How to transcribe audio without uploading it
Keep the recording on your device while creating a transcript. Understand what stays local, what still downloads and what to save before closing the page.
Choose a local file and run Whisper in the browser. Your recording stays on the device. The website and model still download over the network; a pasted media URL also contacts its source server.
Transcribe a local recording
Open the transcription tool
Choose your file in Whisper Web. Use the standard tool for up to 300 MB and 20 minutes, or the large-file tool for a local file up to 1 GB and 1 hour.
Check the recording settings
Select the language spoken in the recording. Keep the original language for a transcript, or choose translation when you need English output.
Let the model finish
The first run downloads the selected Whisper model. Keep the tab open while it processes the audio. Later runs can reuse the browser cache until it is cleared.
Review and export
Check names, numbers and quotations against the audio. Edit the result in the workspace, then download TXT or JSON for text work, or SRT/VTT for subtitles.
What 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 |
Local history is not a backup
Whisper Web tries to save the finished text and timestamps in this browser. It does not store the original recording in transcription history. If saving fails, export the current result before closing the page.
Download a copy you control. Browser data can be cleared, and device backups, shared accounts or exported files can move content beyond the browser. Local processing removes the transcription upload; it does not secure every later copy.
Common questions
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 tries to save text and timestamps in this browser's IndexedDB. Saved records remain until deleted or browser storage is cleared. Exporting a copy does not delete the saved transcript.
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.