Can I use AI on a Mac with no internet?

Yes, with a local model. Download it once with LM Studio, Ollama or Jan, and it then runs with no connection.

What is the best offline AI model for a Mac?

The one your memory fits: a 3b model on 8 GB, a 7b to 9b on 16 GB, and larger models from 32 GB up.

Which AI apps work offline on a Mac?

Offline AI on a Mac means a model that runs on the Mac itself, so after a one time download it answers with no internet connection. LM Studio says it can operate entirely offline once you have model files, including chat, chatting with documents and its local server. Ollama runs locally and says it does not see your prompts; set OLLAMA_NO_CLOUD=1 and its cloud models and web search are switched off, leaving local only mode. Jan, Apache 2.0, runs everything locally when you want it to. Pick the model by your Mac's memory: about 8 GB runs a 3b model, and 16 GB a 7b to 9b. Grux OS (MIT) is not a model runner but an agent on top of one: with Ollama there is no Grux account, server or telemetry to reach, and meeting audio is transcribed on device. New mail and calendar events still arrive over the network, as they always do.

Grux OS 3.0.0 · last checked 2026-09-30 · generated from the shipping release

Which apps work offline

App	License	Offline
LM Studio	Free; the app is closed source, its lms tool is MIT	Yes, once models are downloaded: chat, documents and the local server
Ollama	MIT	Yes; local only mode turns off its cloud models and web search
Jan	Apache 2.0	Yes, everything runs locally when you choose
Grux OS	MIT	An agent with no server; with Ollama the model is local too

Set Ollama to local only

brew install ollama
ollama pull qwen3.5:9b           # download once, while online
OLLAMA_NO_CLOUD=1 ollama serve   # local only: no cloud models, no web search

Ollama also reads the same switch from disable_ollama_cloud in ~/.ollama/server.json; restart it after the change. For which model fits your memory, see which LLM can my Mac run.

What still needs the internet

Downloading a model, and updating an app, need a connection. So does any hosted model: Grux's README says plainly that a hosted provider sees what you send it, and to run Ollama if that matters. Mail and calendars still sync over the network; an offline model only changes where the thinking happens.

Where to check this

Claim	Source
LM Studio can operate entirely offline once model files are downloaded	LM Studio docs, Offline Operation
Ollama runs locally; local only mode with OLLAMA_NO_CLOUD or disable_ollama_cloud	Ollama FAQ
Jan runs everything locally when you want it to; Apache 2.0	Jan README
Grux: no account, no server, no telemetry, audio transcribed on device	Grux README, Privacy posture

Questions

Can I use AI on a Mac with no internet?: Yes, with a local model. Download it once with LM Studio, Ollama or Jan, and it then runs with no connection.
What is the best offline AI model for a Mac?: The one your memory fits: a 3b model on 8 GB, a 7b to 9b on 16 GB, and larger models from 32 GB up.
Does Grux OS work offline?: With Ollama as its model, Grux has no account, server or telemetry to reach, and meeting audio is transcribed on device. A hosted model, and new mail and events, need the internet.

Download Grux 3.0.0 Read the source

Free, MIT licensed. macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon. 23.7 MB, signed and notarized by Apple. No account, no server, no subscription.