How to Transcribe Meetings Locally in 2026 (Whisper, On-Device)

Short summary

Off Grid AI Desktop is a free, open-source app that transcribes meetings locally using OpenAI's Whisper model, eliminating cloud uploads and per-minute fees. It records both sides of video calls (microphone + system audio) and auto-generates summaries via a bundled local LLM. Runs completely offline on 8GB+ RAM, with optional GPU acceleration on Apple Silicon or NVIDIA for faster transcription.

• •Free, open-source local transcription with no cloud uploads or per-minute subscription fees
• •Records both audio streams (your microphone + system audio from remote participants)
• •Generates transcript and summary with bundled Whisper model + local LLM, runs entirely offline

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.