Offline
Works on planes and trains
Dictate notes during flights, on commutes, or anywhere without connectivity.
No internet required
Speech to text without internet
PrivaSpeech lets you dictate on Windows without an internet connection. After downloading the AI model once (~465MB), transcription runs entirely on your PC.
What you need (and don't need)
Required once
- ✓Internet connection to download the app and AI model (~465MB)
- ✓Internet connection to activate your license
- ✓Windows 10 or 11 PC
- ✓A microphone (built-in or external)
Not needed for dictation
- ✗Wi-Fi or ethernet during transcription
- ✗Cloud account or subscription login
- ✗Dedicated GPU not required
Secure environments
Air-gapped networks
Use in facilities where internet access is restricted or disabled for security reasons after setup and activation.
Reliability
Fewer cloud outages
Local processing means dictation keeps working even if cloud services go down.
How offline dictation works
1
On first run, PrivaSpeech downloads the Parakeet V3 speech model (~465MB). This requires internet, but only happens once.
2
After setup and license activation, the model is stored locally and transcription runs on your device.
3
Press Ctrl+Space (or your custom hotkey), speak, and release. Transcription happens on your CPU.
4
Text is copied to your clipboard automatically. Paste into any application.
Where people use offline dictation
During travel
Flights, trains, and remote locations where Wi-Fi is unavailable or unreliable.
Secure facilities
Government offices, research labs, and enterprises with internet-restricted workstations after setup.
Field work
Construction sites, rural clinics, or anywhere with spotty mobile coverage.
Privacy preference
Anyone who prefers not to send voice data over the internet.
A note on accuracy
Transcription quality depends on your microphone and environment. A USB headset in a quiet room will produce better results than a laptop mic in a noisy cafe. The AI model handles general English well; specialized terminology may need occasional corrections.
See recommended microphonesMore dictation guides
Related workflows
Find setup advice, privacy details, and comparisons for your dictation workflow.
Windows
Set up offline dictation on Windows, then record, transcribe, and paste into your apps.
Workflow
Set up a Windows dictation workflow, from microphone and hotkey to pasting and correcting your text.
Voice typing
Use offline voice typing on Windows and understand how it differs from built-in dictation.
Comparisons
Compare PrivaSpeech with Dragon, Otter.ai, Whisper, and Windows speech tools.
Try offline dictation
Download PrivaSpeech and test it on your Windows PC. After setup and activation, dictation works without internet.