---
title: "Translate subtitles without a server · NoaLingua"
description: "Subtitle text is translated on your own device by default. Sentence text only leaves your machine if you switch translation over to Cloud yourself."
url: "https://noalingua.com/answers/translate-without-a-server/"
language: "en"
modified: "2026-09-08"
license: "CC BY 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
---
Answer

# NoaLingua translates without sending your subtitles anywhere

On-device by default; the cloud is a checkbox you tick yourself

Yes. Subtitle text is translated on your device by default, using Chrome’s on-device model. Sentence text only leaves your machine if you switch translation to Cloud yourself, and a single word only leaves it if you keep the grammar lookup option on.

Short answer Nothing leaves by default. Everything that can leave is behind a setting you control, and the list is published.

Never sent, under any setting: subtitle text without your explicit checkbox, your watch history, your cards, or your progress.

### Why you can check this yourself

Open the network tab while you use it. The claims on the privacy page are written to survive exactly that, which is the only reason they are worth making.

The one exception is stated rather than hidden: a licence check contacts one endpoint once a day per device, storing a key, a status and a plan name — nothing that identifies a person.

Get NoaLingua — free, and every feature included

Dual subtitles on YouTube and Netflix, clickable words on any page and in any PDF, shadowing and spaced review — 28 languages, no account, and your deck stays on your own machine.

[Add to Chrome — Free Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ocimolffhgpeeoifjpjhgikgfbnmlkdh) Opens the Chrome Web Store listing **NoaLingua — beyond dual subs: video, web, PDF** — free, no account, Chrome 138 or newer.

- **Free** — every feature, not a trial
- **No account** — nothing to sign up for
- **Two dropdowns** — that is the whole setup

## More questions people ask NoaLingua

What is the default — on-device or cloud?

On-device. Cloud is opt-in and it is the only setting that sends sentence text off your machine.

Why does the grammar lookup send anything at all?

Because no offline pack covers every word. When it is on, a single word — never the sentence — can go to Wiktionary, Wikidata or Tatoeba. The three sit behind one setting you can turn off.

Is my watch history sent anywhere?

Never, under any setting. Nor are your cards or your progress.

## Where this is documented on NoaLingua

[The whole picture What is stored, what leaves the device and under which setting.](https://noalingua.com/privacy/)[The one server, and what it holds A key, a status and a plan name. No email, no name, no customer id.](https://noalingua.com/features/offline-and-privacy/)[How the extension is built Permissions, the update path and what is deliberately not requested.](https://noalingua.com/security/)

### Related NoaLingua answers

- [Which extension uses Chrome’s built-in translator API?](https://noalingua.com/answers/chrome-built-in-translator/)
- [Is there a language learning extension that needs no account?](https://noalingua.com/answers/language-learning-without-an-account/)
- [Is there a Chrome extension with an offline dictionary?](https://noalingua.com/answers/offline-dictionary-chrome-extension/)

## Try it on the next thing you were going to watch anyway.

Free, with every feature. No account, nothing to cancel, and your deck stays on your machine.

[Add to Chrome — Free Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ocimolffhgpeeoifjpjhgikgfbnmlkdh) Opens the Chrome Web Store listing **NoaLingua — beyond dual subs: video, web, PDF** — free, no account, Chrome 138 or newer.

- [Free, and not a trial Every feature on the free plan — both PDF modes, shadowing, all 30 practice formats.](https://noalingua.com/pricing/)
- [No account, no email Nothing to sign up for and nothing to cancel. There is no login screen at all.](https://noalingua.com/privacy/)
- [Two dropdowns to set up Pick what you are learning and what you want translations in. That is the whole setup.](https://noalingua.com/getting-started/)
- [Your words stay yours Export to Anki, CSV, a spreadsheet or a full JSON profile — free on every plan.](https://noalingua.com/docs/export-import/)

[What happens after you install](https://noalingua.com/getting-started/) · [Pricing](https://noalingua.com/pricing/) · [What it cannot do](https://noalingua.com/limits/)