Learn · Offline
Does Mac dictation work offline?
Depends which dictation you mean. Apple’s built-in Dictation: yes, on an Apple silicon Mac in a supported language. Dictate, the app this site sells: no. Transcription happens on our servers, and we’d rather say that plainly than bury it in a footnote. What does survive a dead connection is your subscription itself. Dictate can never lock you out over a dropped connection.
In the left corner · free, built in
Apple’s built-in Dictation
Yes*
*Apple silicon only, supported languages only
Needs internet?
Not on an Apple silicon Mac in a supported language. Dictation there is processed on the device, and Apple says no connection is required.
What decides it
Your chip and your language. On an Intel Mac, or in a language without on-device support, your audio goes to Apple’s servers and you need internet after all. Apple lists supported languages on its feature availability page.
When the network drops
On-device Dictation carries on. Server-processed Dictation stops until the connection is back.
Where the audio goes
In on-device mode it stays on your Mac. One exception Apple documents: dictating into a search box can send the text to the search provider.
In the right corner · $8/month
Dictate
No*
*Transcription needs a network. The app never locks.
Needs internet?
Yes. Your audio is transcribed on our servers, so no connection means no transcription. Dictate is not a local app and we won’t imply it is.
What decides it
Your connection and nothing else. There is no offline transcription to gate, so there is no chip requirement or language list to check.
When the network drops
The hotkey waits until you’re back online. The app itself stays signed in and unlocked: your subscription lives in a signed ticket cached on this Mac, verified locally.
Where the audio goes
Over TLS to our servers, where it’s transcribed and then discarded. History keeps the text of what you said, never the recording.
The verdict
Flying tomorrow? Use Apple’s.
No Wi-Fi, no Dictate. On a plane, in a tunnel, or off the grid, Apple’s built-in Dictation on Apple silicon is the right tool and it costs nothing. Dictate earns its $8 everywhere you do have a connection: hold a key, speak, and the text lands where your cursor was, in any app, with no setup beyond signing in. We’d rather you buy it knowing exactly where that line is.
New to the built-in tool? Start with our guide to dictating on a Mac. Weighing the two properly? Read Dictate vs Apple Dictation.
The offline part of Dictate
Your subscription doesn’t phone home
Subscription software has a bad habit: the license check phones home, the Wi-Fi hiccups, and the app you paid for greets you with a spinner. Dictate skips that ritual. When you sign in, our server issues an entitlement ticket, signs it, and stores it on your Mac. The app verifies the signature locally, so it never has to ask a server whether you’re still allowed to use the thing you bought.
A week in a dead zone signs you out of nothing. The moment you reconnect, the hotkey works again. How the tickets are signed, and what happens to your audio in transit, is on the security page.
Offline, answered
FAQ
What works offline, and what does not.
Does Apple Dictation work offline on an Intel Mac?
No. On Intel Macs, dictated audio is sent to Apple’s servers for processing, so you need a connection. On-device Dictation requires an Apple silicon Mac and a supported language.
Which languages support offline Dictation on a Mac?
Apple keeps the current list on its macOS feature availability page, and it changes between releases. If your language isn’t listed for on-device Dictation, your audio is processed on Apple’s servers even on Apple silicon.
Can I use Dictate on a plane?
Not for transcription. Dictate processes audio on its servers, so the hotkey needs a connection. Entitlement is checked locally, so reconnecting does not require another login.
Is Dictate local or on-device?
No. Audio travels over TLS to our servers, is transcribed, then discarded. History keeps text, not recordings. If you require on-device processing, use Apple Dictation or a local alternative.
Why doesn’t Dictate have an offline mode?
Server-side transcription avoids model downloads and API keys, but it requires a connection.
Need dictation while you are online?
One plan, $8 a month, cancel any time. A subscription you never used is refunded in full.