> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openwhispr.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Can't reach OpenWhispr Cloud

> Connection errors during setup or dictation — networks, corporate proxies and certificate warnings.

OpenWhispr tells you it can't reach the cloud — either during onboarding
(*"We can't reach OpenWhispr Cloud from this network"*) or when a dictation
fails (*"Can't reach OpenWhispr Cloud"*).

That's a network path problem rather than an account problem. Your notes and
local dictation are unaffected.

## Quick checks

<Steps>
  <Step title="Try another network">
    Tethering to a phone for one dictation is the fastest diagnostic there is.
    If it works there, the problem is the network you were on — which points at
    a firewall, a DNS filter, or a proxy.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the error you got">
    If it mentioned a **TLS handshake** — *"check your system clock or for a
    corporate proxy"* — skip to
    [Certificate and proxy errors](#certificate-and-proxy-errors).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check your system clock">
    A clock that's wrong by more than a few minutes breaks TLS outright. Set it
    to update automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use local processing meanwhile">
    Local models need no network at all. Set it per mode: **Settings** →
    **Speech-to-Text** under **AI Models**, then the tab for the mode you're
    using — **Dictation**, **Note Recording** or **Audio Upload**. See
    [Local models](/guides/local-models).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## On a work or school network

Managed networks block by default, and OpenWhispr will be blocked along with
everything else new. What your IT team needs is the host list:

<Card title="Network allowlist" href="/help/it/network-allowlist" horizontal>
  Every host the app contacts, with purpose and protocol — written to be
  forwarded as-is.
</Card>

The two that matter most are `api.openwhispr.com` and `auth.openwhispr.com`.
Without the second you can't sign in at all.

## Certificate and proxy errors

If you see a certificate error, a TLS handshake failure, or a warning about SSL
inspection, a proxy is intercepting the connection and its root certificate
isn't trusted by your operating system.

This is normal on corporate networks and it isn't something OpenWhispr can work
around — the fix is for the proxy's root certificate to be installed in the
system trust store, which your IT team will already do for other software.

Model downloads report this specifically: *"Certificate error — your network may
use SSL inspection that blocks downloads. Try downloading from a different
network."* That advice works, and it's often the quickest way to get a local
model installed before returning to the managed network.

## VPNs and security software

Any of these can sit in the path:

* **Corporate VPNs** that force all traffic through an inspecting gateway.
* **Consumer VPNs** whose exit node is blocked or rate-limited.
* **DNS filters and ad blockers**, including router-level ones — these produce
  "could not resolve host" rather than a connection failure.
* **Endpoint security software** that inspects TLS.

Turn them off one at a time and retry. That identifies the one responsible
faster than reasoning about it.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does OpenWhispr work offline?">
    Local processing does — transcription on a downloaded model needs no network
    at all. Cloud transcription, sync and the cloud agent need the connection.
    See [Cloud vs local](/guides/cloud-vs-local).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I point it at a proxy explicitly?">
    The app follows your system proxy settings, including PAC scripts, on every
    platform. Configure it at the operating-system level and OpenWhispr picks it
    up.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Everything else works, only OpenWhispr doesn't.">
    Then a filter is matching our hostnames specifically. Ask your IT team to
    allowlist the hosts on the
    [network allowlist](/help/it/network-allowlist) page — that's what it's for.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I can dictate but sync doesn't work.">
    Both use `api.openwhispr.com`, so a partial failure usually means an
    intermittent path rather than a block. A debug log will show which requests
    failed — see [how to send one](/troubleshooting#send-us-a-debug-log).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Snippet file="still-need-help.mdx" />

## Related

* [Network allowlist](/help/it/network-allowlist)
* [A model won't download](/help/fix/model-download-fails)
* [Cloud vs local](/guides/cloud-vs-local)