Is it safe to transcribe voice notes? What happens to your audio
Most transcription tools work by sending your audio to a server. That is not wrong, but you should know it is happening before you drop in a note from a client.
A voice note often carries more than a text would. People say things out loud they would not write down: prices, worries, names, plans. So before you transcribe one, it is worth knowing the path the audio takes.
The two kinds of transcription
Cloud transcription. Your audio is uploaded, a server turns it into text, and the text is sent back. It is fast and works on any device. The questions are how long the audio and text stay on that server, who can access them, and whether they are used to train models.
On device transcription. The speech model runs on your own computer or phone. The audio is never uploaded. Modern Macs with Apple chips are fast enough to do this in seconds, which was not true a few years ago.
How to check a tool's claims
| Question | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Where is audio processed? | On your device, or a named region with a stated deletion time |
| Is the audio kept? | Deleted straight after transcription |
| Is the text kept? | Only if you choose to keep it, and only on your device |
| Is it used for training? | No, in writing |
| Can you delete everything? | Yes, in one step |
| Does each transcript say where it was processed? | Yes, every time |
How InkSaid handles it
InkSaid has two routes, and every card tells you which one it used.
- Private. Your Mac's own chip transcribes the note. The audio never leaves the computer and is deleted as soon as the words appear. Nothing is kept unless you turn keeping on, and then only on your Mac. No account is needed. Notes shared from an iPhone go straight to the Mac on the same wifi. Away from it, they can travel through your own iCloud Drive, which Apple encrypts end to end only with Advanced Data Protection. That route can be switched off.
- Cloud. Used only for forwarding bots and devices that cannot run the engine. Audio goes to a server in the EU, the real file name never leaves your device, and the transcript is erased from the service as soon as it comes back.
We never train on your notes.
When cloud is fine and when it is not
Cloud transcription is reasonable for notes you would happily send by email. For anything covered by a confidentiality duty, a contract or simple discretion, keep it on your own device. If you work in law, health or finance, check your own professional rules on recording and storing conversations too.
Try InkSaid on your Mac
Every voice note in writing, kept and searchable on your Mac. 99 Founding Pro seats at $39 a year, half the price of Pro.