Using the Google voice input, an internet connection is not needed. However, the voice texting is VERY POOR when the Google app has been updated. It does not recognize punctuation commands AT ALL! (It spells out the word, e.g. "period" instead of ".") I have found that, by going to Settings ---> Apps ---> Google, you can "uninstall updates" (3-dot menu) and put the app back to original version. Then, punctuation commands work flawlessly. I do not understand why Google programmers have created this problem, but they most certainly have. I read somewhere about Google's "Smart Punctuation" that is supposed to put punctuation in automatically, but it simply does not work.