Is Granola Local? Bot-Free Is Not On-Device
No. Granola is bot-free. It is not a local notetaker.
The one paragraph that matters
Granola's own transcription docs say it passes audio directly from your microphone and system audio to a transcription provider. Transcripts live on US-hosted AWS. Non-Enterprise accounts train its models on anonymized data unless you opt out. It cannot sign BAAs.
That is not a rumor from a competitor page. It is their documentation.
What people usually mean by "local"
| Test | Granola | A local notetaker |
|---|---|---|
| Bot in Zoom / Meet / Teams | No | No |
| Transcript appears with Wi-Fi off | No | Yes |
| Audio stays on your disk | No — sent to a provider | Yes |
| Vendor can sign a BAA | No | Often N/A if PHI never leaves the device |
If your test was "does a bot join," Granola passes. If your test was "does the file leave this computer," it does not.
Fix it inside Granola first
- Opt out of training if you are not on Enterprise.
- Do not run confidential healthcare or legal audio through it.
- Export notes you need to keep.
None of those steps move transcription onto the machine. There is no Granola setting for that.
If the processor was the point
Use a notetaker that records from your computer and understands the audio on-device. LUCI does that, and it also keeps screen memory next to the meeting. LUCI vs Granola is the 1:1. Granola is bot-free. It is not local. is the longer version. Best Granola alternatives if you are still shopping.
