Is voice dictation private? What happens to your words
Every dictation tool has to turn sound into text somewhere. That somewhere is the whole privacy question: your own processor, a server owned by the vendor, or a mix where the audio stays home but the text travels. This guide explains the three models in plain terms, gives you the questions that make a vendor answer precisely, shows how to check a tool yourself in five minutes, and ends with a checklist you can run before dictating anything you would not post publicly.
Three places your voice can be processed
Marketing pages rarely say it directly, so it helps to know the vocabulary. Local (also called on-device or offline) means the speech model runs on your computer and the audio never needs a network connection. Cloud means the recording is sent to a server, converted there, and the text is sent back. Hybrid means one step happens locally and another happens remotely, most often local transcription followed by an optional online AI clean-up of the text.
| Model | What leaves your computer | Works without internet | Main thing to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local | Nothing during dictation (maybe licence checks and updates) | Yes, once the model is downloaded | That the tool really has no silent cloud fallback |
| Cloud | The audio, usually encrypted in transit | No | Where the server is, whether audio or text is stored, for how long, and who can access it |
| Hybrid | Usually the transcribed text, sometimes context such as the app name | Partly | Which feature sends what, and whether you can switch the online part off |
None of the three is automatically safe or unsafe. A well-run cloud service that discards audio immediately can be a better fit than a local app on a shared, unencrypted laptop. The point is to know which model you are using, not to assume.
What the built-in options tell you
On a Mac, Apple says the Keyboard settings show whether your dictation is processed on the device and not sent to Siri servers, and that sharing audio recordings with Apple is a separate, optional choice. Open System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation and read the line under the switch: it depends on your language and Mac, so check it on your own machine rather than relying on someone else's screenshot. The Mac dictation guide walks through that pane.
On Windows, Microsoft's voice typing (Windows key + H) needs an internet connection because it uses online speech recognition. In other words, it is a cloud model by design. If that is a problem for your work, it is a reason to look at a local tool rather than a setting to toggle; the Windows dictation guide covers how voice typing works day to day.
Questions to ask any dictation vendor
Send these by email or look for them in the privacy policy. A vendor who answers all of them in writing is easier to trust than one who answers with a badge.
- Where is speech converted to text? On my device, on your servers, or both? If servers, in which country and with which hosting company?
- Is audio stored after conversion? If yes, for how long, and can I delete it?
- Is the resulting text stored? Many policies cover audio and say nothing about text.
- Is any of my data used to train models? Is that opt-in, opt-out, or not done at all?
- What else is sent? App names, window titles, surrounding text for context, clipboard contents?
- Which features need the internet? AI rewriting, translation and formatting often do, even in apps that transcribe locally.
- Is there a fully offline mode, and what stops working in it?
- Who can access the data internally, and do you use subprocessors?
Check a tool yourself in five minutes
Answers in a policy are one thing; behaviour is another. A quick practical test tells you whether a tool depends on the network for transcription.
- Open a plain text editor and dictate a short test sentence: “The blue folder is on the second shelf.” Confirm it works normally.
- Turn off Wi-Fi and unplug Ethernet. Dictate the same sentence again.
- If text still appears, transcription is local. If you get an error or nothing happens, the tool uses a server for transcription.
- With the network still off, try any AI features (rewrite, summarise, translate). Whatever fails offline is sending something online when you are connected.
- Turn the network back on and note whether the app asks to sync, upload or log in again.
This test shows where transcription happens, not what a vendor does with data it does receive. For that you still need the written answers above.
A checklist before you dictate sensitive text
- Know which of the three models your current mode uses, and whether a setting can silently change it.
- Read your employer's, school's or client's rules about third-party software. Those rules win over any vendor promise.
- If you must use cloud dictation, prefer a service that states it does not store audio or text, and keep its answer on file.
- Turn off optional AI rewriting for confidential documents if it sends text online.
- Watch where the cursor is. Dictation types into whatever field has focus, including a chat window you forgot was open.
- Lock the computer when you step away. A local model is only as private as the device it runs on.
- Use full-disk encryption (FileVault on Mac, BitLocker or device encryption on Windows) so a lost laptop does not expose your drafts.
What Voice Monkeys does in each mode
Voice Monkeys runs differently depending on your computer, and it is worth being exact. On a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or newer, macOS 14+), the speech model runs on the Neural Engine of that Mac. After a one-time download of about 600 MB it works with no internet connection, so the audio stays on the machine. That version is a $25 one-time purchase for one Mac.
On Windows, Linux (X11) and Intel Macs, the default is the cloud subscription ($12 a month or $96 a year). There, audio is sent encrypted to a server in Germany (Hetzner, Falkenstein), converted to text in memory and discarded; neither audio nor text is stored, only the number of seconds is counted for the monthly allowance. Windows and Linux also offer an optional offline model (about 640 MB, downloaded once) if you would rather nothing leaves the computer. Voice Monkeys is not open source, so you cannot audit its code yourself; if that matters, an open-source local app such as VoiceInk on Apple Silicon may suit you better. You can download Voice Monkeys and run the Wi-Fi-off test above on it.
Which mode fits which situation
| Situation | Reasonable starting point |
|---|---|
| Personal notes, emails, chat | Any model you are comfortable with after reading the policy |
| Client or patient details | Whatever your organisation approves; ask before you choose. See the guides for doctors and lawyers |
| Unreliable internet or travel | Local, so dictation does not stop when the connection does |
| Old or low-power computer | Cloud, since local models need modern hardware to run smoothly |
| You want to inspect the code | An open-source local tool |
If you are still comparing products, the overview of dictation apps lists the main options, and the VoiceInk alternatives page covers other local-first choices.
Questions and answers
Is offline dictation always more private than cloud dictation?
It removes the network from transcription, which is the biggest single factor. It does not protect you from an unlocked or unencrypted device, and some local apps still send text online for optional AI features.
Does Windows voice typing send my voice online?
Microsoft states that voice typing requires an internet connection because it uses online speech recognition, so yes, it relies on a cloud service.
How can I tell if Mac Dictation stays on my device?
Open System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation. Apple says that pane shows whether dictation is processed on your device or sent to Siri servers.
Is a compliance badge enough to make dictation safe for my job?
No badge replaces your own organisation's rules. Ask your IT or compliance contact which tools are approved and follow that, whatever a vendor page says.
Does Voice Monkeys keep my recordings?
No. On Apple Silicon Macs the audio is processed on the Mac. In the cloud version, audio is converted in memory on a server in Germany and discarded; audio and text are not stored.
Sources
- Apple: Use Dictation on Mac (checked November 6, 2026)
- Microsoft: Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC (checked November 6, 2026)
- VoiceInk (checked November 6, 2026)