The current Settings UI has no dedicated Advanced panel for most of these settings. You can see and change them with the backup export and import steps below. You can also edit a
.hwbackup.json file before you import it. Max recording duration is the exception. It has its own picker in Settings → Storage.Settings reference
Max recording duration
This setting controls the maximum length of one recording session. At the limit, the recording stops and HyperWhisper processes the audio that it captured. The limit prevents long recordings that make large audio files.
This setting has its own picker in Settings → Storage, below Compress recordings to M4A. The other settings on this page do not have a picker. Select a preset from the dropdown. You do not need to edit a backup file. For the full Storage panel, read Storage Settings.
Audio sample rate
This stored preference gives the sample rate in Hz that HyperWhisper uses to capture microphone audio for standard (non-streaming) recordings.
This setting does nothing now. Microphone capture for standard recordings always uses 16 000 Hz, whatever the stored value is. HyperWhisper keeps the setting for backup compatibility. A future release can make it configurable.
Streaming transcription uses a fixed sample rate from the streaming provider, not this setting. For more information, read Streaming Settings.
Keep audio files
This stored preference controls whether HyperWhisper keeps the raw audio recording on disk after a transcription is complete.
This setting does nothing now. No part of the app uses its value to delete audio files. The auto-delete cleanup feature controls audio retention instead. To learn how retention works, and how the app plays back transcripts, read Managing Your Recording History.
History retention days
This stored preference gives the default number of days for history-based operations.
This setting does nothing now. No part of the app reads it. It is separate from the auto-delete feature. It is mainly a value that moves between devices in a backup file. To find the automatic cleanup settings that are active, read Managing Your Recording History.
Show experimental models
This stored preference controls whether experimental and preview model variants appear in the model selector with the stable models.
This setting does nothing now. No model-filter code reads it. The model selector shows the same models, whatever the value is.
Filesync
This stored preference is a feature flag for recording sync across devices.
This setting does nothing now. HyperWhisper has no device sync, and no part of the app reads the value. Only the backup export and the backup import move it. The backup file stores it under the
"storage" object, with storeAsM4A, and not under "advanced".
Change advanced settings with a backup file
Most of these settings do not appear in a dedicated Settings panel. Thus, the backup workflow is the most reliable way to change them. You can also change max recording duration in Settings → Storage.1
Export your current settings
Go to Settings → Backup. Make sure that Settings is included. Click Export. Save the
.hwbackup.json file in a location that you can find again.2
Edit the file
Open the Change the values that you want to adjust. Before you save the file, make sure that it is still valid JSON.
.hwbackup.json file in a text editor. Find the "advanced" object near the end of the "settings" block:3
Import the edited file
Go to Settings → Backup. Click Import. Select the file that you edited. Read the import summary, then confirm it. The new values take effect immediately.
The backup file stores the
showExperimentalModels setting under the "aiModel" object, not under "advanced".Windows
The settings on this page (maxRecordingDuration, audioSampleRate, keepAudioFiles, historyRetentionDays, filesyncEnabled) are macOS-only. Windows does not implement them. The Windows UI does not show them. A Windows backup export does not write them. A Windows backup import does not apply them. If you import a macOS backup file on Windows, Windows ignores these fields without a message.