# Hosted Hubs and Local Devices

> Choose a Thalovant setup by understanding hosted hubs, local voice clients, Home Assistant, and what still needs an internet connection.

Source: https://docs.thalovant.com/start/hosted-and-local/

---
A phone or speaker running at home is a **local client**, not a locally hosted
Thalovant hub. The setup guides here connect that client to a hub hosted by
Thalovant. Use this distinction when deciding what to install and whether the
setup meets your connectivity and privacy needs.

## What Runs Where

| Your choice | What runs on your device | What needs the hosted hub |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Try a public hub in the browser](https://dash.thalovant.com/explore) | **On your device:** the preview interface; no voice client installation. | **Hosted hub:** receives your question and sends its answer. |
| [Install Thalovant Voice](/manage/install-thalovant-voice/) or connect the phone app | **On your device:** the client, microphone, wake-word detection, and configured speech tools. | **Hosted hub:** receives recognised questions and sends answers. |
| [Create your own hub](/manage/create-a-hub/) in your Thalovant account | **On your device:** your connected clients. Creating a hub does not install it on your computer. | **Hosted hub:** runs the hub and its skills. A private hub restricts access; it does not mean the hub is on your home network. |
| [Link Home Assistant](/manage/home-assistant/) | **On your device:** your existing Home Assistant installation handles requests through Assist. | **Hosted hub:** passes home requests over the link that Home Assistant opens. |

Start with a public hub if you only want to try a question. Add a phone or
speaker when you want voice access, and link Home Assistant when you want to
control devices exposed to Assist. You do not need to move Home Assistant to
Thalovant or open an incoming port for that integration.

## Does It Work Without Internet?

**Local speech processing is not the same as an offline assistant.** Wake-word
detection runs on the client. On the phone, recognition can also stay local
when the required offline language model is installed. On Thalovant Voice,
recognition and speech depend on the configured plugins. See
[where your voice goes](/trust/) before assuming audio stays on a device.

These local steps do not make a hosted hub reachable during an internet
outage. Asking that hub questions, receiving its answers, and controlling Home
Assistant through Thalovant need a working connection to it. Account sign-in
and pairing also need the Thalovant service.

Home Assistant's own local controls are separate from this link. Whether they
work during an outage depends on your Home Assistant setup and its devices,
not on Thalovant's wake-word or speech settings.

## Can I Self-Host Thalovant?

The installation guides here cover **hosted Thalovant hubs and local clients**.
They do not provide a complete, supported self-hosted Thalovant service setup.
Installing the Linux client, including on a computer without a screen, does
not install the hosted account service, dashboard, or hub on that computer.

If you need a fully disconnected or self-hosted deployment, ask
[support](/account/get-support/) to confirm the available options and their
requirements before choosing hardware or relying on that setup. Ask who will
handle updates, backups, and account and device access. Do not assume a local
client download supplies those parts.

## Choose Your Next Step

- [Complete your first setup](/start/first-successful-setup/) for a spoken answer.
- [Link Home Assistant](/manage/home-assistant/) for home control in English or French.
- [Trace your voice and text](/trust/) to understand each processing step.
- [Read the legal documents](/legal/) for published service policies; this setup guide does not establish retention or data-residency guarantees.