How to transcribe audio without uploading it
Local transcription keeps the selected media on your device, but the website and model still use the network. Here is the complete boundary and a practical review workflow.
Choose a local file and run the speech model in the browser. The file stays on your device, while the site and model use network requests. Optional analytics connects after consent. A pasted direct URL also contacts its source host.
How can you transcribe without uploading the recording?
- 1
Choose a local-processing tool
Confirm that inference runs in the browser or on the device, not on a remote transcription API.
- 2
Select only the intended file
Whisper Web can read a chosen file, a microphone recording or a public direct media URL that allows browser access.
- 3
Wait for local model processing
The first run downloads a Whisper model. Later runs can reuse the browser cache until it is cleared.
- 4
Review and export
Correct the transcript locally and export only the format needed for the next step.
What stays local, and what still uses the network?
| Item | Where it goes in Whisper Web local mode |
|---|---|
| Selected file or microphone recording | Decoded and processed on the current device |
| Whisper model | Downloaded to the browser, then used locally |
| Application code and fonts | Downloaded when the site loads |
| Completed transcript | Saved in this browser's IndexedDB when available; export the current result before closing if saving fails |
| Direct media URL | Fetched by the browser from the source server; CORS must allow access |
| Optional analytics | After consent, receives registered pages and predefined usage categories; product events exclude media, filenames and transcript text |
What should you check beyond the upload button?
A no-upload claim should explain model downloads, browser storage and direct URL behavior. It should also say whether analytics, crash logs or cloud features are part of the same page.
Local processing reduces exposure to a transcription provider, but device backups, shared accounts and exported files can still copy sensitive content elsewhere.
Questions about this guide
Does no upload mean the website works fully offline?
No. The application and selected Whisper model must download first. The current product does not promise a fully offline website session.
Where is the completed transcript stored?
Whisper Web stores it in IndexedDB in the current browser until you export or delete it.
Is a pasted media URL private?
The browser must request that URL from its source server. Use a URL only when you understand the source server's access and logging behavior.