How does Cluely work? As of October 2026, Cluely is a desktop app for Mac and Windows, plus an iOS app, that listens to the meeting you're in and gives you an answer when you press Cmd+Enter (Ctrl+Enter on Windows), using what it heard and what's on your screen. It never joins the call as a bot, and when you end the session it writes notes, next steps and a transcript you can search later.
Cluely sells itself as a meeting assistant for any kind of call, not an interview tool, and that shapes how it behaves in an interview. This guide explains each step from Cluely's homepage, Cluely's pricing page and its help docs, all checked on October 20, 2026. We make CoPilot Interview, a competing app, so we describe Cluely from its own pages and label our opinions.
How does Cluely work, step by step
- Install the app. The pricing page offers the free Starter plan as a Mac or Windows download, and the homepage links an iOS app on the App Store. Plans are priced separately for desktop and mobile.
- Add context before the call (optional). Every plan lets you write custom instructions and upload files, with up to 3 files on the free Starter plan. Keyboard shortcuts can be customized.
- Start a listening session. Cluely says it "listens in to the conversation" and picks up the meeting's context in real time. It runs on your computer rather than joining the meeting, so no extra participant appears on the guest list.
- Ask for help when you want it. Press Cmd+Enter on a Mac or Ctrl+Enter on Windows and the Assist bar answers the question "What should I say?" from the conversation and the screen you're viewing. You can also type your own question. Nothing appears until you ask, which is the main difference from interview copilots that answer automatically.
- End the session to get notes. Cluely's meeting notes documentation says notes are only generated for sessions that are "properly started and stopped." The meeting item includes a summary, detailed notes, AI-drafted next steps and a full transcript with speakers identified.
- Use the record afterward. Meeting items live in the Activity section of the dashboard, where you can edit the summary, draft a follow-up email from the next steps, share a public link, resume the session or delete it. You can also ask the AI about your past meetings.
What Cluely does before, during and after a call
| Moment | What Cluely does | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Stores custom instructions and uploaded files as context | App settings |
| During | Listens and transcribes; answers on demand from the conversation and your screen | A movable window you summon with Cmd/Ctrl+Enter |
| Right after | Summary, detailed notes, next steps and a transcript with speakers | The meeting item in Activity |
| Later | Answers questions about past meetings; drafts follow-ups; shares a public link | Dashboard |
The homepage lists Zoom, Slack, Webex, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet as compatible and says transcription covers 12 or more languages, including English, Chinese and Spanish. It also markets a mode designed to keep its window out of other people's view, which is the one feature its top tier adds; we don't cover how it works.
Who Cluely is built for
Cluely's own FAQ names "students, professionals, sales teams, recruiters, consultants, executives" as its audience, and its examples are sales calls, lectures and client meetings. Job interviews fit inside that, but nothing in the product is specific to them:
- No interview practice. There's no mock interview, no scoring of your answers and no report on how you did. The notes tell you what was said, not how well you said it.
- Answers aren't shaped by round type. A general assistant answers the question in front of it; it doesn't know whether you're in a recruiter screen or a system design round unless you tell it in your instructions.
- The meeting record is the strength. If you also take sales or client calls, a searchable record of every meeting keeps paying off after the job search ends. Our Cluely review covers that trade-off in more depth.
Cluely plans and what each one unlocks
As of October 20, 2026, Cluely's pricing page lists three desktop tiers:
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | Free | Limited AI responses, limited meeting notetaking, custom instructions, up to 3 files, ask AI about past meetings |
| Pro | $19.99 a month | $11.99 a month | Unlimited AI responses and notetaking, access to the latest AI models, priority support |
| Top tier | $149.99 a month | $44.99 a month | Everything in Pro plus the one extra mode described above |
Annual prices are per-month equivalents billed once a year. Cluely's FAQ says the free plan gives "limited access to all core Cluely features," without publishing a daily number on the pricing page. For the full breakdown, see our Cluely pricing guide, and the guide to cancelling Cluely covers the exit.
Limits worth knowing before you use Cluely in an interview
- It waits for you. Because help comes on a shortcut, you have to decide mid-answer to ask for it. Some people prefer that; others find it harder than reading an answer that's already there.
- Data handling. Cluely's help page "What Cluely Can't Do" says it doesn't record meetings or save audio, and that "Cluely only stores the transcript." It also says real-time translation isn't reliable. That page still says there's no mobile app, so it may be out of date; confirm with Cluely if data handling matters to you.
- Free use is capped. Starter limits responses and notetaking, so it's enough to try the product, not to carry a full interview loop.
- Rules still apply. Many employers set rules about outside help. Whatever tool you use, follow the rules of the employer or assessment you're in — many people use CoPilot Interview only to practice, which works on the free plan.
Cluely vs CoPilot Interview for interview prep
Cluely figures were checked on October 20, 2026; CoPilot Interview's are from our pricing page.
| CoPilot Interview | Cluely | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Job interviews only: practice, live answers and a résumé builder | Meetings of every kind: sales, lectures, client calls |
| How answers arrive | Live captions of the question, then a structured answer in about 2 seconds | On demand when you press Cmd/Ctrl+Enter |
| Practice with scoring | Best choice: Mock Interview scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer, then a report card | None published |
| Meeting notes | Not a notetaker; session files stay in your own Documents folder | Summary, next steps, transcript and a shareable link |
| Free plan | Best choice: 15 minutes every day, all four modes, no credit card | Starter: limited responses and notetaking, up to 3 files |
| Cheapest paid plan | Standard $14.99/mo (sale; regular $19.99) | Pro $19.99/mo, or $11.99/mo billed annually |
| Devices | Windows 10+ and macOS 12+ desktop; Android companion in beta | Mac and Windows desktop, iOS app |
Disclosure: we make CoPilot Interview.
Pick Cluely if you want one assistant and one searchable record across all your calls, plus an iOS app. Pick an interview-specific tool if you want to rehearse and get scored before the real thing. You can start with the browser AI mock interview (113 questions across 9 tracks, nothing to install) or the free STAR story builder. Our CoPilot Interview vs Cluely comparison, the Cluely alternatives list and the AI interview assistant comparison cover the rest of the market.
Rehearse the interview, not just the meeting
CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview builds questions from your résumé and the job description, listens to your spoken answers and scores each one out of 10 with a model answer. It's on the free plan: 15 minutes every day. Or start in your browser with no install.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
Does Cluely join the meeting as a bot?
No. Cluely runs on your own computer or phone and listens from there. Its homepage says it never joins your meetings, so no extra participant shows up on the guest list.
What is the Cluely keyboard shortcut?
Press Cmd+Enter on a Mac or Ctrl+Enter on Windows to ask Cluely for help in the moment. You can also type a question, and the keybinds can be customized in settings.
Is Cluely free?
There is a free Starter plan with limited AI responses, limited meeting notetaking and up to 3 uploaded files. As of October 2026, Pro is $19.99 a month or $11.99 a month billed annually, and unlocks unlimited responses and notetaking.
Does Cluely record audio?
Its help docs say Cluely does not record meetings or save audio and only stores the transcript, though that page predates its iOS app, so confirm with Cluely if it matters. After a session it builds a summary, notes, next steps and a transcript with speakers identified.
What apps does Cluely work with?
Cluely's homepage lists Zoom, Slack, Webex, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. Because it runs on your device rather than inside the meeting, run a short test call on the app you will actually use.
Is Cluely made for job interviews?
No. Cluely describes itself as a meeting assistant for students, professionals, sales teams, recruiters, consultants and executives. It works in an interview, but it has no mock interviews, answer scoring or interview-specific modes.