FAQ

FAQ

Which languages are supported?

99 languages via the multilingual models (tiny, base, small, …). The .en models are English-only but slightly faster/more accurate for English. Set the language explicitly with WhisperConfig(language = "fr"), or use "auto" for automatic detection.

Why is transcription slow?

Usually the model is too large for the device. Speed depends on:

• Model size — tiny ≫ base ≫ small in speed. Try a smaller model.
• Threads — set WhisperConfig(threads = N) to match the CPU (4 is a good default).
• Audio length — processing time scales with audio duration.
• Device — a budget CPU with small can run several times slower than real-time.

Rule of thumb: use base/base.en on phones; reserve small for short clips or high-end devices.

Does it need internet?

No. Everything runs on-device. No network, no cloud, no API keys. The only online step is downloading the model file once.

What audio format is required?

WAV, MP3 or FLAC, any sample rate or channel count. The library decodes and resamples to 16 kHz mono automatically (whisper.cpp's built-in miniaudio decoder, no FFmpeg). Mono 16 kHz WAV is fastest (skips resampling) but not required.

How much RAM does it use?

Roughly the model size plus working memory — e.g. base needs a few hundred MB. Larger models need proportionally more; very large models may OOM on low-RAM devices.

Can I transcribe from the microphone in real time?

Not in the Free tier (file-based only). Real-time streaming + VAD are in the Pro build — see jokobee.com.

Which ABIs are supported?

Free tier: arm64-v8a only (>90% of modern devices). x86_64 (emulators, Chromebooks) is in the Pro build.

Is it really free?

Yes — MIT licensed, free on Maven Central and JitPack. The Pro build adds streaming, VAD, multi-ABI and quantized models.