Question 1

How does HoverNotes work with Obsidian?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes saves your notes directly to your Obsidian vault in pure markdown format. You can open and edit them instantly in Obsidian, use all of Obsidian's powerful features like linking and tagging, and keep everything organized your way.

Question 2

Which video platforms does HoverNotes support?

Accepted Answer

Users can use HoverNotes with any video on any website, including YouTube, Udemy, Coursera, Vimeo, Skillshare, Bilibili, TED Talks, any online course platforms, university portals, and all educational platforms.

Question 3

How does it work with different languages?

Accepted Answer

Works with any language. Notes are automatically generated in up to 15 languages, including Korean, English, and Japanese, with proper formatting and context preservation.

Question 4

Can I edit my notes?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Since notes are saved as markdown files, you can edit them in Obsidian or any markdown editor. Your changes are preserved locally.

Question 5

Where are my notes stored?

Accepted Answer

All notes are stored locally on your computer in your Obsidian vault. No cloud storage required - you have complete control over your data.

Question 6

What makes HoverNotes different from other video note tools?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes goes beyond transcription by actually 'watching' videos like you do. It captures code snippets, diagrams, and visual elements, then generates structured markdown notes with screenshots. Unlike other tools, it integrates directly with your Obsidian vault for seamless knowledge management.

Question 7

Does HoverNotes work with Firefox?

Accepted Answer

Currently, HoverNotes is only available for Chrome and Chromium-based browsers due to File System Access API requirements. Firefox support is on our roadmap and we're exploring compatibility solutions.

Question 8

How much does HoverNotes cost?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes offers flexible pricing: Free Starter (20 minutes), one-time purchases like AI Booster ($3.99 for 300 minutes), and subscriptions including Focus ($3.99/month for 360 minutes) and Unlimited Pro ($19.99/month for unlimited processing).

Question 9

Is my data private and secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes, your notes and screenshots are stored locally on your computer in your Obsidian vault. Only AI processing requires internet connection, but video content is processed and not stored on our servers.

Question 10

Is there a Firefox version available?

Accepted Answer

Currently, HoverNotes is only available for Chrome and Chromium-based browsers. Firefox doesn't support the File System Access API that allows us to save notes directly to your local Obsidian vault. However, we're exploring Firefox support using Obsidian's app URL protocol. Firefox support is on our roadmap!

Question 11

Does HoverNotes work with Brave Browser?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, Brave Browser doesn't provide access to the File System Access API needed to automatically sync notes to your local Obsidian vault. For this reason, we've currently blocked HoverNotes from opening in Brave Browser. Supported browsers include Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and other Chromium-based browsers.

Question 12

What about Safari support?

Accepted Answer

Safari doesn't currently support the File System Access API required for HoverNotes to function. We're monitoring Safari's development roadmap and will add support if the necessary APIs become available.

Question 13

How does Chrome's Manifest V3 affect HoverNotes?

Accepted Answer

Great news! HoverNotes is already built on Manifest V3, so you don't need to worry about compatibility issues. We've designed the extension from the ground up to work with Chrome's latest security and performance standards.

Question 14

Is giving Chrome access to my Obsidian folder a privacy concern?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes uses the showDirectoryPicker() API, which means it requests access only to the folder you explicitly choose. We only write new files—we never read or modify existing ones. We recommend creating a separate subfolder within your vault (e.g., /HoverNotes) for clean separation and easier organization.

Question 15

Can I use HoverNotes completely offline?

Accepted Answer

You can take manual notes and screenshots offline, but AI-generated notes require an internet connection since the AI processing happens on our servers. All your notes are still saved locally regardless of your connection status.

Question 16

Is HoverNotes open source?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes is not currently open source. While we deeply respect the open-source ethos—especially in the Obsidian community—HoverNotes is still an early, self-funded project. For now, we've chosen to keep it closed-source to focus on rapid development and iteration based on user feedback.

Question 17

Can I run the AI processing locally?

Accepted Answer

Local AI processing isn't currently prioritized, but it's technically possible. You would need a fast transcription model (Fast Whisper), a video understanding model (Qwen2.5-VL-72B, VideoLLaMa2, or Gemma3), and an open source version of our note-taking code. The challenge is that inference needs to be fast enough to run in real-time for 20MB video segments plus current note data input.

Question 18

Have you tested this with local models?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we've tested local models extensively. Since we're doing both real-time video input and transcription, we found that local models weren't performing fast enough for a smooth user experience. The majority of users don't have the compute power to generate real-time notes at the same speed as cloud-based APIs like Grok and Gemini.

Question 19

What video formats and platforms does HoverNotes support?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes works with any video that plays in your browser, including YouTube, Udemy, Coursera, Vimeo, Bilibili, university portals, internal training sites, and any website with HTML5 video players. The extension automatically detects video elements on any webpage, so there are no platform limitations or special requirements.

Question 20

What languages does the AI support?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes can generate notes in up to 15 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Hindi, Russian, Arabic, and Dutch. The AI can watch videos in any language and generate notes in your preferred language, making it perfect for international learners.

Question 21

Can I edit my notes after they're generated?

Accepted Answer

Since notes are saved as standard markdown files, you can edit them in Obsidian or any markdown editor. Your changes are preserved locally, and you have complete control over your notes.

Question 22

How does the AI understand video content?

Accepted Answer

Our AI doesn't just transcribe—it actually 'watches' the video like you do. It automatically captures code snippets, diagrams, charts, and tables, works without requiring transcripts or captions, understands visual context and generates relevant notes, and combines audio and visual information for comprehensive understanding.

Question 23

What makes HoverNotes different from just using transcripts?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes goes far beyond simple transcription with visual understanding that captures code, diagrams, and visual elements, structured notes that organize content into clear, readable markdown, screenshots with context that automatically capture relevant visuals, timestamps that link notes back to specific video moments, and local storage where everything is saved directly to your Obsidian vault. It's designed for active learning, not passive consumption.

Question 24

Who is HoverNotes designed for?

Accepted Answer

Based on our user feedback, HoverNotes helps people when the stakes are high, time is limited, and they can't afford to forget what they're learning: medical students with complex lecture content, law students and CPA candidates navigating dense study materials, stock traders reviewing technical analysis, international learners generating notes in their native languages, developers leveling up with Udemy and coding tutorials, and anyone who wants to turn video learning into permanent knowledge.

Question 25

How do I get started with HoverNotes?

Accepted Answer

Getting started is simple: Install the Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store, set up your local storage folder (we recommend a subfolder in your Obsidian vault), navigate to any video and start taking notes, your notes are automatically saved as markdown files, and open them in Obsidian for advanced organization and linking.

Question 26

Can I use HoverNotes without Obsidian?

Accepted Answer

Yes! While HoverNotes is optimized for Obsidian users, it saves notes as standard markdown files that can be opened in any markdown editor. You'll still get all the benefits of local storage, AI-generated notes, and screenshots—you just won't have Obsidian's advanced linking and organization features.

Question 27

How does this enhance my Obsidian knowledge graph?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes creates notes that become part of your knowledge network. Videos become connected to your existing notes through Obsidian's linking system, allowing you to build connections between video content and your other knowledge sources.

Question 28

How is this different from other video note tools?

Accepted Answer

Unlike traditional video note-taking tools that just create isolated notes, HoverNotes integrates directly with your Obsidian vault. This means your video notes become part of your broader knowledge system, not just separate files. Your notes live where your knowledge lives.

Question 29

What about my privacy?

Accepted Answer

Privacy is our top priority. Your notes and screenshots are stored locally on your computer. While AI note generation requires sending the current note to our secure servers for processing, we don't store or retain this data after processing is complete. All your final notes remain exclusively in your local Obsidian vault.

Question 30

How do the processing time credits work?

Accepted Answer

Each processing pack includes a specific amount of AI video processing time. Our one-time purchase options include AI Booster ($3.99 for 300 minutes) and AI Booster Pro ($9.99 for 800 minutes). For monthly plans, we offer Focus ($3.99 for 360 minutes), Synthesize ($9.99 for 1200 minutes), and Unlimited Pro ($19.99 for unlimited processing). AI processing time from one-time purchases never expires, so you can use it whenever you need it.

Question 31

How accurate is the AI-generated content?

Accepted Answer

Extremely accurate. Our AI uses multimodal understanding that combines visual, audio, and contextual analysis. For technical content, it properly extracts code with syntax highlighting, understands implementation context, and captures dependencies that matter. The AI processes both what's said and what's shown in the video for comprehensive understanding.

Question 32

Do I need to manually take notes while watching?

Accepted Answer

Not at all! Enable AI Notes and HoverNotes automatically documents key concepts, extracts code snippets, captures visual elements, and generates clear explanations as you watch. You can focus on learning instead of note-taking, while still having the option to add your own manual notes and screenshots when needed.

Question 33

Can teams use this for shared learning?

Accepted Answer

Team collaboration features are coming soon! You'll be able to share learning notes, build collective knowledge bases from video training, and collaborate on technical documentation with teammates. Currently, you can share your locally saved markdown files with team members through your preferred collaboration tools.

Question 34

Is giving Chrome access to my Obsidian folder a privacy concern?

Accepted Answer

HoverNotes uses the showDirectoryPicker() API, which means it requests access only to the folder you explicitly choose. We only write new files—we never read or modify existing ones. We recommend creating a separate subfolder within your vault (e.g., /HoverNotes) for clean separation and easier organization. Our commitment: We built this for the Obsidian community—local-first, data-ownership folks like you.

Question 35

Can I still take notes and copy-paste them in Brave Browser?

Accepted Answer

Technically you could, but there's a huge risk of losing your notes since Brave Browser doesn't provide access to the File System Access API needed to automatically sync notes to your local Obsidian vault. For this reason, we've currently blocked the page from opening in Brave Browser to prevent data loss.

Question 36

Are there plans for users to run AI processing locally for privacy?

Accepted Answer

Local AI processing isn't currently prioritized, but it's technically possible. You would need a fast transcription model (Fast Whisper), a video understanding model (Qwen2.5-VL-72B, VideoLLaMa2, or Gemma3), and an open source version of our note-taking code. The challenge is that inference needs to be fast enough to run in real-time for 20MB video segments plus current note data input. Most users don't have the compute power to match cloud-based API speed.

Question 37

Will Firefox support be added using Obsidian's app URL protocol?

Accepted Answer

Firefox support is being explored using Obsidian's app URL protocol (similar to how the Obsidian Web Clipper works). This would transfer notes to Obsidian through the app rather than direct file system access. However, there may be memory issues saving image-heavy notes in RAM initially as we wait until they're saved. This approach is different from the current workflow but could enable Firefox compatibility.

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