Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Voice typing in Google Docs (Tools → Voice typing) works not only in Chrome but also in Edge and Safari, supports more than 100 languages, and voice editing commands work only in English when the account and document language is English. The hotkey to turn it on is Ctrl+Space, the same as Potok (potok.now) has by default; in Potok it is changed in the settings.
Google Docs is a web editor, and it is opened in different browsers. It has its own voice typing, turned on with the same hotkey that Potok has by default. It is worth starting with this before going through the rest. A general overview of the topic is on the page about voice input in apps.
What the built-in voice typing in Google Docs can do
Voice typing is turned on through the menu Tools → Voice typing and works in current versions of three browsers at once, Chrome, Edge and Safari, and not only in Chrome. More than 100 languages and regional accents are supported for the dictation itself.
Voice commands for editing and formatting text (insert a paragraph, select a word, change a style) work only in English, and for this both the language of the Google account and the language of the document itself must be set to English. In other languages, including Russian, only the dictation of text is available, without command control. A similar review for a neighboring service is on the page about voice input in Google Sheets.
The built-in voice typing has the Ctrl+Space shortcut, which clears text formatting (the alternative is Ctrl+). This is the same combination that turns on recording in Potok by default.
What changes with Potok
Since Ctrl+Space in Google Docs is already taken for clearing formatting, for Potok in this document it is worth changing the hotkey once in the settings, to another combination, your own key or a side mouse button. After that, Potok inserts the dictated text into the active field of the document the same way as in any other app, and not only inside a browser tab.
Potok places punctuation and capital letters automatically in Russian, including terms and mixed text with English words, which in Google Docs itself cannot be done by commands without switching the account language to English. Potok's response time is about 0.4 seconds, and the dictation itself is not tied to the browser: it works in Google Docs and in any other text field on the computer.
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Free
- Free: 2500 words per week; full access for the first 14 days, no card needed
- Pro
- Pro 690 ₽/mo, 499 ₽/mo when paid yearly
- Payment
- Russian bank cards, rubles
- Where speech is recognized
- cloud, servers in Russia; internet required
Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. Download: potok.now/download
When the built-in voice typing of Google Docs is enough
If you need to write only in English, with formatting commands and without third-party programs, the built-in voice typing of Google Docs is enough: it is free and works in three browsers at once. Potok makes sense when you need Russian or dictation not only in Google Docs but in any field on the computer.
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without an internet connection. It has no voice commands, and there are no mobile apps for Android and iPhone: you can dictate only from a computer.
Frequently asked questions
By default both combinations are Ctrl+Space: in Google Docs it clears text formatting, in Potok it records voice. To keep them from interfering with each other, change the hotkey in Potok in the settings: you can pick a ready combination, your own key or a side mouse button.
Yes: Windows has built-in voice input on Win+H (Russian only in Windows 11, there is no Russian in Windows 10; it does not work without the internet), and on a Mac there is system dictation in the keyboard settings. Both are free.
Dictation pays off most for long texts written off the cuff: draft 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.
Potok states about 900 characters per minute by voice against about 200 when typing, roughly 4 times faster. This is the product's own estimate, not an independent measurement.
Built-in system tools (Win+H in Windows, Dictation in macOS, Voice Typing in Google Docs, Gboard on Android), browser voice extensions, and dedicated desktop or web services (Potok and similar ones) that work on top of any app through a hotkey.
Any microphone that the system sees as a recording device will do. In Potok you choose it in the app settings or in the tray icon menu; system access to the microphone is required.
How to start
Potok is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. For two weeks everything is open for free, after that 2500 words per week without paying. Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokA voice message from a messenger or a call recording can be forwarded to the bot @potok_now_bot, and it sends back the text. The bot is part of the same subscription as the Potok app.
Built-in dictation and Potok
| Tool | Where it works | Russian language | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows voice typing (Win+H) | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 11 only | Microsoft cloud, does not work offline |
| macOS Dictation | macOS | yes | on the device or on Apple servers |
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | primary language | cloud, servers in Russia, does not work offline |
| 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 |
Primary sources: docs.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com · support.google.com