diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f27bfbed..182a1838 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -166,9 +166,12 @@ Full end-user walkthrough: [USAGE.md](USAGE.md).
 
 ## Build from source (developers)
 
-The active codebase is in `openless-all/app/` (Tauri 2 + Rust + React/TS).
+The active codebase is in `openless-all/app/` (Tauri 2 + Rust + React/TS). The macOS build links a vendored C ASR engine ([`antirez/qwen-asr`](https://github.com/antirez/qwen-asr)) pulled in as a git submodule under `src-tauri/vendor/qwen-asr/`, so initialize submodules on first clone.
 
 ```bash
+# First clone only — pull in vendored submodules
+git submodule update --init --recursive
+
 cd "openless-all/app"
 npm ci
 
diff --git a/README.zh.md b/README.zh.md
index 67787483..d3cb93de 100644
--- a/README.zh.md
+++ b/README.zh.md
@@ -169,9 +169,12 @@ OpenLess 只做一件事：**把语音变成可用的书面文字（尤其是 AI
 
 ## 从源码构建（开发者）
 
-当前活跃代码库在 `openless-all/app/`（Tauri 2 + Rust + React/TS）。
+当前活跃代码库在 `openless-all/app/`（Tauri 2 + Rust + React/TS）。macOS 构建会链接一份 vendored 的本地 ASR 引擎（[`antirez/qwen-asr`](https://github.com/antirez/qwen-asr)），以 git submodule 形式挂在 `src-tauri/vendor/qwen-asr/`，首次 clone 后必须先拉子模块。
 
 ```bash
+# 首次 clone 后拉取子模块
+git submodule update --init --recursive
+
 cd "openless-all/app"
 npm ci
 
diff --git a/openless-all/README.md b/openless-all/README.md
index 23851ad8..06911fe0 100644
--- a/openless-all/README.md
+++ b/openless-all/README.md
@@ -4,9 +4,12 @@ This is the current cross-platform OpenLess workspace.
 
 ## App Directory
 
-The runnable Tauri app lives in `app/`.
+The runnable Tauri app lives in `app/`. The macOS build links a vendored C ASR engine (`antirez/qwen-asr`) tracked as a git submodule under `app/src-tauri/vendor/qwen-asr/`, so initialize submodules on first clone.
 
 ```bash
+# First clone only — pull in vendored submodules
+git submodule update --init --recursive
+
 cd app
 npm ci
 npm run tauri dev