Most voice note apps send your recording to a server to turn it into text. Mangonote, an AI note taker for iPhone, doesn’t. When you stop recording, the transcription happens right on your iPhone, with a speech model that runs on the device itself.
That one decision changes a few things you’ll notice every day.
Your audio isn’t uploaded to be transcribed
Your recording goes straight from the microphone into the speech model on your phone. It isn’t sent anywhere to be turned into text, so a private conversation, a doctor’s appointment or a half-formed idea stays between you and your iPhone.
It works offline, even in airplane mode
Mangonote ships with a transcription model built in, so it works without a connection from the first launch. Record on a plane, in a lecture hall with no signal, or on a hike, and you’ll have a transcript as soon as you stop.
If you choose a different model in Settings › Transcription & AI, it downloads once and then works offline too.
Pick the model that fits your language
Different models are good at different languages. Mangonote lets you choose:
- Whisper covers about 100 languages.
- Parakeet is fast and accurate for the languages it supports.
- Omnilingual reaches up to 1,600 languages.
Every language in the picker shows how well each model handles it, so you can see which one to use before you record. Auto detect follows whatever language you speak.
What does need the internet
We want to be clear about this part. Transcription is on-device, but AI summaries, titles and Ask AI use large language models that run in the cloud. When you use them, the note’s text (never the audio) goes through our server to the AI model you pick, with an anonymous app ID and no name or email.
Mangonote asks before any note text goes to AI, and you can turn AI processing off anytime in Settings › Transcription & AI. Your notes still get transcribed either way. The privacy policy has the details.
iCloud sync needs a connection too: notes and recordings sync through your own iCloud account, so they show up on your other iPhones.
Tips for the best transcript
- Pick the language yourself instead of Auto detect when you know what you’ll speak.
- Get the phone close to whoever is talking, and away from fans or traffic.
- Try another model for your language if names or jargon come out wrong.
That’s it: tap Start Recording, talk, and let your iPhone do the typing.
Related guides
- Whisper transcription on iPhone, offline: how it works
- How to transcribe voice memos on iPhone
- How to transcribe a video on iPhone
- How to Transcribe Spanish Audio on iPhone (and Other Languages)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the internet to transcribe in Mangonote?
No. Mangonote ships with a transcription model, so recording and transcription work offline, even in airplane mode. AI summaries, Ask AI and iCloud sync need a connection.
Is my audio uploaded to transcribe it?
No. Speech is turned into text on your iPhone, and recordings are never uploaded to transcribe them. With iCloud sync on, notes and recordings are stored in your own iCloud account.
Which languages can Mangonote transcribe?
It depends on the model you pick. Whisper covers about 100 languages and Omnilingual up to 1,600. Auto detect follows whatever language you speak.
Can I turn the AI features off?
Yes. Turn AI processing off in Settings › Transcription & AI, and no note text is sent anywhere. Transcription keeps working.
Start capturing the thoughts you keep losing
Download Mangonote, record your first note, and watch it become searchable text in seconds, right on your iPhone.
