Notta Desktop · Privacy Mode
To transcribe a confidential client meeting offline, use Notta Desktop Privacy Mode with a supported local model, a selected local folder, and the right permission to record. Record first, then run transcription on the device; Privacy Mode does not automatically upload the recording or transcript to Notta’s cloud. This guide explains the setup, language limits, checks, and file-handling risks for consultants and teams with sensitive conversations. Notta helps turn conversations into knowledge, but local processing alone does not prove legal or policy compliance.
Offline transcription converts recorded speech into text on your computer instead of sending the recording to a cloud service for transcription. In Notta, this means using Notta Desktop’s Privacy Mode and a supported local model after recording. It can help consultants, researchers, and client teams keep meeting files in a chosen local workspace, while still requiring careful consent, device, and file controls.
Conversations contain decisions, commitments, and context that are easy to lose. Local transcription can preserve a usable record without making the transcript a cloud upload by default. The key is to distinguish offline transcription from other capture options.
Privacy Mode uses a local offline model to transcribe after recording. Recordings and transcripts stay in the local workspace you select and are not automatically uploaded to Notta’s cloud. See the guide to local offline transcription for this distinction.
Notta Desktop Bot-Free recording captures system audio and microphone input without a Notta Bot joining. In normal Bot-Free mode, audio is captured locally, encrypted, and uploaded for real-time transcription. It is not the same as Privacy Mode or offline transcription. A confidential client meeting workflow should use the mode that matches your approved handling rules.
Notta Memo can record supported conversations without an internet connection, but the recording must later sync to Notta for transcription and further AI work. It is a different option from Desktop Privacy Mode’s local transcription. Learn more about Notta Memo offline recording.
Local processing is one part of confidentiality, not a substitute for permission, retention rules, or device controls. Notta’s wider purpose is to turn conversation into searchable, actionable knowledge; using Privacy Mode can limit cloud summaries, Notta Brain, sync, and ordinary team collaboration. See how searchable meeting knowledge fits into your approved workflow.
Local model coverage is different from Notta’s cloud transcription language support.
| Local engine | Languages | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Default offline model | English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Cantonese | About 1 GB of model storage, at least 4 GB RAM, and two CPU cores |
| Apple Speech Analyzer | English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese | Supported Mac app version and macOS 26 or later; file transcription requires selecting a specific language |
Language and device details shown here apply to the listed local engines. Confirm current app availability and requirements before setup.
Fast, correct setup
Remember: Notta Memo can record offline, but it needs to sync before transcription. Notta Desktop Privacy Mode is the local offline transcription workflow.
If the account is invoice-billed, confirm Privacy Mode eligibility with sales before planning the workflow. For setup details, consult Notta’s information about Privacy Mode and the Notta Help Center.
What to do: Check the client agreement, organization policy, and applicable recording requirements. Confirm whether recording, local processing, retention, and any later sharing are permitted.
Success looks like: You know who approved the recording and how the resulting files must be handled.
Avoid: Treating an offline workflow as proof that a recording is permitted or compliant.
What to do: Confirm your plan and billing method support Privacy Mode. Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans are eligible subject to billing-method conditions; invoice-billed accounts should check with sales.
Success looks like: Privacy Mode is available for the account you will use before you prepare the device.
Avoid: Assuming every account with a paid plan has the same eligibility.
What to do: Sign in while connected to the internet, choose a writable local folder, and download a supported offline model. Review device storage and memory needs before the session. For a local transcription model requirements check, match the model’s languages to the meeting.
Success looks like: The model is ready and the selected folder can save the recording and transcript.
Avoid: Waiting until the meeting to download the model or test folder access.
What to do: Configure Privacy Mode in Notta Desktop before the meeting. Choose the local folder and model, then grant system-audio and microphone permissions needed for your capture method.
Success looks like: Privacy Mode is enabled and the local destination and model are selected before recording begins.
Avoid: Confusing ordinary Bot-Free recording with Privacy Mode; standard Bot-Free recording uploads audio for real-time transcription.
What to do: Capture the meeting or import an audio file only when allowed by your policy. Run local transcription after recording. Internet access may still be needed later for periodic license validation.
Success looks like: The transcript is processed in Privacy Mode and saved to the selected local workspace.
Avoid: Assuming that every activity in the app works offline or that exiting Privacy Mode uploads local files.
What to do: Compare key names, dates, figures, technical terms, speaker attribution, and consequential wording with the audio. Check the local folder’s access, backup, and sync settings. Keep the record within your approved process.
Success looks like: The transcript is checked and stored in the approved location with known access and retention controls.
Avoid: Exporting or reimporting the transcript into a cloud workflow without separate authorization.
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy Mode is unavailable | Plan or billing-method eligibility may not match. | Confirm the plan and billing method; invoice-billed accounts should contact sales to check eligibility. |
| Model setup cannot finish | Initial sign-in or model download needs internet access, or the device lacks storage. | Connect to the internet for setup and make room for the model before starting the meeting workflow. |
| No transcript appears | The model may not support the selected language, or the local folder may not be writable. | Check the model’s language coverage and confirm that the selected folder permits saving files. |
| Audio is missing from the capture | Microphone or system-audio permission may be off for the selected method. | Review device permissions and test the intended capture inputs before the next meeting. |
| Local files appear in another location | Backup, device management, or folder-sync software may copy local files. | Review approved folder, backup, and sync settings with your IT or security team. |
For teams handling client records, a secure transcript handling process should name who can access the files, where they are saved, and when they should be removed. The right rules depend on your organization and client obligations.
Notta is an AI-powered meeting productivity platform for turning online meetings, in-person conversations, and uploaded content into searchable, actionable knowledge. Its mission is “Unlocking Real Value From Verbal Expressions.” For this guide, the relevant workflow is Notta Desktop — local-first desktop transcription client — with Pro Privacy Mode and a supported local model.
Notta’s broader value is more than capture: conversations can become searchable context and useful next steps. In a restricted local workflow, however, use only the features that remain available and authorized.
Use it when your account is eligible and local transcription fits your policy; do not use it as a substitute for consent, legal review, or device controls.
Notta Desktop Privacy ModeOffline transcription turns recorded speech into text on your device using a local model, rather than sending the recording to a cloud service for transcription. In Notta Desktop, this workflow is available through Privacy Mode after the model has been set up. Initial sign-in, model setup, and periodic license validation still require internet access.
Privacy Mode stores recordings and transcripts in the local workspace you select; they are not automatically uploaded to Notta’s cloud. Other software on the computer, such as backup or folder-sync tools, may still copy local files. Check the folder’s permissions and sync settings as part of your organization’s handling process.
No. Bot-Free recording captures system audio and microphone input without a Notta Bot joining the meeting. In normal Bot-Free mode, audio is captured locally, encrypted, and uploaded for real-time transcription. Pro Privacy Mode is a separate workflow for local offline transcription after recording.
Notta Memo can record audio without an internet connection and store it on the device. To transcribe the recording or use further AI features, you must later sync it to Notta. So Memo supports offline audio capture, while Desktop Privacy Mode is the local offline transcription option described in this guide.
No. Local processing can help keep files in a selected workspace, but it does not by itself meet legal, contractual, professional, or institutional requirements. Confirm consent, device controls, access, retention, and handling rules with the right client and organizational contacts before recording or processing confidential material.
Offline transcription can give client teams a local route from conversation to written record, but only when the account, model, and device are prepared in advance. Confirm permission, enable Notta Desktop Privacy Mode, choose the right local model and folder, then review the transcript and file handling. Notta helps teams preserve the signal in everyday conversations; keep every step aligned with your client agreement and internal policy.