---
title: "MediSync Cloud or MediSync Local: what leaves the computer"
summary: "With MediSync Local, audio and text stay on the computer. With MediSync Cloud they go to MediSync servers. How to choose and switch."
url: "https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dictate/cloud-or-local"
product: "MediSync Dictate"
platforms: ["windows","macos"]
access: "public"
updated: "2026-11-11"
version: "Dictate 0.4.0-beta.6"
---

# MediSync Cloud or MediSync Local: what leaves the computer

With MediSync Local, audio and text stay on the computer. With MediSync Cloud they go to MediSync servers. How to choose and switch.

Dictate processes your speech either on your computer (MediSync Local) or on MediSync servers in Frankfurt (MediSync Cloud). You choose under **Settings › General › Processing**.

|  | MediSync Local | MediSync Cloud |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Audio | stays on the computer | goes to `ms-speech.medisync.me` |
| Recognised text | stays on the computer | goes to `app.medisync.me` when Smart Dictation or the assistant works in the cloud |
| Internet while dictating | not needed | needed |
| Download | once, 0.7 to 2.8 GB | none |
| Account | needed for the first download | needed |
| Graphics card | needed for Smart Dictation, see [model packages](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dictate/local-model-packages) | not needed |

In both cases Dictate keeps your dictations of the last 7 days encrypted on this computer, as long as the [dictation history](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dictate/dictation-history) is on. How MediSync processes data on its servers is in [Where MediSync processes data](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/privacy/where-data-is-processed).

## Switch the processing

1. Open **Settings › General**. **Processing** is at the top.
2. Click **MediSync Cloud** or **MediSync Local**.

You can also use the Dictate icon in the notification area of the taskbar (Windows) or in the menu bar (Mac): **Processing** and then the option you want.

You cannot choose **MediSync Cloud** when its card says **Needs a MediSync account** (licence key without an account) or **Not included in your plan**.

When you switch to MediSync Local for the first time, the models are still missing. Download them under **Settings › Status and models › MediSync models** with **Download**. The first download needs a sign-in with your MediSync account.

## What is running

Below the two cards is a line with the active processing and its state. A click on it opens **Settings › Status and models**. There the **Processing** section shows:

| Row | What it shows |
| --- | --- |
| **Speech recognition** | with MediSync Cloud **MediSync Cloud reachable** or **MediSync Cloud unreachable**, with MediSync Local **Ready on this computer** |
| **Smart Dictation** | **Through MediSync Cloud**, **On this computer**, **Formatting with rules** or **Off** |
| **Offline reserve** | with MediSync Cloud only, see below |

If the MediSync Local speech recognition does not start, **Restart** appears.

## What still goes over the network with MediSync Local

No audio and no dictated text. With an account, Dictate does talk to `app.medisync.me`:

- for sign-in, the access check and the plan
- for the team dictionary, the team dictionary from the Dashboard and the specialty vocabulary of your profession
- for the number of your dictations per day, as long as **Settings › Privacy › Send usage counts** is on. No text, no audio.
- for the **Cloud backup** of your dictionary and snippets, if you turned it on

On top of that come the one-time model download from `models.medisync.me` and the updates from `downloads.medisync.me`. Summaries, questions and translations in [Notes](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dictate/notes) always go through MediSync servers. Everything about privacy is in [Privacy in Dictate](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dictate/privacy-in-dictate).

A signed-in computer keeps dictating for 7 days without a connection. After that Dictate shows `Your access could not be checked for 7 days. Connect the computer to the internet.` For workstations that are never online there are [licence keys](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dictate/licence-keys).

## Keep dictating without an account

If the MediSync Local models are installed and you are signed out, the sign-in offers **Continue offline**. You then dictate with MediSync Local without an account, right on this computer. MediSync Cloud, your plan, the team dictionaries and the specialty vocabulary stay off until you sign in again. You can sign in any time under **Settings › Account**.

Without the models this does not work: the first download needs a sign-in.

## Offline reserve for MediSync Cloud

With MediSync Cloud you can download the MediSync Local models as a reserve. When the cloud is unreachable, dictation then continues on your computer, and the bar shows `Inserted locally` How to set up the reserve is in [Model packages for MediSync Local](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dictate/local-model-packages).