How to use
Parrot Interview has two parts: a web dashboard (account, subscription, API key, CV, and prep tools) and a desktop copilot for live practice. Here's how to get set up.
1. Create your account
Open the dashboard and choose Continue with Google. We only receive your email and a Google account id — never your password.
2. Subscribe
The copilot requires an active subscription. On the dashboard, open the Subscription card and select Subscribe — checkout is handled securely by Razorpay. Your access unlocks as soon as the subscription is active. See our Refund & Cancellation Policy for cancellation.
3. Add your API key (BYOK)
You bring your own OpenAI or Anthropic key. In the API keys card, pick a provider and paste your key. It is encrypted at rest (AES-256-GCM), used only in memory for your requests, and never shown again — only a masked preview like sk-…A91K is displayed. You pay your AI provider directly for usage.
4. Upload your CV (optional)
In the Your CV card, upload one résumé (PDF, DOCX, or TXT). The text is extracted in your browser and used as context so answers reflect your real experience — the original file never leaves your device.
5. Install the desktop app
From the Desktop app card, download the copilot for Windows or macOS, install it, then sign in with the same Google account. Your subscription and key carry over automatically.
6. Start a practice session
In the desktop app, open Connect and set up your session:
- Scenario — Live, Mock (practice with coaching tips), or Coding (algorithm/code focus).
- Provider & model — pick a cost tier (Cost-efficient / Balanced / Max quality) or a specific model.
- Context — optional position, company, and notes to tailor the answers.
Then press Start Listening. The app transcribes you and the other speaker as separate tracks.
7. Get answers
- Answer Question — answer the most recent question, or let Auto mode answer detected questions for you.
- Analyze Screen — capture your screen and get help with an on-screen coding problem.
- Ask — type a question, attach a screenshot or a screen region, or record a short audio clip.
- AI Notes — turn the session transcript into a structured summary.
8. Prep suite (no live call needed)
Back on the dashboard, the Prep suite generates mock-interview questions, résumé bullet points, and cover letters using your own key. Your past sessions and transcripts are available under Recent sessions.
The desktop app, button by button
Here is the desktop copilot with every control numbered — the control bar, the answer card, the live transcript, and the Ask composer — and what each one does.
Answering
Answer Question — Answers the most recent interviewer question from the live transcript. Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + Enter.
Analyze Screen — Briefly hides the overlay, captures your screen, and solves what is on it — ideal for coding problems. Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + S.
Ask — Opens the composer (29–30) to type a question, attach screenshots or a cropped region, or record a short audio clip.
Auto / Manual mode — Auto answers detected questions automatically; Manual answers only when you press Answer Question.
Code language — The programming language used whenever an answer includes code (Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, and more).
Audio & listening
Microphone toggle — Mutes or unmutes your own voice track. Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + M.
Computer audio toggle — Mutes or unmutes the interviewer's (system) audio track. Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + M.
Session timer — Time elapsed since you started listening.
Start / Stop Listening — Begins or ends live transcription. While listening, you and the other speaker are captured as separate tracks.
Settings, account & window
Copilot settings — Answer style: response length, processing speed, filler words, words to avoid, font size, auto-scroll, message order, and the coaching panel.
Session settings (Connect) — Scenario, AI provider and model (with cost tiers and pricing), spoken language, your API key, and optional position / company / résumé context.
Account — Opens your web dashboard for subscription and billing.
Log out — Signs you out of the desktop app.
Always on top — Keeps the overlay above your other windows (on by default).
Opacity — Makes the overlay more transparent (30–100%) so it stays out of the way.
Minimize & Exit — Minimize the overlay window, or quit the app entirely.
Status strip
Scenario tabs — Live (real interview), Mock (practice with coaching tips), or Coding (algorithm and code focus). Switchable mid-session.
Transcript toggle — Shows or hides the live transcript panel (28). Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + J.
Restart recording — Refreshes audio capture if a microphone or audio device glitches. Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R.
AI Notes — Turns the session transcript into a structured summary. Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N.
Phone-call setup — Walks you through capturing an interview that happens over the phone.
Status — What the copilot is doing right now — Idle, Listening, Processing, or Error — plus a detail line.
Clear — Wipes the current transcript, question, and answer so you can start fresh.
Show / hide answer — Collapses or reopens the answer card. Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + H.
Answer card & transcript
Summarized question — A condensed version of what the copilot was asked, so you can confirm it heard the right thing.
Answer — Streams in live, formatted as easy-to-scan markdown, grounded in your CV and session context.
Code panel — When an answer contains code, it splits into a side-by-side code view in your chosen language.
Live transcript — You and the interviewer as separate, color-coded speakers — read long or technical questions in full.
Ask composer
Attachments — Add a full screenshot, a cropped screen area, or a recorded audio clip as context for your question.
Send — Submits your typed question and attachments and streams the answer into the answer card.
Keyboard shortcuts (desktop)
All shortcuts use Ctrl on Windows and Cmd on macOS.
- Ctrl + Enter — generate an answer
- Ctrl + Shift + S — capture & analyze screen
- Ctrl + Alt + C — capture the selected region
- Ctrl + Shift + Escape — stop capture / listening
- Ctrl + Shift + O — show / hide the overlay
- Ctrl + M — toggle microphone · Ctrl + Shift + M — toggle computer audio
- Ctrl + Shift + R — restart recording
- Ctrl + J — toggle transcript · Ctrl + H — toggle the answer
- Ctrl + Shift + N — generate AI notes
Need help? Reach us via the Contact page.