You can turn Hindi, Spanish, French, and other supported languages into text on your Android phone without uploading your audio. OGAM (Off Grid AI Mobile) runs the speech model on your phone. Download it once, choose your language, and you can dictate with Wi-Fi and mobile data switched off.
Get OGAM on Google Play | Latest Android releases
This guide covers dictation through the app’s microphone: speak a note, get editable text, and check it before you send it. You can use it for a reminder in Hindi, a draft message in Spanish, or a note in French.
The important setting is the transcription model. An English-only model will not become multilingual when you change your phone’s language. You need a multilingual model, then the matching language setting inside the app.
What do you need for offline transcription on Android?
- An Android phone that meets the app’s published requirements: Android 10 or later and at least 4 GB of RAM.
- The current version of OGAM.
- Internet access for the app and the first model download.
- Free storage for the speech model, plus space for the app and your data.
- Microphone permission when you start recording.
The 4 GB figure is the app minimum. It does not mean every speech model will fit in memory. Start with a small speech model and check how it runs on your phone.
You do not need a large chat model just to convert speech into text. For an offline AI reply or summary, you also need a downloaded local text model. The Android local AI setup guide covers that separate step.
Which model should you choose for multilingual transcription?
Start with Base, 99 languages in OGAM. Its approximate download size is 142 MB. It gives you a small starting point for testing your language and voice. Choose the multilingual version, because the English-only Base model has the same short name.
Open Model Settings, expand Transcription (Speech to Text), and select Transcription model.
In On-device models, look for a model marked 99 languages. The picker also lists English-only versions with the same short names. Read the language label before you download.
These are the sizes shown in the app’s model catalog:
Multilingual model Approximate download When to try it Tiny 75 MB A small first download to check your workflow Base 142 MB A starting point for short notes and dictation Small 466 MB A larger option to compare if Base misses words Medium 1.5 GB For phones with more available memory Large v3 Turbo 809 MB Another option to test for accuracy and speed Large v3 1.55 GB A larger model when your phone has enough memoryThese are download sizes, not total RAM requirements. The model needs additional working memory while it runs. A smaller file does not always mean faster transcription, either. Model design, your processor, and the recording all affect the result.
Try your own voice and language before downloading a larger model. The 99 languages label describes language support; it does not promise equal accuracy in all 99 languages.
The app uses Whisper for local speech recognition. If you encounter model filenames, versions ending in .en are English-only. For example, base.en and base have different language support. The whisper.cpp project documents the underlying engine and model options.
How do you select the transcription language?
Open Chat Settings, expand SPEECH TO TEXT, and find Language.
Choose the language you plan to speak. You can also select Auto-detect with a multilingual model. This lets the model infer the language from the audio.
Use an explicit language for short recordings. A person’s name or a two-word note gives automatic detection little context. If your first result is in the wrong language, check this setting before changing models.
The options depend on the selected model. If the app only offers English, return to the transcription picker and check that you selected a multilingual version.
Transcription writes down speech in its original language. Translation is a separate task. To translate a transcript, send the reviewed text to a local chat model and request the target language.
How do you transcribe speech on Android without internet?
Download and select an on-device multilingual speech model in OGAM, then choose your language. In Chat mode, hold the microphone control, speak, and release it. Review the text in the message box. After setup, you can do this with Wi-Fi and mobile data off.
1. Finish the model download
In Model Settings > Transcription (Speech to Text) > Transcription model, select Base, 99 languages under On-device models. Wait for the download to finish and make sure this is the active transcription model.
2. Set your language
In Chat Settings > SPEECH TO TEXT > Language, choose the language you will speak. Use a specific language for your first short test. You can try Auto-detect later.
3. Disconnect and record
Turn on airplane mode, then check that Wi-Fi is off too. In Chat mode, hold the microphone control, speak, and release it when you finish. Allow microphone access if Android asks for it.
Use the app’s microphone control for this check. Your keyboard’s dictation button can use a different speech service.
4. Review the text before sending
The transcript appears in the message box. Correct names, numbers, and any missed words before you send it. If you only need the note, you can copy the text without asking a chat model for a reply.
For a first check, say a sentence you can verify easily. Include a day, a number, and a familiar place. For example, use the equivalent of “The workshop starts on Friday at ten” in your chosen language.
Check the day and number closely. Those details matter more than whether the punctuation looks polished.
If you want an AI response while offline, make sure the active chat model is also on-device and already downloaded. Speech recognition and the model that answers you are separate choices.
What should you check if offline transcription fails?
Start with the selected speech model, language, and microphone permission. If transcription works but the AI does not reply, check the chat model separately. OGAM uses one model to turn speech into text and another to generate an answer.
Problem What to check What to try Only English is available The active speech model may be English-only Select a model marked 99 languages. A filename ending in.en is English-only.
The transcript uses the wrong language
Auto-detect may have too little speech to identify it
Select your language in Chat Settings > SPEECH TO TEXT and record a full sentence.
Nothing records
Android may not have granted microphone access
Check OGAM’s microphone permission in Android settings.
The model will not load
There may not be enough available memory
Unload unused AI models, close memory-heavy apps, or select Tiny or Base.
Transcription stops working without internet
A remote speech service may be selected, or the local download may be incomplete
Finish the download and select the model under On-device models before disconnecting.
The transcript appears, but no AI reply follows
The active chat model may need a connection
Select a downloaded on-device chat model if you want an offline reply.
For clearer recordings, keep the phone close to your voice and reduce background noise. Check names, dates, and numbers even when the sentence looks correct.
Multilingual support does not guarantee accurate recognition when you switch languages inside one sentence. Start with one language per short recording. If Base misses too many words, compare it with Small using similar recordings. Keep the model that gives useful results on your phone.
Does your audio leave your Android phone?
With an on-device transcription model selected, the phone processes the microphone audio locally. It does not need a cloud speech API to return the words.
Keep the model selection local for this workflow. OGAM also supports other connected workflows. Selecting a remote transcription service changes where the audio is processed. Sending the resulting text to a connected service is a separate action too.
The airplane-mode check gives you a direct way to confirm that this transcription workflow runs without internet after setup.
Offline transcription FAQ
Is multilingual speech-to-text free in OGAM?
Local speech-to-text is part of the free OGAM app. Spoken AI replies are a separate text-to-speech feature in Pro. You do not need spoken replies to use dictation.
Which languages can I use?
The multilingual speech models are listed as supporting 99 languages. The app’s Language selector shows the available choices for your model. Hindi, Spanish, French, and English are among the options. Accuracy differs between languages, accents, and recordings.
Does it work without a SIM card or mobile data?
Yes, once the app and the required local model are downloaded. Local transcription does not require a mobile data connection.
Does a larger chat model improve the transcript?
The speech model produces the transcript. Changing only the chat model does not change that recognition step. Select a different transcription model if you want to compare speech recognition results.
Can I turn a Hindi recording into English text?
This workflow transcribes Hindi speech into Hindi text. For English text, first review the Hindi transcript, then ask a downloaded local chat model to translate it. Both steps can run offline when the required models are on your phone.
Install OGAM, choose Base, 99 languages, and try a short recording with the internet switched off.