Record Offline, Transcribe When You’re Back Online
Transcription itself runs in ScreenApp’s cloud and needs a connection. What is real offline is the recording: on the ScreenApp mobile app, records offline on iOS and Android and uploads when the connection returns. There is no dead zone, flight mode, or basement that stops you from pressing record.
If you recorded on another device, an external recorder, a laptop with no Wi-Fi, another app entirely, you can upload that file once you are connected and get the same transcript, speaker labels, and AI notes. There is no downloadable offline model and no desktop mode that transcribes without a connection: say the job plainly, record now, transcribe later.
What you get:
- records offline on iOS and Android and uploads when the connection returns, so a plane, a basement, or a rural site with no signal does not stop the recording
- Upload a file recorded offline on any device once you are back online, in MP3, M4A, MP4A, M4B, AAC, WAV, OGG, OPUS, FLAC, AIFF, WMA, WEBMA, MKA, AC3, EAC3, WV, AMR, DSF, DFF
- A transcript in 100+ languages with speaker identification, once the file processes
- Free plan: 2 transcriptions of recordings up to 45 minutes each
How to Record Offline and Get a Transcript
- Record with no connection: Open the ScreenApp app on your phone and press record, even in airplane mode or with no signal. records offline on iOS and Android and uploads when the connection returns.
- Reconnect: When your phone finds a connection again, the recording uploads on its own. If you recorded on a different device, upload the file yourself once you are online.
- Read the transcript: Processing happens in the cloud, so the transcript, speaker labels, and AI notes are ready a few minutes after the upload finishes.
Accuracy depends on the recording itself, not on whether it was made offline. A phone held close to the speaker in a quiet room transcribes cleanly; a recording made far from the source with wind or engine noise behind it will have more gaps. See how we measure accuracy.
Offline Recording vs Other Apps
| Feature | ScreenApp | Otter.ai | Rev Voice Recorder | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Records with no connection | records offline on iOS and Android and uploads when the connection returns | stores audio locally if the connection drops, with no live transcript | Not stated | Not stated |
| Transcription | Included, once the file uploads | Included within the minute cap | $25.49/mo (AI, billed annually) | Needs Plus ($15.99/year) |
| Free plan | 2 transcriptions, up to 45 min each | 300 min/month | Recording free, transcription paid | Needs Plus |
| Languages | 100+ | 6 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Paid plan | $19/month annual | $8.33/month annual | $25.49/month annual | $15.99/year |
Sources, checked 2026-10-01: screenapp.io/accuracy#languages, ScreenApp pricing, help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/40917035359255, rev.com/pricing, notability.com/pricing, otter.ai/pricing
- vs Otter.ai: Otter stores audio locally if the connection drops, with no live transcript, but ScreenApp’s mobile app treats offline recording as a normal case, not a fallback: records offline on iOS and Android and uploads when the connection returns.
- vs Rev Voice Recorder: Rev’s page does not state whether the recorder works without a connection. Its transcription is billed at $25.49/month (billed annually), regardless of where the file was recorded.
- vs Notability: Notability needs the Plus tier at $15.99 a year for recording and transcription at all, offline or not.
Who Records Offline
Field researchers and surveyors record interviews and site notes in locations with no mobile signal, then get the transcript once they are back at a base with Wi-Fi.
Journalists and documentary makers capture interviews in the field, on flights, or in basements and parking garages where a signal drops out, without losing the recording.
Aid and NGO workers record briefings and community meetings in areas with limited network coverage, then upload the recordings when they reach an office or a hotel.
Frequent flyers record notes, calls, or debriefs in airplane mode during a flight and let the recording upload as soon as they land.
Remote and rural workers record on a phone where cell coverage is unreliable, then send the file for transcription once the connection is stable.
Anyone recording on a separate device already owns a dictaphone, a camera, or another app that captured audio offline, and just needs to upload that file for a transcript once they are connected.