Yes, some Galaxy AI features work offline, but the whole suite does not. Interpreter can translate an in-person conversation after the required language packs are downloaded. Circle to Search needs internet access, and other tools have their own requirements. Turning on Process data only on device limits supported Galaxy AI processing; it does not make cloud features work offline.
This guide uses Samsung’s U.S. documentation checked on October 22, 2026. Features vary by phone, software, language and region. It is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on performance test.
Which Galaxy AI features need internet?
| What you want to do | What to expect without a connection |
|---|---|
| Translate a face-to-face conversation with Interpreter | Offline use is available with the necessary language packs already downloaded. Finish account setup beforehand. |
| Translate a phone call with Live translate | The translation can be processed on the phone, but the call itself still needs a working connection. |
| Use Gallery Edit Suggestions | Samsung identifies these suggestions as on-device. Do not assume every suggested editing operation has the same requirement. |
| Use Circle to Search with Google | Internet is required, even if the picture you are circling is saved locally. |
| Use Writing Assist | Samsung’s current terms require internet and a Samsung account. |
| Transcribe or summarize with Transcript Assist | Samsung’s current terms require internet and a Samsung account for both features. Do not rely on an old offline feature list. |
| Generate or change images with Photo Assist | Network access may be required. Check the particular tool, rather than treating all Gallery editing as one feature. |
The distinction comes from Samsung’s Galaxy AI feature guide, its separate Circle to Search requirements and the current Galaxy AI feature terms. A shared AI label does not mean the tools share an offline mode.
What does “Process data only on device” do?
On supported devices, open Settings > Galaxy AI and enable Process data only on device. Some software versions place intelligent features under Advanced features. Search Settings if your menus differ.
Samsung describes this switch as a way to disable cloud processing for Galaxy AI. A feature that needs that processing may become unavailable. The phone does not simply perform the same job locally instead.
Do not use the switch as a phone-wide network blocker. It is not a promise that Google apps, a browser, backups or other apps stop connecting. If your aim is to avoid cellular charges, control mobile data separately. If your aim is privacy, also check the settings of the particular app you are using.
Prepare Interpreter before a flight or trip
Interpreter is the useful starting point when you need to speak to someone without buying roaming data. Samsung’s on-device translation explanation confirms offline use after language downloads. Its older fee wording is not the basis for the current cost section below.
- While you have WiFi, complete the Samsung account setup and open Interpreter. On supported software, it is available from the Quick settings panel.
- Choose both conversation languages. Download any requested packs, then open them once to check that setup has finished. Do not assume a familiar language is already installed.
- At a convenient time, enable airplane mode and make sure WiFi remains off. This temporarily interrupts normal calls and internet access, so do not do it while expecting an important call.
- Try a short, fresh conversation in both directions. Check the text and spoken result. Looking at an old translation does not establish that a new one can be created offline.
- Restore your usual connection settings afterward. If the test fails, finish downloads or check compatibility while still online, before relying on it away from home.
This is a suggested check for your own phone, not a test result we measured. Keep important addresses and essential phrases saved separately. Translation errors are possible, especially with names, background noise or overlapping speech.
Offline translation does not mean offline calls
Imagine speaking to a hotel receptionist across the table. Interpreter can handle that conversation locally after setup. Calling the hotel from elsewhere is different: the phone must first establish a call.
Samsung’s Live translate call instructions explain how to start a call and then activate translation. A regular carrier call still depends on service; an internet calling app still needs internet. Local translation does not remove your carrier’s call or roaming charges, or turn an app call into a no-data call.
Also separate translating text already on the phone from fetching something new. Even if a translation step runs locally, opening a new website or receiving a new message requires the relevant connection.
Will Galaxy AI use your mobile data?
Connected features and downloads can use cellular data when permitted. There is no useful universal “MB per Galaxy AI request” figure: translating a short phrase, uploading an image and downloading a language pack are different tasks. We have not measured them.
Follow Samsung’s data usage instructions: open Settings > Connections > Data usage > Mobile data usage. Check the date range and the relevant app. Menu names and available controls vary by carrier and software.
For a rough personal check, note an app’s counter before and after a short session. Other app activity can affect the difference, so do not treat it as a laboratory measurement of one AI feature. Compare the carrier’s usage record when checking your bill. Download packs over WiFi before travel rather than discovering the download prompt while roaming.
Gemini Live is a separate service with its own controls. See our Gemini Live mobile data guide if that is the voice conversation you mean.
If an AI feature stops working without WiFi
First, identify the exact action. “AI stopped working” could mean an unfinished Interpreter language download, a cloud writing tool blocked by the on-device setting, or Circle to Search doing what its internet requirement says.
- Interpreter asks for a download: reconnect over WiFi and finish the required language setup before trying offline again.
- A writing or photo tool is unavailable: check its current requirements and whether you intentionally disabled cloud processing. Only change that setting if you want to allow that processing.
- Circle to Search cannot search: restore a working internet connection. Its screen-selection gesture is not an offline search engine.
- The option is missing entirely: check the model and software requirements in Samsung’s guide. An AI-branded phone does not necessarily include every feature.
A cloud-only task failing in airplane mode is not, by itself, a WiFi fault. There is no reason to factory-reset the phone just to make that task work offline.
Is offline Galaxy AI free?
Samsung currently says its basic Galaxy AI features are free. Enhanced features or new services may be paid, and third-party AI has separate terms. “Free” describes access to a feature, not free mobile data, calls or international roaming. Check the offer shown for the specific service instead of relying on an old “free until 2025” statement.
If offline use is a reason to buy a phone, verify the exact task, language and model before paying. Do not buy on the strength of a broad “AI phone” label. For another ecosystem’s limits, our Apple Intelligence offline guide makes the same distinction between local features and connected services.
