FAQ

Questions people ask

Everything people ask about Kayavak, in one place. Can't find yours? Ask on the feedback page.

Privacy

Is my video stored or uploaded?

No. Camera frames are turned into movement points in memory and thrown away. Only those points (positions, not images), your transcript and your report are saved, on your computer. Nothing is uploaded: there's no Kayavak server to upload to. The privacy policy lists every time the app uses the internet.

Does Kayavak need an account?

No. Download it, open it and practise.

Does the AI send my answers to the cloud?

No. Coaching notes, rewrites and mock-interview follow-ups come from an AI model running on your own computer through Ollama. Kayavak never sends your words to an online AI service.

Does this website track me?

No cookies, no third-party analytics and no IP addresses stored. It counts visits, downloads, likes and roadmap votes, with only the approximate city and country they come from.

Installing

Windows says "Windows protected your PC". Is it safe?

Kayavak's installers aren't code-signed yet (signing certificates are expensive for a free app), so Windows shows this for any new unsigned program. Click More info, then Run anyway. You only need to do this once; updates install without it.

My Mac says Kayavak "can't be opened".

For the same reason, macOS asks you to confirm the first time. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway next to Kayavak, then confirm. Or right-click Kayavak in Applications and choose Open. Only the first launch needs this.

Which Mac download do I need?

Apple menu → About This Mac. "Chip: Apple M1, M2, M3…" means Apple Silicon; "Processor: Intel" means the Intel download.

What computer do I need?

A Mac (macOS 12 or later), Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), or 64-bit Linux, with a webcam and a microphone. Any laptop from the last five or so years is plenty. The optional AI features run best with 8 GB of memory or more.

Does it work offline?

Yes. The first launch downloads the tracking and speech models once (and the optional AI model if you set it up). After that, everything works without an internet connection.

Using it

How do I turn on the AI features?

Open Device check in the app and choose Set up AI features. It downloads the speech model and, if you have Ollama installed, a small AI model, with a progress bar. Without the AI model, Kayavak still measures everything and polishes your answers; you just don't get rewritten answers, coach's notes or interviewer follow-ups.

Which languages can I practise in?

English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese. Pick yours in Settings: filler words and pace are measured in that language, and the app's menus switch to it too.

Can I practise without a camera?

Yes. Choose Voice only when you start: good for phone interviews. You get everything about your words and voice; the body-language measures are left out.

Can it analyse a recording I already have?

Yes. Import an MP4, WebM or MOV of a real interview, meeting or talk. It's analysed on your computer and the video isn't kept.

Can I use Kayavak with a keyboard or a screen reader?

Yes. Everything works with the keyboard, buttons and charts have labels for screen readers, spoken answers have captions, and Kayavak follows your system's reduce-motion setting.

Your data

Where is my data?

In a folder called .kayavak in your home folder. Settings → Your data can back it all up to one file, restore it on another computer, or delete it.

How do I uninstall Kayavak?

• Windows: Settings → Apps → Kayavak → Uninstall.
• Mac: drag Kayavak from Applications to the Bin.
• Linux: delete the AppImage, or run sudo apt remove kayavak for the .deb.

To remove your practice data too, first use Settings → Your data → Delete all my data, or delete the .kayavak folder afterwards.

About Kayavak

Is it really free?

Yes, free forever: every feature, no paid tier, no ads, no limits. It runs on your computer, so it costs almost nothing to keep running. If it helped you, you can buy me a coffee. That's entirely optional and unlocks nothing.

Who makes it?

Kalyan Kaushik K N, a software engineer in Hyderabad, India.

How can I suggest a feature or report a bug?

Use the feedback page, or the Feedback button in the app. You can also vote on what's next on the roadmap.