← Back to directory

screenpipe

Official

Search local screen recordings, audio transcripts, and computer activity.

GitHub source repository ↗

★ 20.4k Stars Category · Other Very popular

50FMRS · D

Reliability

5/20

Security and permissions

8/20

Maintenance

11/20

Documentation

14/20

Setup experience

12/20

Provided in the screenpipe repository, this version 0.19.0 npm package uses stdio transport. It is suited to locally searching screen and audio history and supplying work context to AI assistants, but users should evaluate sensitive-data capture, system permissions, resource usage, and the data boundaries of optional cloud features.

Read the FMRS scoring method →

The screenpipe MCP server lets compatible AI assistants query local screen recordings, audio transcripts, and computer activity stored by screenpipe. screenpipe stores data locally by default and supports natural-language search, timeline review, and meeting-transcript queries.

Tools

The tool list has not been reviewed yet.

Setup

Run npx screenpipe record, then run npx screenpipe setup. With Claude, you can also run claude mcp add screenpipe -- npx -y screenpipe-mcp@latest. Then query recent screen activity or ask for a summary in an MCP-compatible client.

Fit and risk

Best for

Knowledge workers who need to retrieve personal screen and audio history.
Users who prioritize local processing and privacy.
Developers who want to provide work context to Claude, Cursor, or other MCP clients.
Remote workers who need meeting transcription and activity review.

Not for

Users who do not want continuous screen or audio capture.
Teams that require centralized cloud storage without local recording.
Use cases requiring only ordinary file-system or database access.

Required permissions

Screenpipe needs applicable screen-recording permissions to capture screen content.
System-audio and microphone capture require the relevant system audio or microphone permissions.
The application uses the accessibility tree to extract screen text and falls back to OCR when unavailable.
On macOS, system-audio capture requires Screen & System Audio Recording permission and the relevant experimental feature to be enabled.

Risks and side effects

Screens, audio, transcripts, and search indexes may contain passwords, private conversations, or proprietary information.
Data is stored locally by default, but enabled analytics and crash diagnostics may send device or error metadata.
Cloud transcription, hosted AI, or cloud sync can remotely process related audio, prompts, context, or synchronized data.
Continuous capture consumes system resources; the README reports typical CPU usage of 5–10%.

Troubleshooting

Confirm that npx screenpipe record is running and npx screenpipe setup has been completed.
Confirm that the MCP client starts the server with npx -y screenpipe-mcp@latest.
If searches return nothing, verify that screenpipe captured the relevant screen or audio content and that recording permissions are granted.
If system audio is unavailable, check macOS permissions, the experimental CoreAudio system-audio setting, and audio-exclusion configuration.
For local-only processing, keep cloud sync disabled and select local transcription and a local AI provider.

Use cases

Search recent screen content using natural language.

Query audio transcripts and meeting conversations.

Give AI assistants context from local work history.

Create automations based on computer activity.

Supported clients

Claude DesktopFull support

CursorFull support

VS CodeFull support

ClineFull support

ContinueFull support

Related MCP servers

Compare with other MCP servers