Get answers to common questions about HoverNotes, based on real user feedback and community discussions.
Questions about browser compatibility and technical requirements
You don't need to anymore — HoverNotes works fully in Brave once you enable one setting. Go to brave://flags/#file-system-access-api, set it to Enabled, and restart Brave. Your notes will then sync automatically to your local Obsidian vault, just like in Chrome.
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 (similar to how the Obsidian Web Clipper works). This would transfer notes to Obsidian through the app rather than direct file system access.
Firefox support is on our roadmap! We'll announce it as soon as it's ready.
Yes — it just needs one setting. Brave disables the File System Access API by default, which HoverNotes uses to save notes directly to your local Obsidian vault.
To enable it:
brave://flags/#file-system-access-apiAfter restarting, HoverNotes works fully in Brave — vault sync, screenshots, and all.
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.
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.
Understanding how your data is handled and protected
Technical reality: HoverNotes uses the showDirectoryPicker() API, which means it requests access only to the folder you explicitly choose. Technically, this permission includes the ability to read files in that folder.
What actually happens: We only write new files—we never read or modify existing ones. Here's why:
Recommended setup: Create 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.
Your notes and screenshots are stored locally on your computer in your chosen Obsidian vault folder. No cloud storage is required or used for your notes.
What stays local:
What uses our servers: Only AI processing for generating notes from video content. The video content itself is processed but not stored.
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.
How HoverNotes works and what it can do for you
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
HoverNotes saves your notes directly to your Obsidian vault in pure markdown format. Here's how:
It's designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing Obsidian workflow while adding powerful video note-taking capabilities.
HoverNotes can generate notes in up to 15 languages, including:
The AI can watch videos in any language and generate notes in your preferred language, making it perfect for international learners.
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.
Our AI doesn't just transcribe—it actually "watches" the video like you do:
This means you get structured, meaningful notes that capture both what's said and what's shown in the video.
HoverNotes goes far beyond simple transcription:
It's designed for active learning, not passive consumption.
Technical implementation and development questions
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.
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.
That said, all processing happens locally on your machine except for AI-generated notes. No video data is uploaded or stored in the cloud—your notes are kept by you.
Local AI processing isn't currently prioritized, but it's technically possible. You would need:
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 the speed of our cloud-based AI processing.
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.
HoverNotes works with any video that plays in your browser, including:
The extension automatically detects video elements on any webpage, so there are no platform limitations or special requirements.
Pricing, setup, and usage information
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:
Getting started is simple:
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.
Roadmap and development questions from the community
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.
Join thousands of learners who are already using HoverNotes to capture and organize their video knowledge.