The short answer
Offline transcription means the speech becomes text on your own computer, with no audio and no text sent anywhere. To test it, turn Wi-Fi off, unplug the cable, and use the app for a few minutes. If words keep appearing, the recognition is local. If it stalls or asks for a connection, something it needs is online.
There are two kinds. Live transcription writes down what is being said right now. File transcription takes a recording you already have. Windows 11 and macOS both include live tools that Microsoft and Apple document as running on the device.
Fraze is the live kind only. It captions any audio your computer plays or hears, with a translation under each line, both worked out on your machine. It cannot open a recording. If you have files to transcribe, start with the guide to free file transcription on your own computer, linked at the foot of this page.
Two minutes to test any offline claim
Let it finish its first download
Most local apps fetch language files the first time you pick a language. Do that once with the internet on, then quit the app.
Cut the network and use it
Turn Wi-Fi off and unplug any cable. Open the app again and work with it for a few minutes. Local recognition keeps writing at the same speed.
On Windows, block it on purpose
Microsoft's firewall documentation says Windows Defender Firewall allows all outbound traffic unless a rule prohibits it. With administrator rights, select Start, type wf.msc and press Enter. Select Outbound Rules, then Action, then New rule. Choose Custom, then This program path with the path to the app, then Block the connection. See what still works, and delete the rule when you are done.
On a Mac, watch the meter
Apple describes the Mac firewall as protection against unwanted contact started by other computers, and every option in its settings is about incoming connections, so it is not the tool for this test. Use the Wi-Fi test. With the network on, you can also click Network in Activity Monitor, which Apple says shows data sent and received, as totals and per second.
Live and file are two different problems
A live tool has to keep up with a speaker and cannot look ahead. A file tool can take as long as it likes over a recording, which often helps accuracy.
Fraze does the live half only. There is no import and no way to hand it an audio or video file, so if what you have is a recording, use a tool built for files. Free open-source tools can do that on your own computer with the network off, and the guide linked at the foot of this page walks through the setup.
What Windows 11 and macOS already do on the device
| What it writes down | With the Wi-Fi off | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 Live Captions | Speech in audio on the PC | Yes, after language files |
| Windows voice typing | Your voice into a text box | No, it uses online recognition |
| Windows Voice Access | Your voice, and commands | Yes, after language files |
| macOS Live Captions | Audio in apps, and voices nearby | On device, after the data |
| macOS keyboard dictation | Your voice into a text box | Check Keyboard settings |
| Fraze | Any audio, plus a translation | Yes, after language files |
Microsoft's documentation for live captions says all processing happens on the device, that audio, voice data and captions never leave it, and that captions work even when you are disconnected from the internet. The first run asks you to download language files. Apple's Mac guide says Live Captions audio is processed on device, that it needs a Mac with Apple silicon, that it is not in every language or region, and that the first language download needs the internet.
Dictation splits in two. Microsoft's page for voice typing says you need a connection and that it uses online speech recognition. Voice Access is the local one: Microsoft says it works without an internet connection, after a setup that needs one to download language files. On a Mac, Apple says dictation may need a connection, and that Keyboard settings show whether general text dictation is processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers.
What Fraze does with the Wi-Fi off
- While captioning and translating: none.
- Sign-in and the plan check, to getfraze.app.
- One-time downloads of language files.
- Feedback you choose to send.
- An update check.
- Anonymous usage statistics and crash reports, which one switch turns off.
Fraze is a Mac and Windows app that captions everything your computer plays, a single app's audio on macOS, or your microphone. Speech recognition and translation both run on your computer, so after the first download of language files it works with the network off. Lines land about half a second to a second after a speaker pauses. Here is every connection the app can make.
The account, and what it costs
Fraze needs a free account. It carries the plan and never sees audio or transcript text. A lifetime plan keeps working offline for as long as you like, a monthly plan for up to 30 days between plan checks, and the free 30 minutes need one online sign-in first.
Those first 30 minutes are free on every account, with no card. After that it is $29.99 once or $2.99 a month, both unlimited, with no per-minute meter. Transcripts stay on your computer in a history list you can copy from or export.
When the built-in option is the better pick
- You only need captions in the language being spoken, and it is one they support. Windows 11 and macOS both do that at no cost.
- You want to write text by voice rather than caption audio. Voice Access and Mac dictation are made for that.
- What you have is a recording. Fraze is live only.
- You need summaries, speaker labels or a link to share. Fraze has none of them. Verli, the cloud sibling from the same company, does, but the audio goes to the cloud.
Questions
Is there transcription software that works without internet?
Yes. Microsoft says Windows 11 live captions work while you are disconnected from the internet. Apple says Mac Live Captions audio is processed on device. Fraze captions any audio your computer plays and adds a translation under each line, also on the device.
How do I check that an app really transcribes offline?
Let it download its language files, quit it, then turn Wi-Fi off and use it for a few minutes. On Windows you can also add an outbound firewall rule that blocks the program, as Microsoft's documentation explains.
Can Fraze transcribe an audio file offline?
No. Fraze is live only and has no import. You can play the recording on the computer and let Fraze caption it as it plays, but that takes as long as the recording. For files, use a tool built for them.
Does offline speech to text work on Windows 11?
For captions and voice control, yes. Microsoft says live captions work when you are disconnected, and that Voice Access works without a connection after its first setup. Voice typing is the exception: its page says it needs a connection.
Why does an offline app need an account?
It carries the plan and nothing else. A lifetime plan works offline indefinitely, a monthly plan for up to 30 days between plan checks, and the free 30 minutes need one online sign-in first.
Where do the transcripts end up?
On your computer, in a history list inside the app, which you can copy from or export. Nothing is uploaded, so there is no second copy on a server.