Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Put the cursor in the Outlook email field, in the app on Windows, on Mac or in a browser, and dictate the text with the Potok app (potok.now): hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), say the text and release the key, and it is inserted into the email. Potok recognizes about 900 characters per minute and places punctuation itself.
Do you want to dictate an email in Outlook by voice instead of typing it by hand? Outlook works on three platforms, as an app on Windows, on Mac and as a web version in a browser, and on all three the email field accepts dictated text the same way.
Step by step in Outlook
- Install Potok and allow it system access to the microphone: without this, dictation does not work.
- Choose the microphone you need in the Potok settings or in the menu of its tray icon.
- Open an email in Outlook, it does not matter whether in the app on Windows, on Mac or in the web version in a browser, and put the cursor in the email text field.
- Hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default) and dictate the text of the email in ordinary speech, without pauses for punctuation.
- Release the key: the dictated text appears in the email, and Potok places punctuation and capital letters itself.
- Check the text, correct it by hand if needed and send the email as usual.
If Outlook on Windows is occupied by a system shortcut, the Potok hotkey can be changed in its settings: choose a ready combination, your own or a side mouse button. These steps are the same for the desktop Outlook app and for the web version: Potok inserts text into the active field regardless of which program it is.
| Task | Characters | Typing (200 chars/min) | Voice (900 chars/min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| chat reply | 300 | 2 min | 0.5 min |
| 1500 | 8 min | 1.7 min | |
| post or meeting minutes | 4000 | 20 min | 4.4 min |
| article | 10000 | 50 min | 11.1 min |
How the text looks after insertion
The dictated text appears in the email field whole, in one piece, with a single press and release of the hotkey. Potok places punctuation and capital letters itself, and you do not need to dictate “zapyataya” (comma) or “tochka” (period) separately.
Potok has no voice commands, so if the email is long, splitting it into paragraphs has to be done by hand after insertion. The email field in Outlook, on Windows, on Mac and in a browser, accepts inserted text as ordinary text, with no restrictions at this level. A similar review of the final text is on the page about how to dictate a message in Telegram.
| What is available | |
|---|---|
| Text insertion | yes |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Web |
| Potok | hold the key, speak, release: the text lands in the field under the cursor |
Outlook limitations that get in the way
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. It has no voice commands and no offline mode, so the layout of a long email, paragraphs and indents, has to be added by hand after the text is inserted. A similar review of the steps exists for a task in Bitrix24.
Frequently asked questions
Yes: the email field in the web version of Outlook accepts inserted text just as in the app on Windows and macOS. Potok inserts dictated text into the active field regardless of whether it is a desktop program or a browser tab.
Voice input is converting speech to text on the fly: the user speaks, and the program transcribes the sound with speech recognition technology (ASR) and inserts the resulting text into the active field, such as email, a messenger or a document. In Potok this works through a hotkey: hold it, speak, release, and the text is inserted.
Dictation is especially useful for long texts written off the cuff: drafts of emails, notes, replies in messengers, lecture notes, and also when your hands are busy or tired (for example, with RSI). For short precise edits (one-word commands, code) typing is often faster.
Built-in system tools (Win+H in Windows, Dictation in macOS, Voice Typing in Google Docs, Gboard on Android), voice browser extensions, and also specialized desktop and web services (Potok and analogs) that work over any app through a hotkey.
Potok states about 900 characters per minute by voice against about 200 when typing, roughly 4 times faster. This is a product estimate, not an independent measurement.
Yes: Windows has built-in voice input by Win+H (Russian only in Windows 11, Windows 10 has no Russian; it does not work without the internet), and on a Mac there is system dictation in the keyboard settings. Both are free.
Try it on your own texts
Download Potok for Windows, macOS or Linux: full access for the first 14 days, no card needed. After that, 2500 words per week for free or Pro for 690 ₽ per month. Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokExisting recordings are transcribed by Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: send a file or a YouTube, VK Video or RuTube link and the text arrives in the chat. The Potok subscription removes the limit in the bot too.
Primary sources: www.microsoft.com · support.microsoft.com