Offline Transcription:Your Data Stays Yours.

Cloud transcription means your audio travels through the internet, gets processed on someone else's computers, and stored according to their policies.

Offline transcription is simpler. The AI runs on your device. Your audio never leaves. There's nothing to trust because there's nowhere for the data to go.

It also works everywhere—planes, remote areas, offices with restricted networks. No internet means no waiting for uploads.

Think of it like the Photos app on your phone. It doesn't need to send your pictures to a server to let you look at them. Whisper Notes works the same way: it turns sound into text right where you are.

When you install Whisper Notes, a Whisper AI model downloads to your device. On Mac, you get Whisper Large-V3-Turbo—OpenAI's most accurate model. On iPhone, you get an optimized version tuned for mobile performance.

1. Tap record (or use the lock screen widget)
2. Speak
3. Stop
4. Text appears

You can also import existing audio files. Meeting recordings, interviews, lectures—any format works. Processing happens locally, no upload time.

Lock screen recording. Tap the widget without unlocking. Good for capturing thoughts while walking.

Audio import. Import existing recordings. No file size limits.

100+ languages. Auto-detects what you're speaking.

Custom vocabulary. Add names and technical terms the model might miss.

Timestamps. Click any paragraph to jump to that moment in the audio.

Offline transcription fits if you:

• Want recordings to stay private
• Work in places without reliable internet
• Prefer one-time payment over subscriptions
• Transcribe sensitive conversations
• Want something that works without account setup

Offline processing isn't free. Here's what you're trading:

Storage. The app is ~680MB. On Mac, the Whisper Large V3 Turbo model adds ~3GB for highest accuracy.

First launch. Takes 3-8 seconds to load the model. Only happens once per session—after that it's instant.

Platform. iPhone and Mac only.

Speed. Faster than real-time. iPhone processes 5 minutes of audio in about 1 minute. Mac with M-series chips is even faster—12x real-time or better.

These trade-offs are worth it for some people. For others, cloud transcription makes more sense. Both have their place.

Price: $4.99. Includes iOS and Mac. No subscriptions.

Model: Mac uses Whisper Large-V3-Turbo for maximum accuracy. iPhone uses an optimized model for faster mobile performance. Both run locally via Apple's Core ML.

Privacy: No network requests during transcription. Verify with a network monitor.

Updates: Free.