Yes, Galaxy AI works without internet but not all of it. Here's exactly which features run offline, how to enable on-device processing, and what you'll lose when you cut the connection.
Most people assume Galaxy AI is entirely cloud-dependent. That's not accurate. Samsung built its Galaxy AI system as a hybrid some features run locally on your device using the phone's own Neural Processing Unit (NPU), while others rely on Samsung's servers for heavy computation. The good news is that a meaningful chunk of the most useful daily features work perfectly fine without a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection.
Here's how to set it up and what to expect.
Step 1: Enable "Process Data Only On Device"
The key to using Galaxy AI offline is a single setting called Process data only on device. This is Samsung's master switch for on-device AI processing.
To turn it on:
- Open Settings
- Tap Galaxy AI
- Find Process data only on device and toggle it on
On some older One UI versions, the path may be slightly different: Settings → Advanced Features → Advanced Intelligence, then look for the same toggle.
If you tap on the setting itself instead of just the toggle, you'll be taken to a screen that shows exactly which AI features will keep working offline which is useful before committing to the change.
One important caveat: this toggle only affects Samsung's own AI features. If you use Gemini or ChatGPT apps on your Galaxy phone, your data will still be processed in the cloud regardless of this setting.
Step 2: Download Language Packs (For Translation Features)
If you use Live Translate or Interpreter offline, you'll need to download the relevant language packs to your device beforehand. These packs let the phone handle translation locally without sending anything to a server.
Do this while you still have an internet connection especially before travel. Once downloaded, the language packs stay on your device and work indefinitely without connectivity.
What Actually Works Offline
Once you've enabled on-device processing, here's what you can use without any internet connection:
Phone Calls
Live translation of phone calls runs locally and works offline by default. This is one of Galaxy AI's most genuinely useful features for international users, and it doesn't need a data connection to function.
Samsung Keyboard
Both writing style suggestions and spelling/grammar corrections in the Samsung keyboard run locally and continue to work with on-device processing enabled.
Voice Recorder / Transcript Assist
The Voice Recorder app will automatically recognize the language you're speaking and use a locally downloaded language pack to create transcripts of your recordings. Basic transcription works offline. Summarizing those transcripts, however, requires cloud access.
Samsung Internet
Web page translation continues to work locally and offline. Summaries of web pages require the cloud and will stop working in offline mode.
Samsung Gallery Basic Edits
More basic AI features like moire removal, reflection removal, and shadow removal in Samsung Gallery will keep working without an internet connection.
Audio Eraser
On the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Audio Eraser and voice note transcription remain available with on-device processing enabled. Older devices like the S23 Ultra have more limited offline capabilities.
What Stops Working Without Internet
Being honest about the limitations matters here. Several of Galaxy AI's more visually impressive features are cloud-dependent and won't work offline:
Generative Edit Moving, resizing, or removing objects from photos where the AI fills in the background requires cloud processing. Generative edits in Samsung Gallery no longer work when on device only processing is enabled.
Note Assist Summaries While text translation in Samsung Notes still works locally, summaries, auto-formatting of meeting notes, and spelling corrections will show a pop-up asking you to disable on-device-only processing.
Sketch to Image Turning drawings into realistic images requires Samsung's servers. Not available offline.
Circle to Search This is a Google-powered feature and requires an active internet connection at all times.
Generative Wallpaper Cloud-only. No offline support.
Webpage Summaries Features like Circle to Search, Generative Edit, and Webpage Summaries still require an active internet connection even when on-device processing is enabled for other features.
Which Samsung Phones Support On-Device Galaxy AI
Not every Galaxy phone handles offline AI equally. Newer chipsets have more powerful NPUs, which means they can run more features locally.
The Galaxy S26 series, S25 series, S25 FE, S24 series, S24 FE, Tab S10 and S11 series, Z Fold7, Z Fold6, Z Flip7, Z Flip6, and several A-series models including A57 5G, A56 5G, A36 5G, and A26 5G are ready for Galaxy AI right away. The Galaxy S23 series, S22 series, Z Fold5/4, Z Flip5/4, and older Tab S8/S9 models require a software update to access Galaxy AI features.
The practical takeaway: the older your device, the fewer features will be available in offline mode. A Galaxy S25 Ultra handles significantly more on-device tasks than a Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Privacy Bonus: Your Data Stays on Your Phone
Beyond offline convenience, enabling on-device processing has a real privacy benefit. When you enable Process data only on device, your phone handles most AI tasks locally without sending your data to the cloud a major win for privacy, though some features will be limited or disabled entirely as a result.
For anyone concerned about sensitive conversations being processed on external servers especially with voice recordings, call translations, or typed notes this setting is worth enabling regardless of whether you need offline access.
A Few Tips for Better Offline Performance
Keep these in mind before going off the grid:
Download language packs in advance for any language you'll need for translation or transcription
Keep your software updated Samsung regularly improves on-device AI capabilities with One UI updates
For optimal performance in offline mode, avoid running multiple AI features simultaneously and close background apps to dedicate maximum resources to Galaxy AI processing.
Check the offline features list in Settings → Galaxy AI → Process data only on device (tap the label, not just the toggle) to see exactly what your specific device supports
Galaxy AI offline is genuinely useful not a stripped-down backup mode. Live translation, keyboard assistance, voice transcription, basic photo editing, and audio tools all work without a connection on supported devices. The features you lose are mostly the generative, creative ones that require serious compute power Samsung hasn't yet pushed fully on-device.
If you're heading somewhere with no signal, or you simply want tighter control over where your data goes, turning on Process data only on device is a one-tap decision that gives you a solid AI experience entirely from your own hardware.
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