Privacy-first dictation — your audio never leaves your Mac
Updated June 2026 · macOS 13+
Vlow is privacy-first dictation for Mac: speech recognition is 100% on-device, there's no cloud upload, no account, and audio is not saved to disk by default. Unlike cloud dictation tools that upload your voice to transcribe it, Vlow keeps everything local — your audio simply never leaves your Mac.
Vlow vs cloud dictation on privacy
| Privacy aspect | Vlow | Typical cloud dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Where audio is processed | On your Mac | Remote servers |
| Audio uploaded to a server | Never | Yes |
| Account / login required | No | Usually yes |
| Works offline | ✓ | ✗ |
| Recordings kept | Not saved to disk by default | Often retained |
| Trains on your data | No — it stays on your Mac | Varies by provider |
Comparison based on publicly available information as of June 2026; provider policies may differ and change.
What "privacy-first" actually means here
Privacy-first isn't a slogan bolted onto a cloud product — it's an architecture. Because Vlow recognizes speech on the device, there is no server to send your voice to, no account tying your dictation to an identity, and no recordings sitting in someone else's storage. Optional AI polish of the recognized text is off by default, and can run fully locally via Ollama if you want zero network involvement at all.
Why on-device matters
- Your content isn't training data — voice and text stay on your Mac.
- No account, no profile — open it and go; nothing to sign up for.
- Good for sensitive work — legal, medical, finance, journalism and other contexts where uploading audio is a non-starter.
- Compliance-friendly — keeping audio on-device sidesteps much of the data-transfer surface that privacy regulations focus on.
FAQ
Does Vlow send my voice to the cloud?
No. Recognition runs 100% on your Mac; audio never leaves the device, there's no account, and recordings aren't saved to disk by default.
Is cloud dictation private?
Cloud apps upload your voice to servers to transcribe it. For privacy, choose an on-device app like Vlow.
Does Vlow need an account?
No — it's a local app with a license key. No sign-up or email needed to use it.
Can text polish stay local too?
Yes. Optional polish of the recognized text is off by default and can run fully offline via local Ollama.
Dictation that stays on your Mac
macOS 13+ or Windows 10/11 · 30-day money-back
Download Vlow for Mac