1.  [Clacky](https://clacky.app/)
2.  ›
3.  [A–Z](https://clacky.app/features/#a-z)
4.  ›
5.  [Answers](https://clacky.app/answers/)
6.  ›
7.  Does Clacky work offline?

Answer

# Does Clacky work offline?

Yes. Clacky’s sounds, click ripple, screen recorder, captions and screenshots all run on your Mac and work without an internet connection, and a paid licence never locks because you are offline.

You need a connection once to activate your licence key, and for updates, Friends, the Bazaar, Ask Boop and Boop Support. The free trial runs offline too.

[Try free for 3 days](https://clacky.app/try/)[Pricing](https://clacky.app/#pricing)

## What works offline

Everything Clacky makes is made on your Mac, so almost all of it works on a plane or behind a firewall.

What

Offline?

Notes

Click, keyboard and scroll sounds

Yes

Played on your Mac

Click ripple

Yes

Drawn on your screen

Screen recorder and editor

Yes

Editing and export happen on your Mac

Captions and transcript

Yes

macOS may download a speech model from Apple the first time, like Dictation does

Screenshots

Yes

Saved to Pictures › Clacky Screenshots

Activating a licence key

No

Needs a connection once

Updates, Friends, the Bazaar, Ask Boop, Boop Support

No

Need a connection when you use them

## Your licence when you are offline

Activating sends your key to Polar once, so do it while you’re online. After that, being offline never locks a one-time licence. Clacky checks the key again about once a day, and network trouble never counts against you. Even a real “not valid” answer has to come twice, at least a day apart, before anything changes.

## The free trial offline

The 3-day trial starts on your Mac the first time you open Clacky, online or not. Clacky tells clacky.app about it with an anonymous one-way Mac ID when it next has a connection, so the trial stays once per Mac. Until then the trial simply runs.

## What waits until you’re back online

Nothing breaks while you’re away. These just try again later.

-   Update checks, and the licence check, which retries about every hour.
-   Anonymous usage stats, if you said yes to them. They wait on your Mac and go out later.
-   Recordings and screenshots never upload, online or offline. See [what Clacky sends online](https://clacky.app/answers/what-clacky-sends-online/).

## Using Clacky with no internet at all

On a Mac that is never online, or with Clacky blocked in a firewall app, set it up like this.

1.  Activate your key once while you have a connection: paste it in Settings → Licence and click **Activate**.
2.  If you don’t want update checks, switch off **Automatic updates** in Settings.
3.  Use Clacky as usual. To update later, connect and choose **Check for Updates…** in Clacky’s menu.

## Questions

### Do I need internet to start the free trial?

No. The trial starts on your Mac the first time you open Clacky.

### Will Clacky lock if I block it with a firewall?

A one-time licence keeps working. You just won’t get updates until you let it check again.

### Can I activate my key offline?

No. Activation needs a connection once, to check the key with Polar.

### Does Clacky upload my recordings when I’m back online?

No. Recordings and screenshots stay on your Mac unless you share them yourself.

Facts checked on 5 November 2026.

## Related

-   [What does Clacky send over the internet?A daily anonymous check-in, update and licence checks, a one-time trial ID and, only if you agree, anonymous usage stats. Never your keys or screen.](https://clacky.app/answers/what-clacky-sends-online/)
-   [Where is my Clacky licence key?Your Clacky key is in your receipt email from Polar and on the thanks page, and starts with CLACKY-. Paste it in Settings → Licence and click Activate.](https://clacky.app/answers/licence-key-activate/)
-   [How does Clacky update, and do updates cost extra?Clacky updates itself: it downloads new versions in the background and installs them when you are away. Every update is included in the $4.99 price.](https://clacky.app/answers/how-clacky-updates/)
-   [How does the Clacky free trial work?Clacky's free trial lasts 3 days, starts the first time you open it, needs no card or account and includes every feature. Then $4.99 once.](https://clacky.app/answers/clacky-free-trial/)
-   [Screen RecorderRecord the full screen, one window or an area, with your clicks heard and their ripples seen. Saved to Movies › Clacky.](https://clacky.app/features/screen-recorder/)
-   [PrivacyWhat Clacky does and never does, and every request it makes.](https://clacky.app/privacy/)

[A–Z](https://clacky.app/features/#a-z)[Pricing](https://clacky.app/#pricing)[Every feature](https://clacky.app/features/)

## Make something on your Mac today.

3 days free, every feature. Then $4.99 once.

[Try free for 3 days](https://clacky.app/try/)