Does dictation work without internet?

Sometimes. It depends on the device, the language and the tool, not on dictation as a whole. iPhone Dictation works without an internet connection in many languages. Samsung phones offer offline language packs. On a Mac, check your Keyboard settings. Windows voice typing needs a connection, and browser speech recognition sends audio to a server by default. The what is dictation guide explains where recognition happens and why it matters.

Phones: iPhone and Samsung both offer offline options

iPhone is the clearest case. Apple says Dictation on iPhone is processed on the device in many languages, and that no internet connection is required ¹. The word "many" matters, because Apple does not claim every language. Check the language you need in Settings before you rely on it on a flight.

Samsung takes a different route. Its keyboard settings have an Offline voice input section where you install offline language packs ². The page does not say which languages have packs, so check the section for yours. If your language has no pack, assume voice input needs the connection and test it in airplane mode. The offline voice typing on a phone guide lists the options for Android.

Mac and Windows: it depends on the setup

Mac. Apple says Dictation on a Mac may need an internet connection ³. Keyboard settings show whether your general text dictation is processed on the device and not sent to Siri servers ⁴. Check that setting before you rely on Dictation offline.

Windows voice typing needs a connection. Microsoft says you need to be connected to the internet, have a working microphone, and have the cursor in a text box ⁵.

Windows voice access is the offline option. It writes text by voice without an internet connection ⁶, but Microsoft says its first-time setup needs an internet connection ⁷. So set it up once while online, then use it offline. Voice access is built to control the whole PC, so it takes more learning than voice typing. The offline speech to text on Windows guide covers the steps.

Browsers and most web apps need a server

Speech recognition on a web page sends your audio to a server by default, so it does not work offline ⁸. A dictation button on a website usually stops working when you go offline. Desktop apps differ, and some run their speech models on your own computer. Check each app's settings or documentation rather than assuming it works offline.

It depends: offline is not the same as identical

Offline recognition is not only a connection question. Results vary by language, accent and device, and an offline language pack may cover fewer languages than the online service. Test the language and the microphone you actually use.

Offline also matters for privacy. When recognition runs on the device, your audio does not have to leave it. Where recognition runs on a server, the provider's rules decide how the audio is handled, so read the privacy terms for the tool you use.

What to do: test offline before you need it

1. Find the setting for your device. On iPhone, check the language in Dictation settings. On Samsung, install the offline pack. On a Mac, open System Settings, go to Keyboard, and read the Dictation line. On Windows, decide whether you need voice access or can accept voice typing online only.
2. Install the offline pieces while you have internet. That means a Samsung language pack, or voice access setup on Windows.
3. Test in airplane mode. Turn on airplane mode, open the app you write in, and dictate a short sentence. If the text appears, the offline setup works for that app and language.
4. If it fails offline, check the basics. The dictation not working guide covers the common causes, and the dictation overview lists the platform guides.

Offline setup is one part of choosing a tool. The is voice typing free question covers the cost of the built-in and paid options, and is speech to text the same as dictation explains the wider category these tools belong to. For the technical side, read the on-device speech recognition and cloud dictation entries. A Mac-specific page on offline dictation covers Apple's side in more detail.