Does MacWhisper work without an internet connection?

For the core transcription workflow, yes. MacWhisper bundles Whisper models locally on the Mac, and once a model is downloaded the transcription path runs on-device. The AI features around the transcript (summaries, chat over a transcript) call out to cloud LLM providers and need an internet connection.

Do I need to download Whisper models first?

Yes. MacWhisper downloads a Whisper model on first use (or when you switch to a new model size); the model file lives on the Mac after that. From that point the transcription works offline. The download is required once per model variant, not per transcription.

Which features stop working offline?

The cloud-powered AI features. Summaries, formatting prompts, chat-over-a-transcript and any feature that calls an external LLM all require connectivity. The transcription itself, the model picker for local Whisper variants, the file library and the export workflows all keep working.

Is there a dictation app that has nothing in the network path?

Parakeety runs Parakeet TDT v3 on the Apple Neural Engine and has no AI cleanup features, so there is no cloud leg even as an optional setting. The only outbound traffic the app ever produces is the one-time speech-model download on first launch and periodic license checks.

← Resources

Does MacWhisper work offline?

Short answer: yes, for the core transcription. MacWhisper bundles Whisper models locally on the Mac, and once a model is downloaded the transcription path runs entirely on-device. The complication is the AI features layered on top (summaries, chat over a transcript) that call out to cloud LLM providers and need connectivity. Offline-friendly for the part most people care about; less so for the post-processing features.

The local transcription path

MacWhisper’s defining feature is local transcription of Whisper models. Drag in an audio or video file, the app feeds it to a Whisper variant of your chosen size running on the Mac, and the transcript appears. There is no cloud round-trip for that core operation.

The model files themselves need to be downloaded the first time you pick a particular size (Small, Medium, Large, etc.). Model downloads happen over the internet. After that they live on the Mac and the transcription is fully offline. For batch transcription jobs and recordings done in the field, the app behaves like the standalone tool it advertises itself as.

The AI features that need internet

MacWhisper has grown a layer of AI-assisted features around the transcript: summarisation, formatting prompts, chat-over-a-transcript, conversion to other shapes. These features call out to cloud LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic and similar depending on configuration) and consequently need an internet connection. Disabling them in settings, or simply not using them, returns the app to the offline-friendly core.

The wider trade-off between the rich post-processing surface and the smaller-surface alternative is in Parakeety vs MacWhisper.

Practical implications

On a flight or train, the transcription path keeps working as long as you have already downloaded the model variant you want to use.
On a clinical or legal network with strict egress, the core transcription does not require outbound calls. The AI cleanup features do.
For privacy-sensitive content, staying on the local-transcription path keeps the audio on the Mac. Routing the transcript through an LLM for cleanup is a separate decision and a separate vendor relationship.
For first-time setup, you do need a connection to download the model file. Plan that for somewhere with bandwidth.

The push-to-talk alternative

If the use case is dictation rather than file transcription, Parakeety covers the same offline territory in a different product shape: hold the section key, talk, release, words paste at the cursor. No AI cleanup features, so no optional cloud path to remember to disable. The only outbound traffic the app produces is a one-time speech-model download and periodic license checks; never audio, never transcripts.

FAQ

Does MacWhisper work without an internet connection?: For the core transcription workflow, yes. MacWhisper bundles Whisper models locally on the Mac, and once a model is downloaded the transcription path runs on-device. The AI features around the transcript (summaries, chat over a transcript) call out to cloud LLM providers and need an internet connection.
Do I need to download Whisper models first?: Yes. MacWhisper downloads a Whisper model on first use (or when you switch to a new model size); the model file lives on the Mac after that. From that point the transcription works offline. The download is required once per model variant, not per transcription.
Which features stop working offline?: The cloud-powered AI features. Summaries, formatting prompts, chat-over-a-transcript and any feature that calls an external LLM all require connectivity. The transcription itself, the model picker for local Whisper variants, the file library and the export workflows all keep working.
Is there a dictation app that has nothing in the network path?: Parakeety runs Parakeet TDT v3 on the Apple Neural Engine and has no AI cleanup features, so there is no cloud leg even as an optional setting. The only outbound traffic the app ever produces is the one-time speech-model download on first launch and periodic license checks.

Try Parakeety

Parakeety is a Mac menu-bar app. Hold the section key, talk, release; your words paste at the cursor in whichever app you were typing into. Audio never leaves the machine. There is a free 7-day trial with no card required. After that it is $30 once.

Try Parakeety free →