Privacy guide
Offline dictation on Mac, without sending your voice away
Dictro can capture, transcribe, refine, and insert your speech locally on Apple Silicon. That means private voice-to-text can keep working on a plane, on restricted networks, or with Wi-Fi switched off.
Apple Silicon · macOS 15+ · Free plan · On-device mode
A clear definition
What “offline dictation” should mean
A genuinely offline dictation path does not need a server to recognize speech or clean up the transcript. The audio, intermediate text, and final language pass are handled by models stored on your computer. With Dictro's on-device mode, those steps run locally on Apple Silicon and the result goes straight to the active text field.
This is different from a service that records locally but uploads the recording for transcription. If the core feature stops as soon as the connection disappears, it is not a fully offline workflow.
Why local processing matters
Privacy is one benefit; reliability is another
Sensitive writing
Draft private notes, internal plans, and personal messages without routing the dictated content through a cloud model.
Unreliable connections
Keep writing while traveling, in airplane mode, or anywhere the network is slow or unavailable.
Restricted workplaces
Use voice input on networks that limit external AI services, subject to your organization's own software policies.
Predictable availability
The core pipeline does not wait for a remote service or become unavailable because an API is down.
Trust, then test
Verify offline dictation yourself
- 1
Select on-device mode
Confirm the local mode is active in Dictro before starting your test.
- 2
Disconnect the network
Turn Wi-Fi off from Control Center and disconnect any wired network connection.
- 3
Dictate into Notes
Place the cursor in a new local note, hold Option–Space, speak a sentence, and release.
- 4
Confirm the result
If the cleaned sentence appears normally, the core speech and refinement path worked without the internet.
Your choice
On-device mode is the default
Dictro starts with the private, offline-capable pipeline. An optional Fast Mode can use cloud processing for users who prioritize speed and explicitly enable it. The distinction is visible in the product: local by default, cloud only by choice.
For the precise description of account data, usage counts, retention, and Fast Mode providers, read Dictro's privacy policy. For the full product workflow, visit the Mac dictation app page.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask about Dictro
Can dictation work offline on a Mac?
Yes. On supported Apple Silicon Macs, Dictro's on-device mode runs speech recognition and language refinement locally, so its core dictation workflow continues without an internet connection.
Does Dictro upload my voice recordings?
Not in the default on-device mode. Audio is processed locally and is not sent to Dictro. Optional Fast Mode uses cloud providers only when a user deliberately enables it.
What Mac is required for offline Dictro?
You need an Apple Silicon Mac with an M1 chip or newer, running macOS 15 or later.
How can I verify that dictation is really offline?
Select on-device mode, switch off Wi-Fi, and dictate into a local app such as Notes. If the result appears normally, recognition and refinement did not require a network connection.