Guides

Offline dictation software for Mac, with no internet at all

By · Published · Updated

Offline dictation software for Mac exists, and YapToText is free: its speech model and cleanup model run on the Mac, so it types what you say with Wi-Fi off and never sends your audio anywhere when Wi-Fi is on. Apple Dictation can also work offline on an Apple silicon Mac in supported languages, and Keyboard settings tell you whether yours does.

I built YapToText because my hands make typing difficult and I dictate everything, and I wanted it to work the same on a plane as at my desk. This page says what offline means app by app, and gives you a test that proves it in a minute.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreDownload for free. No account, nothing locked, macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon. Source on GitHub.

On this page: 9 sections
  1. What offline means in YapToText
  2. What offline means in Apple Dictation
  3. Which dictation apps work with Wi-Fi off
  4. Test it: turn Wi-Fi off and dictate
    1. Step 1: Cut the connection
    2. Step 2: Dictate a sentence
    3. Step 3: Look in History
  5. If it asks for the internet
  6. Why offline matters beyond privacy
  7. What offline does not change
  8. The short version
  9. Questions

What offline means in YapToText

Two models are inside the App Store version: Whisper Large v3 Turbo (Q5), which listens, and Phi-3.5 Mini Instruct, which turns what you said into finished text when a mode asks for it. Neither is downloaded on first launch, neither phones home, and there is no account to sign in to. The only network traffic the app starts is a model download you click.

App Store poster headed Nothing leaves your Mac, over YapToText's AI Models page with both models marked Included.
Figure 1. Both models show as Included on the AI Models page of the App Store version, so nothing has to download before the first dictation.
  • Other models. Pick a different model on the AI Models page and it downloads once, over HTTPS from Hugging Face, then runs locally like the others. The AI Models page lists every one.
  • The Homebrew build. About 12 MB, without the models, so it cannot dictate until you download a speech model. After that it works offline too.
  • Your data. History, dictionaries and settings live in the app's own folder on the Mac. Nothing is synced or backed up by the app, and the History page says how much is kept.
  • Updates and crashes. There are no update checks; updates come from the App Store. Crash reports are only Apple's own, governed by your macOS analytics settings.

What offline means in Apple Dictation

Apple's Mac User Guide for macOS Sonoma says that on a Mac with Apple silicon, dictation requests are processed on your device for supported languages, with no internet connection required, and that on an Intel-based Mac, or in a language without on-device support, your dictated words are sent to Apple. The current guide puts it as a check: open System Settings, Keyboard, and read the text below Dictation to see whether your voice inputs are processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers. Its troubleshooting page adds that you may need an internet connection.

Voice Control is different again. Apple says it needs the internet once, for a one-time download when you first turn it on, and not after that. Apple Dictation is offline for many people, not for everyone, and the Keyboard setting tells you which you are.

Which dictation apps work with Wi-Fi off

Most dictation apps for the Mac now offer a local model. What differs is what still goes online, and what the free version includes.

Checked October 3, 2026, on each maker's own pages. Plans change, so check before you rely on one.

AppWorks with Wi-Fi offWhat still goes onlinePrice
YapToTextYes, from the first launch in the App Store versionOnly a model download you startFree, no paid tier
Apple DictationOn Apple silicon, in supported languagesIntel Macs and other languages go to AppleBuilt in
superwhisperYes, with local Whisper models on the free planCloud models, on ProFree plan; Pro from $8.49 a month
SpokenlyYes, with local modelsCloud models; Local Only Mode blocks everything but model downloadsFree local models; Pro $9.99 a month
HarkerYes, for transcriptionPremium AI features use the cloudFree; Premium from $5.75 a month
HandyYesModel downloads; no audio, per its READMEFree, open source
OpenWhisprYes, with local modelsIts cloud, if you turn it onFree local dictation; Pro $8 a month
VoiceInkYes, with local modelsOptional cloud transcription, which sends audio, and AI enhancement, which sends text, both with your own API keys7-day trial, then from $25 once
Wispr FlowNoTranscription always happens in the cloud, per its privacy pageFree plan with 2,000 words a week on desktop

The roundup of free speech to text apps has the full details, the superwhisper alternative page compares the closest paid plan, and the Whisper Mac app page covers running Whisper itself on a Mac.

Test it: turn Wi-Fi off and dictate

You do not have to take my word for any of this. The test takes a minute, and it works on any dictation app you are considering.

Step 1: Cut the connection

  • You: Turn Wi-Fi off from the menu bar, and unplug Ethernet if you use it.
  • macOS: Shows Wi-Fi as off.
  • Check: A web page will not load.

Step 2: Dictate a sentence

  • You: Click into any text field, tap Right Command, say a sentence and tap again.
  • YapToText: Transcribes on the Mac and types the words at your cursor, the same way it does online.
  • Check: The words land. On the Homebrew build with no speech model installed yet, nothing can be transcribed until you download one with Wi-Fi on.
YapToText's floating dictation panel on a Mac: a live waveform, the sentence being typed, and cancel, pause and stop buttons.
Figure 2. What to watch in step 2: the wave moves with your voice, and the words form in the panel before they land at your cursor.

Step 3: Look in History

  • You: Open the History page.
  • YapToText: Lists the dictation with its raw transcript, its final text and, by default, its audio.
  • Check: The entry is there, kept in the app's own folder on your Mac.
A YapToText History entry with pipeline details open: raw transcript, cleaned transcript, mode, delivery, target app and timings.
Figure 3. One History entry with its pipeline details open, shown with demo data: the raw transcript, the cleaned text, the mode, the app and the timings, all kept on your Mac.

If it asks for the internet

If something wants a connection, climb this ladder, smallest step first:

  1. Look at the model you picked. A model you chose on the AI Models page that is not installed yet needs one download.
  2. Check which build you have. The Homebrew build needs a speech model before its first dictation.
  3. Check Apple Dictation's language. If you are using Apple's dictation, a language without on-device support goes to Apple. Keyboard settings say which.
  4. Check the Mac. Apple's Sonoma guide says Apple Dictation on an Intel Mac sends your words to Apple. YapToText needs Apple silicon.

Why offline matters beyond privacy

Offline is also part of why the app is free. There is no server to pay for, so there is nothing to charge you for, and there is no round trip to wait on. History shows the stop-to-text time on every dictation, so you can see the speed on your own Mac instead of trusting a number from mine.

The privacy page says where every file lives, the speech to text on Mac page shows what a day of it looks like, and the file transcription page covers recordings, which stay on the Mac too.

For confidential work in particular, the private dictation guide goes further, from History settings to FileVault.

What offline does not change

  • The first dictation after launch. It waits a moment while the model loads.
  • Battery. Running models on the Mac costs energy. The Energy page can unload them sooner, or switch to lighter models on battery.
  • The Mac you need. Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later; nothing is claimed for Intel.

The short version

  • YapToText. Offline from the first launch in the App Store version, with no account.
  • Apple Dictation. Offline on Apple silicon in supported languages; Keyboard settings say whether yours is.
  • Wispr Flow. Not offline: its transcription always runs in the cloud.

For everything else worth weighing when you choose, dictation software for Mac that costs nothing and uploads nothing goes through it.

Turn Wi-Fi off and dictate: the test takes a minute and settles it. If something here does not match what you see, tell me on GitHub. Every issue gets read.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreDownload for free. No account, nothing locked, macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon. Source on GitHub.

About the author. Ryleigh Newman is a developer whose hands make typing difficult and who dictates every day with YapToText, the app this site describes. Facts about other apps come from their own sites, with the date they were read. More about the project.

Sources

Questions

Does YapToText work without internet?

Yes. Both models are inside the App Store version, and nothing in a dictation uses the network. The Homebrew build needs one speech model download first.

Does Apple Dictation work offline on a Mac?

On an Apple silicon Mac, in supported languages, yes; Keyboard settings show whether your dictation is processed on device. On an Intel Mac, or in an unsupported language, Apple's Sonoma guide says it is sent to Apple.

Which free dictation apps for Mac work offline?

YapToText and Handy, and the local models in superwhisper, Spokenly, Harker and OpenWhispr. Apple Dictation in supported languages on Apple silicon. Wispr Flow does not: its transcription always happens in the cloud.

Is offline dictation less accurate?

Not because it is offline. What you get depends on the model and the microphone. YapToText runs Whisper Large v3 Turbo (Q5) by default, and its AI Models page rates each model with stars for accuracy and speed.

Is Mac dictation private?

It depends on the app and the Mac. Apple's guide says to check Keyboard settings to see whether your dictation is processed on device. YapToText keeps your voice on the Mac, with no account and no analytics.

Is YapToText HIPAA compliant?

I make no HIPAA claim, and nothing here is legal advice. What I can say is what the code does: your voice never leaves your Mac, there is no account, no analytics and no tracking, and the only network use is a model download you start yourself. History is a plain file in the app's own container on your Mac, nothing is synced or backed up by the app, and deleting the app deletes all of it. Whether that meets your obligations is a question for whoever sets them.