If you have a Pixel, Google’s Recorder app is the easiest private option. It transcribes entirely on the phone with no internet connection. On any Android phone, Live Transcribe has an offline mode for live captions, FUTO Voice Input types by voice without a network, and Private Transcribe turns voice notes and recordings into text with Whisper in 99+ languages. Gboard’s voice typing can run on the device too, but that depends on your phone and language, so test it in airplane mode before trusting it with anything private.
Offline voice-to-text apps for Android compared #
| App | Phones | What it does | Offline | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Recorder | Pixel only | Records and transcribes, searchable | Yes, on-device | Free, preinstalled |
| Live Transcribe | Most Android phones | Live captions of speech around you | Yes, after downloading a language | Free |
| FUTO Voice Input | Any Android | Voice typing into other apps | Yes, on-device | Free, optional one-time payment |
| Gboard voice typing | Any Android | Mic button on the keyboard | Depends on phone and language | Free |
| Private Transcribe | Any recent Android (and iPhone) | Records or imports audio, transcribes with Whisper | Yes, after a one-time model download | Free with ads; Pro one-time |
Google Recorder: the best option on a Pixel #
Recorder comes preinstalled on Pixel phones. You press record and the transcript appears, searchable and linked to the audio so you can jump to any word. Google’s engineers wrote in 2019 that Recorder’s features “run entirely on-device, without the need for an internet connection” (Google Research). Pixel 6 and later add speaker labels.
The obvious limit is that it’s Pixel-only. If you use a Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus or other brand, skip to the options below.
Live Transcribe: offline live captions on any Android #
Live Transcribe is Google’s accessibility app for real-time captions. It shows what people around you are saying as they say it. It works offline once you download the language:
- Open Live Transcribe and go to Settings > Additional settings > Advanced > Offline transcriptions.
- Turn on Transcribe offline and download your language.
According to Google’s help page, Android 12 and later support several offline languages, while Android 8 to 11 support only English offline. Transcripts are kept in the app for up to three days, or 24 hours if you switch transcription history off. It can also label sounds such as a doorbell or laughter.
It’s excellent for following a conversation or a talk. It isn’t built to create a transcript you’ll keep and edit.
FUTO Voice Input: private voice typing #
FUTO Voice Input is a voice typing app for Android that is “designed to work entirely on-device with no data stored.” It’s free on the Play Store and F-Droid, with an optional one-time payment, and its source code is published. FUTO also makes a fully offline keyboard with the same voice input built in. If you want a keyboard microphone that never sends your voice anywhere, it’s the most direct option on non-Pixel phones.
Gboard voice typing: check before you trust it #
Google moved Gboard’s speech recognition onto the device in 2019, starting with Pixel phones and American English. Google said at the time that the new recognizer “is always available, even when you are offline” (Google Research). Whether your particular phone and language use on-device recognition today varies, so test it:
- Turn on airplane mode, and make sure Wi-Fi is off too.
- Open any text field and tap Gboard’s microphone.
- If it transcribes normally, recognition is happening on your phone. If it asks for a connection, it’s using Google’s servers for your setup.
Private Transcribe: voice notes and recordings on any Android #
Private Transcribe is our app for when you want a transcript you can keep, search and reuse, on any recent Android phone, not just a Pixel. It runs OpenAI’s Whisper model on the phone’s processor. There’s no account and no transcription server, and after a one-time model download it works with the network off.
- Record or import. Tap record for a voice note, lecture or meeting, or import an existing recording (m4a, mp3, wav, aac, mp4, mov, up to 90 minutes).
- Choose the accuracy. Quick (78 MB) for instant notes, Balanced (148 MB) for everyday use, and up to Best (574 MB, Whisper large-v3-turbo) when it matters.
- 99+ languages, with the option to pin the spoken language or let Whisper detect it. The one-time Pro purchase adds translation into English with the multilingual models up to Professional. The Best tier’s large-v3-turbo model wasn’t trained for translation.
- Custom vocabulary for names and jargon.
- Keep or delete the audio. Switch off “keep recordings” to delete each recording automatically after it’s transcribed.
It transcribes after you stop recording, not word by word as you speak, and it doesn’t label speakers. For live captions, use Live Transcribe alongside it.
What about Speechnotes and similar dictation apps? #
Speechnotes is a popular free dictation notepad, but it doesn’t bring its own speech engine. Its site says dictation “is delegated to and done by the browser (Chrome / Edge) or operating system.” Whether that’s offline depends on the phone’s speech service, the same as Gboard. Its paid file transcription runs online. Apps that describe themselves this way aren’t separate offline engines, so run the airplane mode test.
How to make sure nothing is uploaded #
- Download models and language packs first, while you’re online.
- Grant only the microphone permission. A transcription app doesn’t need your contacts or location.
- Test in airplane mode with Wi-Fi off.
- Check the Play Store data safety section for “audio” under data collected or shared.
- Avoid apps that require an account just to transcribe. That usually means your recordings sync to a server.
Tips for better accuracy on Android #
- Hold the phone 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) from your mouth, and don’t cover the bottom mic.
- Use the phone’s own mic rather than Bluetooth earbuds, which often drop to low-quality call audio when their mic is on.
- Pick a larger model for noisy places or strong accents.
- Speak in full sentences and pause rather than filling gaps with “um.”
For recording classes, see how to transcribe lectures privately offline on Android. For meetings, see real-time private speech-to-text for Android meetings. If you use several devices, our cross-platform list of speech-to-text apps that work completely offline covers iPhone, Mac and Windows too.
Frequently asked questions #
Does Gboard voice typing work offline? #
It can. Google brought on-device recognition to Gboard starting with Pixel phones in 2019, and many phones and languages now support it. Availability still varies by device and language, so switch on airplane mode and try the keyboard microphone to check yours.
How do I transcribe an existing audio file offline on Android? #
Live Transcribe and keyboard dictation only work on live speech. To transcribe a recording you already have, use an on-device app that imports files, such as Private Transcribe, which decodes and transcribes m4a, mp3, wav, aac and video files on the phone.
Is Google Recorder available on Samsung phones? #
No. Google Recorder is exclusive to Pixel phones. On Samsung and other brands, use Live Transcribe for live captions or an on-device transcription app for recordings.
Which offline voice-to-text app is most accurate on Android? #
For recordings, apps running larger Whisper models, such as Private Transcribe’s Accurate, Professional or Best tiers, are generally the most accurate offline, especially with accents and noise. For live captions, Live Transcribe is fast and good for clear speech.
Does offline voice to text drain the battery? #
Running a speech model uses the processor, so long sessions with large models use noticeable battery. Short notes barely register. For hour-long recordings, a mid-size model balances accuracy and battery life.