Quick capture mode
The Ultrathink Quick Capture widget is built for speed. You can type a note, drop a file, take a screenshot, or record audio without leaving your current window. Everything you capture is automatically uploaded to your Ultrathink knowledge base and processed by AI.
Quick notes
The simplest way to capture something is to type it directly into the widget.
How quick notes work
- Click the text field in the widget
- Type your note
- Press Enter or click Save
Your note is saved as a new entry in Ultrathink. The AI processes it in the background, generating a summary and extracting topics, people, and relationships.
Auto-save
If you type a note but do not press Enter or click Save, the widget auto-saves your content after three seconds of inactivity. This means you never lose a thought, even if you get distracted and click away from the widget.
The auto-save indicator appears in the bottom corner of the widget when a save is pending. Once saved, the text field clears and is ready for your next capture.
Quick notes tips
- Keep notes short and focused; each note becomes a separate entry
- Use the widget for fleeting thoughts you want to capture before they slip away
- If you need more space or formatting, switch to expanded mode by clicking the expand button in the title bar
Rich text editor
When you expand the widget (click the expand button in the title bar), you gain access to the full rich text editor powered by TipTap.
Available formatting
The expanded editor provides a formatting toolbar with the following options:
| Format | How to apply | Keyboard shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Click the B button | Ctrl+B / Cmd+B |
| Italic | Click the I button | Ctrl+I / Cmd+I |
| Bullet list | Click the bullet list icon | None |
| Numbered list | Click the numbered list icon | None |
| Code block | Click the code block icon | None |
| Link | Click the link icon, enter URL | Ctrl+K / Cmd+K |
Working with the rich text editor
- Type as you normally would; the editor supports standard text editing conventions
- Highlight text and then click a formatting button to apply formatting
- To remove formatting, highlight the formatted text and click the same button again
- Code blocks support multi-line content and preserve whitespace
- Links open in a new tab when clicked from the Ultrathink web app
When to use rich text vs quick notes
| Scenario | Recommended mode |
|---|---|
| Capturing a fleeting thought | Normal (quick notes) |
| Writing meeting notes | Expanded (rich text) |
| Dropping a file | Either mode |
| Detailed instructions or steps | Expanded (rich text) |
| Quick reminder | Normal (quick notes) |
File drops
You can drag and drop files directly onto the widget to capture them. The widget accepts any file type.
Supported file types and behaviour
| File type | What happens |
|---|---|
| Images (PNG, JPG, GIF) | Uploaded and attached as a screenshot entry |
| Uploaded, text extracted and summarised by AI | |
| Word (.docx) | Uploaded, content extracted and summarised by AI |
| Audio (MP3, WAV, M4A) | Uploaded, transcribed and summarised by AI |
| Any other file | Uploaded and attached to a new entry |
How to drop files
- Open a file manager window or locate the file on your desktop
- Drag the file over the widget
- The widget highlights to indicate it is ready to receive the file
- Release the file to drop it
The file uploads automatically to Firebase Storage. A progress indicator shows the upload status. Once complete, the entry appears in your knowledge base with AI-generated metadata.
File size considerations
- Files up to 50 MB upload without issues
- Larger files may time out depending on your internet connection
- If an upload fails, the capture remains in the pending queue so you can retry
Screenshot capture
Take screenshots without leaving your current window. The widget provides two capture modes so you can grab exactly what you need.
Starting a screenshot capture
- Click the camera icon in the widget
- Choose your capture mode (see below)
- The screenshot is captured and saved as a new entry
Capture modes
| Mode | What it captures | How to use |
|---|---|---|
| Region | A rectangular area you select | Click and drag to draw a rectangle on screen |
| Full screen | Your entire screen | Click to capture immediately |
Multi-monitor screenshots
Screenshot capture works across multiple monitors:
- In region mode, you can draw a selection that spans monitors
- In full-screen mode, each monitor is captured separately; you choose which one to save
After capturing a screenshot
Once captured, the screenshot is:
- Uploaded to Firebase Storage
- Displayed as a preview in the widget
- Processed by AI for text extraction (OCR) and summarisation
- Saved as a new entry in your knowledge base
Mac permissions for screenshots
On Mac, screenshot capture requires the Screen Recording permission. If you have not granted this:
- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording
- Enable the toggle for Ultrathink
- Restart the widget
Audio recording
Record voice memos directly from the widget. Audio recordings are automatically transcribed by AI, making them searchable in your knowledge base.
Starting a recording
- Click the microphone icon in the widget
- Recording starts immediately
- The widget displays the recording duration as a timer
- Click the microphone icon again to stop recording
Recording sources
| Source | What it records | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone | Your voice through the microphone | Voice memos, spoken notes, dictation |
| System audio | Audio playing on your computer | Capturing audio from meetings, videos, presentations |
To switch between sources, click the dropdown arrow next to the microphone icon and select your preferred input.
Note: System audio capture on Mac may require a virtual audio device (such as BlackHole or Loopback). Windows supports system audio capture natively.
After recording
Once you stop the recording:
- The audio file uploads to Firebase Storage
- AI transcribes the audio to text
- The transcription is summarised and classified
- A new entry is created with both the audio file and its transcription
You can play back the recording from the entry in the Ultrathink web app.
Recording tips
- Speak clearly and at a moderate pace for the best transcription accuracy
- Keep recordings focused on a single topic for cleaner entries
- Use microphone recording for personal notes and system audio for capturing content from online meetings
Pending captures queue
When you capture multiple things in quick succession, they queue up in the pending captures list. This prevents captures from being lost if you are working faster than uploads can complete.
How the queue works
- Each capture (note, file, screenshot, or recording) is added to the queue
- A preview of each pending capture appears in the widget (visible in expanded mode)
- Captures are uploaded and processed one at a time, in order
- Each entry auto-saves after a short delay
Managing pending captures
- Click a pending capture to open it for editing before it saves
- Edit the text or title to add context before the entry is finalised
- Wait for auto-save to let the queue process automatically
The pending captures counter is visible in the widget header, showing you how many captures are waiting to be processed. Once all captures are saved, the counter disappears.
If an upload fails
- The failed capture remains in the queue with an error indicator
- Click the capture to retry the upload
- Check your internet connection if multiple uploads are failing
- Pending captures persist even if you close and reopen the widget, so nothing is lost