We make Pinku, an on-device AI chat app, and it is one of the options below. The checklist works whichever app you choose.
What works with no connection
| Need | Works offline if you prepare | Prepare before you leave |
|---|---|---|
| Translate signs, menus, a conversation | Apple Translate (its listing: “On-device mode, a fully offline experience… for downloaded languages”), Google Translate (“Offline: translate with no internet connection”) | Download the languages of the trip |
| Draft an email, rewrite, summarise text you paste, brainstorm, explain something | An on-device AI chat app: Locally AI, PocketPal AI, Enclave, Pinku, Private LLM | Install the app and download a model on Wi-Fi |
| Quick automations | Shortcuts' Use Model action with On-Device works “without the need for a network connection” on iPhones with Apple Intelligence (Apple) | Build and test the shortcut at home |
| Look up current facts, prices, opening hours | Nothing offline does this: models have no web access | Save the pages or screenshots you will need |
How much to download: sizes from Pinku's model list
The size of the download is the thing that catches people out on hotel Wi-Fi. We read the
model catalogue that ships with Pinku 1.1 (models.json, updated 19 October 2026):
the smallest model, Qwen 3 0.6B, is 0.4 GB; the default, Gemma 3 1B, is 0.8 GB; Llama 3.2 3B
and SmolLM3 3B are 1.8 GB; Qwen 3 4B is 2.3 GB; Gemma 4 E2B is 3.6 GB; the largest, Qwen 3 8B,
is 4.7 GB. Other on-device apps use similar open models, so the sizes are a fair guide for them
too. One model of 1 to 2 GB covers most travel needs; download it at home, not at the gate.
On-device AI apps for a trip (App Store, 23 October 2026)
- Locally AI by LM Studio: “Run AI models like Llama, Gemma, Qwen… Offline. Private. No login.” iPhone and iPad.
- PocketPal AI: open source, offline chatting with models you download, including any compatible model from Hugging Face.
- Pinku: on-device chat on iPhone, iPad and Mac (Apple silicon), needs Metal 3 (iPhone 12 or later); a Siri and Shortcuts action to start a chat; dictation recognised on the device and read aloud with Pinku Pro. No account.
- Enclave: “chat offline — no account, no cloud”, many open models; its Pro adds cloud models, which of course need a connection.
- Private LLM: paid upfront, works “even without internet access”, with Siri and Shortcuts.
Step by step
- A day before: install and download on Wi-Fi. Install an on-device AI app such as Pinku or one of the others above and download one model. Check that the app lists it as downloaded, not streaming.
- Download your translation languages. In Apple Translate or Google Translate, download every language of the trip, including the one you speak.
- Test everything in airplane mode at home. Turn on airplane mode, open each app and ask one real question. Whatever fails here will fail on the plane.
- Pick a model that suits the phone. Smaller models answer faster and use less battery; larger ones answer better. Many apps only offer the models that fit your device's memory.
- Paste what you will need into a note. Booking confirmations, addresses and the text you want summarised or translated. The model can only work with what you give it.
- Charge, and bring a cable or battery. Running a model is heavy work for a phone. Long sessions drain the battery faster than reading.
- On board, turn on airplane mode and ask. If the app answers in airplane mode, the answer was generated on the iPhone and nothing you typed left it.
What offline AI cannot do
A 1 to 5 GB model on a phone is much smaller than the cloud models behind ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude. It is good for drafting, rewriting, summarising text you paste in, explaining and brainstorming. It has no web access, so it does not know today's news, prices or opening hours, and it can state wrong facts with confidence: check anything that matters, such as visa rules or medication, against an official source you saved before leaving. Translators are better than chat models at translation; use both.
About Pinku in particular: chats stay on the device that wrote them (no sync), so a conversation on your iPhone is not on your Mac. Its App Store privacy label lists purchases and a user ID, for App Functionality. More in how to use AI on iPhone without internet and the best offline AI chat apps for iPhone and Mac.
Sources
- Pinku 1.1 model catalogue (
models.json, 19 October 2026), read in the app's source code on 23 October 2026. - App Store listings of Apple Translate, Google Translate, Locally AI, PocketPal AI, Enclave and Private LLM, US store, read 23 October 2026.
- Apple, Use Model action in Shortcuts.
Questions people ask
Does ChatGPT work on a plane without Wi-Fi?
No. ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude send every message to their servers. With in-flight Wi-Fi they may work; in airplane mode without Wi-Fi only an on-device model can answer.
Which AI apps work offline on iPhone?
On-device AI chat apps such as Locally AI, PocketPal AI, Enclave, Pinku and Private LLM, once a model is downloaded. Apple Translate and Google Translate translate offline with downloaded languages.
How big is an offline AI model?
In Pinku's catalogue they range from 0.4 GB (Qwen 3 0.6B) to 4.7 GB (Qwen 3 8B); the default Gemma 3 1B is 0.8 GB.
Can offline AI translate?
Many small models can, but a dedicated translator with downloaded languages is usually more reliable for travel.
Does offline AI drain the battery?
Generating text is heavy work for the phone, so long sessions use more battery than reading. Smaller models use less.
How do I know the AI really runs offline?
Turn on airplane mode and ask a question. If it answers, the answer was generated on the device.