On-device recognition does not start

Applies to: Windows, macOS, Linux

If recognition on the device does not start, choose the recognition tier again or switch back to “Through Stenowise”.

“Recognition on this device did not start”

The full message reads: “Recognition on this device could not be loaded. Under Privacy you can choose the tier again or switch to “Through Stenowise”.”

Choose the tier again

Open Settings › Privacy › Recognition tier and click “Change”.
Wait until Stenowise has checked your computer. The “Recognition on this device” dialog only shows tiers that run on this computer.
Click “Use” for the tier you want. If it is not downloaded yet, click “Download”.

Compact runs on any computer. Precise uses the computer’s graphics and needs at least 2 GB of graphics memory and 8 GB of RAM. If Precise does not start, choose Compact.

Switch back to “Through Stenowise”

Open Settings › Privacy.
Under “Recognition”, choose “Through Stenowise”.

A quicker way is the Stenowise icon › Recognition › “Through Stenowise”.

“No tier downloaded yet”

This message appears when you switch to “On this device” in the icon menu before a tier is downloaded. It adds “First download a tier in the settings under Privacy. After that your computer recognises on its own.” Until then, Stenowise recognises through the server.

Click “Choose a tier” in the notice.
Click “Download” for the tier you want. Stenowise shows the progress as “Downloading, …%”.

Once downloaded, recognition switches to the new tier. Compact takes up 705 MB, Precise 1.08 GB. A tier is downloaded once and stays on the computer.

“The download stopped. Try again later.”

As long as no tier is downloaded, Stenowise keeps recognising through the server. Check your internet connection and the free storage on your computer. Then click “Download” again in the “Recognition on this device” dialog.

If the problem persists, report it under Support › Report a problem and tick “Include the log”.

Last updated 28 September 2026