Is OffgridScribe independently audited or certified?

Not yet. The privacy claims are based on how the app is built and a self-conducted network audit rather than third-party certification such as SOC 2 or HIPAA compliance documentation. Anyone in a regulated profession should do their own diligence before relying on the app for that purpose.

Private On-Device Transcription

OffgridScribe

Transcribe interviews offline. OffgridScribe turns your voice into accurate, ready-to-share notes — entirely on your iPhone. No cloud. No uploads. No exceptions.

Download on the App Store

New · Version 2.0

Our biggest update yet

Automatic speaker labels, on-device translation, one-tap recording from the Lock Screen, encrypted backups, and offline transcription that works from the very first launch.

See it in action

OffgridScribe at a glance

Platform: iPhone, iOS 17.6 or later
Latest version: 2.0 (November 2026)
Transcription: Fully offline, on-device; 12 spoken languages including Cantonese
Speaker labels: Automatic, or tagged live while recording
AI summaries: Apple Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro or later
Uploads: None. Recordings and transcripts never leave the device
Export: PDF, Word (RTF), plain text, with optional redaction
Price: Free to try; Premium is a one-time £24.99 purchase

What's new in 2.0

Know who said what

Speakers are labelled automatically, so transcripts come out attributed rather than as one wall of text
Rename speakers to real names
Tap Identify Speakers to add labels to notes recorded before 2.0

Record in one tap

Start recording from a Lock Screen widget or Control Centre (iOS 18 or later)
New Start Recording shortcut for Siri, Shortcuts and the Action Button
Recording carries on when the screen locks, pauses for phone calls and resumes afterwards

Smarter transcription, still on-device

New Apple speech engine on iOS 26 for faster, more accurate transcripts
Offline transcription models now ship inside the app, so transcription works without an internet connection from the first launch
12 spoken languages, including Cantonese
Summaries are written in the same language as the transcript

AI tools that never leave your phone

Summary templates: general summary, SOAP note, client interview and therapy session notes
Write your own summary templates in your practice's format
Ask questions about a note and pull out action items, with optional Reminders
Translate summaries and transcripts without uploading a word

Privacy and peace of mind

Lock the app with Face ID or your passcode
Password-encrypted backup and restore, with no iCloud needed
Optionally redact names, phone numbers, email addresses, addresses and ID numbers when you export
Tag notes by client or case and filter them instantly

Now in seven languages

The app is now available in English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional).

Who it's for

Journalists, researchers, lawyers, clinicians, therapists and anyone who conducts interviews and needs a fast, reliable way to turn speech into text — without the confidentiality risk of cloud transcription. Sources speak more freely when they know the recording stays private.

Everything OffgridScribe does

Capture

Record in the app, or import existing audio and video
Tag speakers live while you record, or let OffgridScribe label them for you
Get a full transcript in minutes, even for long recordings

Work with your transcripts

Tap any line to jump straight to that moment in the recording and check a quote in seconds
Edit transcripts and rename speakers
Add your own glossary of names, places and specialist terms
Search every past interview instantly

Export to PDF, Word (RTF) or plain text
Optional redaction of personal details on export

Privacy by design

OffgridScribe never uploads your recordings or transcripts anywhere — not to us, not to anyone.

Every step happens locally on your device. Notes and recordings are stored with iOS Data Protection, the app can be locked with Face ID, and backups are password-encrypted files that you control. Your sources' confidentiality stays exactly where it belongs: with you.

A note on privacy claims

Our privacy approach is based on how the app is built — it doesn't include the networking code needed to send your recordings anywhere. This isn't the same as third-party certification (e.g. SOC 2 or HIPAA compliance documentation). If you work in a regulated profession and need certified compliance guarantees, please do your own diligence before relying on this app for that purpose.

Pricing

No subscription. Try Premium features for free, then unlock Premium with a single one-time purchase of £24.99 and keep it for good.

Frequently asked questions

Does OffgridScribe need an internet connection?

No. Recording, transcription, summaries, speaker labels and export all run on your iPhone. The only downloads are ones iOS itself manages: on iOS 26, Apple's speech engine may download a language's speech model the first time you use that language, and translation needs Apple's language packs. These downloads contain no data of yours.

Do my recordings or transcripts ever leave my phone?

Never. Nothing is uploaded — not to us, not to anyone. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Which devices are supported?

iPhone with iOS 17.6 or later. Lock Screen and Control Centre recording, and translation, need iOS 18 or later. The new Apple speech engine is used on iOS 26; earlier versions use the built-in offline engine.

What do the AI features need?

AI summaries, questions and action items use Apple Intelligence and need a compatible device (iPhone 15 Pro or later) with Apple Intelligence turned on. Transcription works on all supported devices.

Which languages can it transcribe?

12 spoken languages, including Cantonese.

Is it a subscription?

No. Premium is a one-time purchase of £24.99.

Is this independently audited or certified?

Not yet. See "A note on privacy claims" above for what that means in practice.

OffgridScribe is a productivity tool to help you capture and organise spoken notes. It does not verify the accuracy of anything it transcribes and is not a substitute for your own professional or editorial judgement.

Guides

How to Transcribe and Summarize a Voice Recording on iPhone (Fully Offline)
How to Label Different Speakers in a Voice Recording on iPhone (Fully Offline)

More from Offgrid Studio

If you work with audio in other ways, OffgridStem separates a track into 6 stems — vocals, drums, bass, piano, guitar, and more — the same way, entirely on your iPhone. And OffgridCam brings the same on-device principle to home and baby monitoring.

Back to Offgrid Studio