://hyperwhisper.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Advanced Settings

> Reference for HyperWhisper's advanced recording and storage settings — max duration, audio sample rate, audio file retention, and history limits.

Advanced settings control low-level recording behavior and data-retention limits. They are stored in HyperWhisper's preferences and are included in backup files so they travel with the rest of your configuration.

<Note>
  These settings are not exposed in a dedicated Advanced panel in the current Settings UI. You can view and change them through the backup import/export workflow described below, or by editing a `.hwbackup.json` file before importing it.
</Note>

***

## Settings reference

### Max recording duration

Controls the maximum length of a single recording session.

| Detail   | Value                   |
| -------- | ----------------------- |
| Default  | 300 seconds (5 minutes) |
| Platform | macOS                   |

When a recording reaches this limit, it stops automatically and processing begins on the audio captured so far. This prevents runaway recordings from accumulating large audio files unexpectedly.

***

### Audio sample rate

The sample rate (in Hz) at which HyperWhisper captures microphone audio for standard (non-streaming) recordings.

| Detail      | Value             |
| ----------- | ----------------- |
| Default     | 16 000 Hz         |
| Valid range | 8 000 – 48 000 Hz |
| Platform    | macOS             |

If a value outside the valid range is stored (for example, from a corrupted preference), it resets automatically to 16 000 Hz at launch. The default of 16 000 Hz is the standard input rate for Whisper-family models and matches what most cloud STT providers expect.

<Note>
  Streaming transcription uses a fixed sample rate set by the streaming provider, not this setting. See [Streaming Settings](/streaming-settings) for details.
</Note>

***

### Keep audio files

Controls whether the raw audio recording is kept on disk after a transcription completes.

| Detail   | Value                                        |
| -------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Default  | Off (audio is discarded after transcription) |
| Platform | macOS                                        |

When off, audio files are deleted once transcription succeeds, which saves disk space. When on, the audio file is retained alongside the transcript in your recordings folder and can be played back from the History view.

Turning this on also enables **Retry** on failed transcriptions, because the audio file needs to be present on disk to retry. See [Managing Your Recording History](/history-management) for playback details.

***

### History retention days

The number of days to use as the default threshold for history-based operations.

| Detail   | Value   |
| -------- | ------- |
| Default  | 30 days |
| Platform | macOS   |

If a negative value is stored, it resets to 30 at launch. This value is separate from the auto-delete feature — it represents a preference value that can be carried across devices via backup. See [Managing Your Recording History](/history-management) for automatic cleanup configuration.

***

### Show experimental models

When enabled, experimental and preview model variants appear in the model selector alongside stable models.

| Detail   | Value |
| -------- | ----- |
| Default  | Off   |
| Platform | macOS |

Experimental models may produce better results on specific content types but can be less stable or subject to removal in future updates.

***

## Changing advanced settings via backup

Because these settings do not appear in a dedicated Settings panel, the most reliable way to change them is through the backup workflow.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Export your current settings">
    Go to **Settings → Backup**, make sure **Settings** is included, and click **Export**. Save the `.hwbackup.json` file somewhere you can find it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit the file">
    Open the `.hwbackup.json` file in a text editor. Find the `"advanced"` object near the bottom of the `"settings"` block:

    ```json theme={null}
    "advanced": {
      "maxRecordingDuration": 300,
      "audioSampleRate": 16000,
      "keepAudioFiles": false,
      "historyRetentionDays": 30
    }
    ```

    Change the values you want to adjust. Make sure the file remains valid JSON before saving.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Import the edited file">
    Go to **Settings → Backup** and click **Import**. Select the file you just edited. Review the import summary and confirm. Your new values take effect immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  The `showExperimentalModels` setting is stored under the `"aiModel"` object in the backup file, not under `"advanced"`.
</Note>

***

## Windows

The settings described on this page (`maxRecordingDuration`, `audioSampleRate`, `keepAudioFiles`, `historyRetentionDays`) are macOS-only. Windows does not implement them: they are not surfaced in the Windows UI, not written when Windows exports a backup, and not applied when Windows imports a backup. If a macOS backup file containing these fields is imported on Windows, the fields are silently ignored.