---
title: "Change how long recordings stay on your Mac"
description: "Choose when Recordstead deletes local recording audio or moves it to an external destination."
updated: "2026-09-21"
canonical: https://docs.recordstead.app/your-data/recording-retention
---

# Change how long recordings stay on your Mac

Recordstead keeps local audio for seven days by default. After that, it
deletes audio from completed, transcribed meetings while leaving their
transcripts, summaries and meeting entries. You can change that rule.

:::caution[Keep audio you may need again]
Once the only recording is deleted, you cannot play it, export it,
re-transcribe it or correct speakers from samples. Export important audio or
move it to an external destination before the rule removes it.
:::

## Set the rule

1. Open **Settings…** (⌘,) › **Storage** › **Recordings storage**.
2. Under **Keep on this Mac**, choose an age or a number of recent recordings.
   The new choice also applies to recordings you already have.
3. Under **Then**, choose **Delete** to remove eligible local audio, or **Move
   to destination** to keep an encrypted external copy. [Set up a destination](https://docs.recordstead.app/your-data/recording-destinations)
   before choosing the latter.

There is no keep-forever choice or exemption for one meeting. Audio from a
meeting without a transcript stays regardless of age: until it is transcribed,
that recording is its only content. This includes record-only meetings and
recordings made while processing access is unavailable.

**Your result:** eligible local recordings follow your chosen rule. Text and
meeting entries remain; external copies are not deleted by the local
**Delete** rule.